The word "gay"

[DVC~OKW~96]

Ian! LOL. I love it. Being a perfect homosexual is about as gay inducing as one can get, eh?

Perfect being gay, of course.

I missed (thankfully) the original thread that prompted Rick to start this one and I just wanted to thank everyone who contributed here!

It's given me a wonderfully gay start to my gray and dreary morning!!

 

[MusicMom123]

I have to say, I agree completely !!! Even as a "straight" person, that offends me as well !

Also, when people use the word "retarded" to express not liking something... it really creeps me out.

It's just disrespectful.

I am glad you brought that up.

BTW ~ Did you say anything to the creep in your classroom that said that ? Lemme at 'im, Lemme at 'im !

 

[Uncle Remus]

I saw that thread. I was convinced that the poster was an undercover pro-gay rights person. His/her undercover assignment was to make the other side look ridiculous.

S/he deserves a raise!

Yeah, I post stuff like that myself just to POINT OUT.

What about those who use the word "gay" to mean stupid or lame? I find that horribly offensive.

Sorry to bring a serious tone to this thread but a classmate of mine used it today in reference to a pharmacology quiz he didn't do so well on. Just burns me up...

But back to the original topic, I haven't heard that argument in terms of the word "gay" but I have heard it in reference to using a rainbow as a symbol. I don't remember if it was being serious or not, though.

I started usin' that term myself which also has the effect of POINTING OUT coz I look real queer and when I say it people look.

I have to say, I agree completely !!! Even as a "straight" person, that offends me as well !

Also, when people use the word "retarded" to express not liking something... it really creeps me out.

It's just disrespectful.

I am glad you brought that up.

BTW ~ Did you say anything to the creep in your classroom that said that ? Lemme at 'im, Lemme at 'im !

Oh Darlin', now I don't use that word.
And when I do hear it, you don't want to see me go off.
We do need to teach our young'uns to know what that word really means in developmentally disabled and the stupid people who use it as a demeaning and derogatory slur. My mentally challenged brother sez "rather be retarded than just stooopid!"

Y'all take care over here.
I come back every so often just to feel GAY!

Hey Viki, hey Rick!!
Hey Sistas, marquis 'n five

 

[cybertheo]

The OP of the other post saying we co-opted the word "Gay" doesn't get it. As I understand it, Straight people started calling us that (And we agreed 'yep, we're Gay'). So to say we co-opted any word is stupid... same with the word 'queer'.

 

[Joevn]

BTW ~ Did you say anything to the creep in your classroom that said that ? Lemme at 'im, Lemme at 'im !

No, I didn't. I'm not really a confrontational person in general, plus the lecture was about to start and it wasn't the time to get into that. But, if it makes ya' feel better, he didn't do so hot on the quiz.

 

[ConcKahuna]

Kevin & Randall, that is my absolute FAVORITE scene from The Producers.

Well, that and when Will Farrel yells at the one guy saying "The Furer is not a sissy boy, The Furer is butch!"

And I havent had coffee yet, so my spelling is horrid. No clue if everything is spelled right above LOL

 

[MikeS.]

Being 3 weeks away from 50 I easily remember when GAY meant happy, joyful, bubbly, exicted even. Never did we think of homosexual men (or women.) Gay as currently used populary came about in the 60's, I started hearing it from friends when I visited San Francisco. I lived in the boondocks of Fresno, about 3 hours and a million miles away.

So yeah I think the GAY community converted the popular useage of the word. I tell you what, it is a much better sounding word then what was used extensively before.

I still choke when my older British friends say they are going out to smoke a ***.

 

[mumloveseeyore]

thank you i accidently stumbled on this thread and you have just made the day of a 42 year old straight english housewife much more err gay

 

[my4kids]

The point on the thread in question was that the word gay was NEVER intended to be used to refer to homosexuals, particularly men and that it was only to be used as happy or carefree or some such concept. I didn't understand where this idea was coming from then, nor do I see it now. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard the argument that we "ruined" the word.

Well, no one is naming their little girls "Gay" anymore. It used to be a common name. Lot's of words get different meanings over the years. Lately the word s*cks (and I'm not talking about the article of clothing for the feet.)
is being used in place of "that's awlful" or "that's terrible". Young people have adopted it like it isn't even crude. Some undereducated people have even started remorphing the word "gay". They use it place of "stupid" or different" as in "I can't believe you are wearing that, it's so gay" or "did you hear what John said?, wan't that gay?"

We used to say "sissy" when I was young, so I like "gay' a whole lot better.

 

[eryn the pooh]

Evening everyone.
I am a 29 year old 'staight' woman. My Nana is gay and so I grew up using the word in that context. As does my 10 year old daughter. To both of us it just meant, and means, that Nana loves her partner Gail, and not Papa. I did notice throughout highschool in the 90's that it was also used rudely. I am a teacher now and actually think that the word is being taken over by some new 'mean' words. Each generation has thier own language. My daughter does get a cute giggle every night when I read her a chapter in Little House on the Praire, because throughout the book, gay is used often, obviously as happy and joyfull. In the books the days are gay, the flowers are gay, the children are gay. We both giggled tonight as the last sentance of the chapter was, 'Laura was gay".
So as generations change and new words are invented, let's enjoy the ones right now that make us feel gay!

 

[MikeS.]

Evidently I commited a faux paus since the 3 letter word I used as meaning a cigarette in British English slang has been replaced by the infamous ***

My apoligies as no slander was meant.

 

[Andy B]

I do think it a shame that the older usage of the word gay has fallen into disuse, I always felt it conveyed a feeling of May Day fairs and dancing arounf the Maypole. However the English language has always been an evolving medium and we have to accept it.

What about this;

The Flintstones Lyrics


Flintstones. Meet the Flintstones.
They're the modern stone age family.
From the town of Bedrock,
They're a page right out of history.

Let's ride with the family down the street.
Through the courtesy of Fred's two feet.

When you're with the Flintstones
you'll have a yabba dabba doo time.
A dabba doo time.
You'll have a gay old time.


I do object to the use of Gay as a word for lame or bad as this reinforces the stereotype of Gay being wrong.