have you ever thought about the difference between,
"that's gay" in response to something no sequitor in casual conversation
and "you're a fag" (as a synonym for you're silly)
or
"I hate homosexuals"
I have. I am becoming increasingly more aware of the way that hate words have been transformed to serve many different uses by many different groups. I noticed that one of my friends, who always uses the word "gay" to mean"stupid" or well you know...has spread the word to his immediate friend group. Now they are all saying it. Everything that is not good is now called gay. it sounds ridiculous hearing some of them say it. I believe that there isn;t any hate behind the use of this word. it seems to have taken on a new signified meaning in this group. Even some of my gay friends use this word to refer to something that is "dumb" or "stupid" is it being too p.c. to call people out for this use of the word? is there hate behind it?
What about the word...nigger?
1 comment:
I have alot of issue with people using this word. Mainly because I have talked to enough people who are gay and told me they found it offensive.
Secondly, I think that particularly at the middle school and college age, when many people are come out of the closet or are dealing with issues regarding their sexuality, the use of the, "gay", as a negative slang term is particularly negative. You can't try to pretend that using the word in a way that gives it a negative connotation is going to send a message that being gay is not acceptable or positive.
But I am curious how this relates to your project? Are you focusing on ESL or just language in general?
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