Do you ever use the term “gay” to describe something that is lame or stupid? Are you insulted when someone says “That’s gay” when referring to something in a derogatory fashion?
Why is your writing in purple?
Well, at least purple’s an appropriate color.
No, writing in rainbow colours would be more appropriate!
It offends many of the people in this previous thread on the subject, and in this more general discussion of offensive terms.
I’m vaguely offended by it, but most people don’t even realize they’re doing it. I call my friends on it when they do it.
Kirk
I believe in slapping people down who do that with all the force and violence you’d use to train your ho if he isn’t listening to you.
This of course comes from the JerseyDiamond/Joe_Cool book: “Violence As A Way To Train Your Ho.”
His username is raisinbread, which would possibly explain the color usage.
I can’t answer the OP itself, but as a straight person I don’t use the word “gay” to describe something that is stupid or lame.
No, I do not use the word “gay” when describing something lame or stupid.
And I am amazed people don’t seem to think this is offensive.
I think it ranks right up there with old phrases that only bigoted idiots would spout.
Why don’t you post an OP and ask if Jews get offended if you say, “He jewed me on that deal.”
Or you can ask if African Americans mind if you use the phrase “nigger lipping” cigarettes.
Maybe you can query families of children with Down’s Syndrome and ask if they mind if you call their people "‘tards’?
If one of your friends used one of the three examples above, would you call them on it? Would you think they were bigoted idiots or would you just ignore it?
I think the sad thing about it is that using the word “gay” to describe something lame or stupid is being used by the college crowd…a group one might logically think would be more enlightened.
Apparently not.
I hear it occasionally.
“I lost my wallet.”
“That’s gay!”
I laugh at the sheer irrelevance. It doesn’t make me a homophobe.
A former roommate once put a ruffled flounce around the frame of his bed to hide all the stuff he stored under the bed. I took one look at it and said, “That is really gay.” But he was gay, so sue me.
The poor poor english language and its slangers screwin up the programing . THe term gay actually means happy, overjoyed, frolicky…whatever…thats the true meaning of the term. we changed that to slang to mean dumb, lame, or stupid. slang also once use the term to degrade homosexual/bisexual members of society…strange what we do to our languge.
I’m queer and although I don’t say “that is so gay” I don’t get offended by people who do. Mainly because of what Taboo said above. Whenever I heard it used, it seemd to fit more in the context of "stupidly giggly-happy to the point of idiocy."
Example, in college a prof arbitrarily made a stupid rule that he thought would be a good idea. It compouded our problem, but he didn’t realize this at all, so he presented his stupid rule to the class with a proud grin on his face, happy to be so clever.
On the way out, my friend rolled her eyes and muttered “that’s so gay!” Was I offended? Not at all. In context, “gay”=“queer” made no sense at all, but “gay”=“happy-stupid” hit the nail on the head. If she’d said “that’s so queer!” would it have made sense? Nope. And that’s not how she meant it.
A friend of ours did call her on it, mistakenly thinking I’d been insulted. The friend who uttered the “slur” said “what are you talking about?” and explained that she meanted as I’d understood it. “Gay” as in “ignorance-is-bliss happy.”
I don’t THINK its a term I use much, along with “retard” or other examples of such, and I recognise that they are terms that are considered to be offensive. That said, when I was about 10 or 12, these terms were used ALLTHE TIME, and it wasn’t until a few years later that anyone ever told us what they meant. I can imagine I might use them when not thinking, just by “habit”, but I try not to, and I don’t think I have in a long time.
That’s all I really have to say about that. :shrug:
I tell them “Well, it is stupid, but I don’t think it has a sexual orientation.”
IMO, the usage is only offensive to those who are possibly misinterpreting it. The same word in vocabulary can have multiple meanings; just because the word ‘gay’ can mean either homosexual or bad/lame/dumb doesn’t mean there’s any connection there. I think its pretty subjective and is rather stretching it to say that it is a ‘bigoted’ word.
No, I don’t use it. It doesn’t offend me though. I used to get really upset when somebody said it and call them on it, but I decided it was better not to let it get to me.
If you wanna be a bigot, fine with me. You can call me a spic while you’re at it. :shrug:
I’m hetero, but I’m currently in the middle of training my 16-year-old brother not to say this. He’s at that age where other people use it, he uses it, it becomes a habit, which I’m trying to get him out of because it is pretty darn offensive. Training’s going well so far, he seems to have lessened considerably…
Oooh, that reminds me, I need to get new batteries for the cattle prod. 
what DMark said.
Oh yeah, I don’t buy that whole thing about “gay” having a totally separate connotation from homosexual when used to mean stupid/whatever. The vast majority of the people I know who use it that way are homophobes.