# BENT AND STRAIGHT , same basic metaphor , why is only one offensive ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 2, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499 "2011-05-02T18:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelA1330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MichaelA1330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelA1330)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/1 "2011-05-02T18:19:47Z")
why is okay to call heterosexual people “straight” but not okay to call homosexual people “bent” this has confused me for a while , it is exactly the same metaphor (referring to direction) why is only the latter offensive ? 😕😕:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/2 "2011-05-02T18:24:20Z")
Because “straight” is conisdered normal and “bent” defective? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelA1330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MichaelA1330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelA1330)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/3 "2011-05-02T18:25:53Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Because “straight” is conisdered normal and “bent” defective? but isn’t this an extremely homophobic term for today’s society ? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/4 "2011-05-02T18:27:34Z")
Who is using the term “bent” for homosexuality? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/5 "2011-05-02T18:29:50Z")
Because “bent” already has a meaning when referring to other people, it means they are warped. It isn’t a neutral term. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/6 "2011-05-02T18:30:16Z")
[A whole bunch of British people.](http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2008/06/word-of-gay-bent.html) uswe the term bent. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/7 "2011-05-02T18:30:26Z")
Is English your native language? Oh, and welcome to The Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/8 "2011-05-02T18:31:05Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Who is using the term “bent” for homosexuality? I expect that it’s used by a few people, but the normal antonym for “straight” (meaning heterosexual) is “gay”. That’s why “straight” isn’t offensive: because really the only alternative is “heterosexual”. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/9 "2011-05-02T18:34:35Z")
Pretty standard over here in the UK. Only one is offensive because of the intent and the meaning given to those words. Straight, by and large, is neutral, though generally a plus depending on what we’re talking about. Bent, on the other hand, suggests brokenness, a deviation, a mistake, a flaw, a weakness. Straight is used, by and large, not as an insult (though i’m sure it is sometimes). Bent, on the other hand, when used to describe a person _is_. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/10 "2011-05-02T18:34:54Z")
This is very silly, which is usually what happens when you try to take slang literally. Straight means “normal.” It is not about direction. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/11 "2011-05-02T18:34:55Z")
Then this is like asking why “bad” is an insult and “good” isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelA1330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MichaelA1330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelA1330)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/12 "2011-05-02T18:37:24Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Is English your native language? > > Oh, and welcome to The Dope. yeah it is , and thanks , its nice to get a hello from at least one person ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/13 "2011-05-02T18:46:28Z")
> [@MichaelA1330](#): > > yeah it is , and thanks , its nice to get a hello from at least one person Then you know that the English language isn’t simple. And it changes. In my youth, “straight” meant “not a Hippie.” Like, you know, a real L7. Even now, to me, “bent” would mean mentally weird rather than somewhere in the GLBT spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelA1330](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MichaelA1330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelA1330)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/14 "2011-05-02T18:51:35Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Then you know that the English language isn’t simple. And it changes. > > In my youth, “straight” meant “not a Hippie.” Like, you know, a real L7. > > Even now, to me, “bent” would mean mentally weird rather than somewhere in the GLBT spectrum. must just be the currant meaning , been like that since i was at high school , might also be because im from scotland , where non colloquialised language is unheard of , and grammar doesn’t exist ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/15 "2011-05-03T04:31:49Z")
Get bent. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/16 "2011-05-03T04:35:01Z")
Maybe the issue wouldn’t arise if the relevant terms were straight and curved. That recognizes there’s a difference without implying one is the standard. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/17 "2011-05-03T05:26:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Maybe the issue wouldn’t arise if the relevant terms were straight and curved. That recognizes there’s a difference without implying one is the standard. Pretty much this. Bent doesn’t just mean “not straight”, it means “was straight at one point but isn’t any more”, implying damage. IOW, the implicit subtext is that “bent” people are fucked in the head (among other things :p). Note that “bent” isn’t just used for Teh Ghey, either - it’s also used to mean crooked (heh), corrupt or otherwise dishonest. Not much in the way of positive connotations. whereas straight can also mean direct, frank, honest, dependable, clear or tidy. All positive meanings. Can’t blame gays from not wanting in on that particular semantic dichotomy. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/18 "2011-05-03T06:21:42Z")
“Bent” used to mean anyone that wasn’t sexually normal. It included gay people, but also creeps and perverts and predators. Straight was good, bent was depraved. Over the years, attitudes about homosexuality have changed, and gas aren’t, by and large, lumped in with creeps and pervs any more, so it’s no longer considered polite to call them bent. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/19 "2011-05-04T03:46:53Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > [A whole bunch of British people.](http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2008/06/word-of-gay-bent.html) uswe the term bent. Though I’ve heard it used quite a bit in the UK, IMHO most Americans probably wouldn’t recognize it as a homophobic slur (even the ones who have told someone to ‘Get bent’). ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bent-and-straight-same-basic-metaphor-why-is-only-one-offensive/580499/20 "2011-05-04T03:49:06Z")
I have heard the term “bent” (and more frequently, “crooked”) to refer not to sexuality but to moral corruption.