# "ghey" = "gay"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 3, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337 "2004-10-03T16:55:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337/41 "2004-10-07T13:14:25Z")

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So …

How long until we see the appearance of “phag” and “kweer”? :rolleyes:

Cheese ‘n’ Rice!

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**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337/42 "2004-10-07T22:48:17Z")

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[hijack] Is it not intriguing that whereas calling someone “fat” is an insult, as obesity is considered unattractive in our society, the same word with a different spelling, namely “phat,” means quite the opposite?

Maybe the day will come when saying that something/someone is “ghey” means it’s fantabulous. [/hijack]

WRS - and don’t me started on “boi” or “boiz” or “boyz”

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**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337/43 "2004-10-07T23:04:16Z")

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[barely related pondering]

The Urban Dictionary cite suggests maybe this comes out of the online gaming community. I’m wondering if the variant spelling was created not to dissasociate it from/hide the homophobic origin of ‘gay’ as an insult, but to get through language filters.

[/barely related pondering]

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337/44 "2004-10-08T03:47:01Z")

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> [@WeRSauron](#):
>
> If someone of the label - gay people for “gay”; South Asians for “brown,” “brownie,” “desi,” or “desi mundiya,” etc. - uses it, comrades should not be offended. That would be being oversensitive.

This isn’t really relevant to the case. Nobody’s objecting to the use of the word “gay” to describe gay people; the problem is when “gay” is used to mean “stupid, useless, uncool.” By and large, gay people don’t do this.

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**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337/45 "2004-10-08T04:16:06Z")

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> [@Tengu](#):
>
> [barely related pondering]
> 
> The Urban Dictionary cite suggests maybe this comes out of the online gaming community. **I’m wondering if the variant spelling was created** not to dissasociate it from/hide the homophobic origin of ‘gay’ as an insult, but **to get through language filters.**
> 
> [/barely related pondering]

> [@iampunha](#):
>
> **My experience** , albeit limited, **has told me that ghey is an attempt to get past language filters** (such as those in a moderated chat channel) but carries much of the perjorative meaning of gay.

All emphasis mine.

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**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghey-gay/267337/46 "2004-10-08T04:28:11Z")

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Oops. Missed your post. Sorry.

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