# Let's trot the word "gay" out again **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 6, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423 "2008-11-06T06:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/41 "2008-11-09T09:55:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, you telling us that “Pro-SSM, please” and “Same-sex marriage, please” **[snip]** is telling us that **snip** you are speaking for the entire “community”. That part (SSM) is simply an argument for higher technical accuracy in relevant discussions. “Gay marriage” doesn’t make any more sense than “straight marriage”, an institution in which a massive number of bisexuals currently participate. That’s objectively true, and it’s my belief that any discussion about “gay marriage” is factually inaccurate and misleading. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/42 "2008-11-09T18:13:23Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > That part (SSM) is simply an argument for higher technical accuracy in relevant discussions. “Gay marriage” doesn’t make any more sense than “straight marriage”, an institution in which a massive number of bisexuals currently participate. That’s objectively true, and it’s my belief that any discussion about “gay marriage” is factually inaccurate and misleading. No, becuase terms do not always mean what one thinks them to mean. Homophobia has come to mean bigotry vs Gays, not an unreasoning fear of Homosexuals. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/43 "2008-11-09T18:32:15Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > That part (SSM) is simply an argument for higher technical accuracy in relevant discussions. “Gay marriage” doesn’t make any more sense than “straight marriage”, an institution in which a massive number of bisexuals currently participate. That’s objectively true, and it’s my belief that any discussion about “gay marriage” is factually inaccurate and misleading. Fair enough, except that there isn’t a significant enough difference between the two (to me) to warrant getting in a twist over it. Both terms refer to the same thing, and most people will realise that. So unless a term is obviously offensive, can we just take them as they’re meant and not try and insist on ‘proper’ usage? Because it gets damn confusing, and after a while a person doesn’t know what terms to use. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/44 "2008-11-09T19:04:37Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > You’re an ex-marine, right? I know how proud you guys get. I guarantee if people started using “marine” as a euphemism for stupid and lame, marines would get pissed. _Tell it to the marines._ ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/45 "2008-11-09T22:43:18Z")
Well, when I was in the air force it was common knowledge that the sound of shit hitting the fan is mahreeeeeeeeeeeeen ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/46 "2008-11-09T22:46:23Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Well, when I was in the air force it was common knowledge that the sound of shit hitting the fan is > > mahreeeeeeeeeeeeen Oh, we made Marine jokes too. How do you take out a Marine? Throw some sand off a cliff and scream “hit that beach!” But the word Marine had never been used the same way gay is. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/47 "2008-11-10T02:47:24Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Oh, we made Marine jokes too. How do you take out a Marine? Throw some sand off a cliff and scream “hit that beach!” Oh, and: “But Sergeant, Marines are pretty tough. What if he survives and crawls back up again?” “Do it again.” ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/48 "2008-11-10T11:09:45Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I propose we use heterosexually challenged. > > Mostly just because having to remember all of the other terms is getting confusing. You keep coming up with stuff like that, new words which work well and have no baggage attached… it’s a pity there aren’t Academies of the English Language, I’d be proposing you as a correspondent 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/49 "2008-11-10T16:42:47Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I propose we use heterosexually challenged. > > Mostly just because having to remember all of the other terms is getting confusing. Well, that’s better than “insufficiently heterosexual,” which a friend of mine used till his wife got mad and made him stop. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/50 "2008-11-10T17:09:22Z")
I would oppose “heterosexually challenged.” It suffers from politically correct increasing syllable syndrome, which I hate. Pick a one-syllable word not used much yet. “Buh” or something. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/51 "2008-11-10T18:04:06Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I would oppose “heterosexually challenged.” It suffers from politically correct increasing syllable syndrome, which I hate. I guess you wouldn’t go for “recovered heterosexaholic” then. 😃 ---
**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:** [November 10, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/52 "2008-11-10T18:48:04Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > That part (SSM) is simply an argument for higher technical accuracy in relevant discussions. “Gay marriage” doesn’t make any more sense than “straight marriage”, an institution in which a massive number of bisexuals currently participate. That’s objectively true, and it’s my belief that any discussion about “gay marriage” is factually inaccurate and misleading. I don’t really see the problem with it, as the adjective is describing the marriage, not the participants. I’m bisexual myself. If I marry another man, I’m in a gay marriage. If I marry a woman, I’m in a straight marriage. In both cases, I’m still bisexual. My partner might even be bisexual. But my marriage isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/53 "2008-11-10T22:00:03Z")
“Heterosexually challenged” makes heterosexuality seem like the default position by which others are compared. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/54 "2008-11-10T22:04:07Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > “Heterosexually challenged” makes heterosexuality seem like the default position by which others are compared. It was just a joke. (Don’t make me give you a noogie at the Dopefest young man!) ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423/55 "2008-11-13T21:41:56Z")
[In re the use of “marines” as a novel euphemism for “dumb as a stick”:] > [@Malacandra](#): > > Tell it to the Marines. :rolleyes: Huh? I always thought the implication of that phrase was “when you get rounded up for being drunk/disorderly/overstaying your leave you can try that excuse on someone who will have to listen to it”, not “the marines will believe anything”. JRB [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-trot-the-word-gay-out-again/471423.md?page=2)