Just to confirm where I think we are: we are not banning any word. There is always a context in which a word can be used – the thread on “Hottentot” for example.
There are, however, some words or phrases that we do not allow for usernames. There’s not an exclusive list, we learn from each experience as it comes up. And, so far, everyone who has inadvertently chosen an inappropriate username has agreed to a change. They may not have agreed without some discussion and argument, it is only natural to defend your choice of username the first time it is challenged. But the change has always been voluntary (IIRC) once there’s been explanation and discussion.
We do moderate based on context.
Thus, we do not have to worry about setting absolutes, whether phrases such as “white trash” or “nigger” or “American Indian” or “frog-eater” or “Yank” should be prohibited on our boards. They are not prohibited as words. We don’t want to get into “Ohmigod, she used the W.T. word!”
The use of racial or ethnic slurs as hate speech is prohibited, based on the Registration Agreement. When is something hate speech? We’re not going to try to define it, but we usually know it when we see it.
However, just because a phrase is offensive to some segment of the population doesn’t mean we’re going to ban its use. To the contrary, I think there is an educational purpose served if such phrases are used in a situation where no offense is intended, and we get discussion on the offensiveness. I think most of us learned a great deal from the “Hottentot” discussion, and I think many of us learned from this discussion of “white trash.” It would be a shame to say that such discussions are prohibited because a word is prohibited.