When something is ridiculous, a lot of people say, "That is so gay." I must admit, I used this term negatively for a while, but then my attention was brought to how it was being used, and I realized that it offended a lot of people (including me). So I stopped using the word, and I've stopped using similar phrases that could be taken offensively such as, "That's so retarded." I don't go overboard on asking people not to use those terms, because it's their decision. I know many people who correct everything I say (gramatically or politically) and while I appreciate their honesty and right to express their concern with the way I communicate, it's my decision to say what I want and no one else's. So I respect that in other people too. All I can do is request something when I am offended and set an example for others by not snickering at or using these terms.

I really believe that we should all respect other people and make them feel comfortable while they're around us. If you can stop using these terms negatively, you can influence a lot of other people to not do it as well. We should all respect each other and honor who we are.

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"Honey, whose car is that in our driveway?"

"It's yours, Frank."

No value judgements here, I'm just interested in how the English language changes.

By the way, DrQuack, this was a great comeback! I love it! I'll have to use it sometime.

quote:

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Originally posted by DrQuack5:
"Y'know what? You are so right. This assignment is obviously attracted to another assignment of the same sex." And he was like, "Well ... it's stupid."

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"Honey, whose car is that in our driveway?"

"It's yours, Frank."

i haven't heard it very much since i've gotten to college. the one time i did, it was when i was walking past a sorority house. it figures.

#1. They're homophobic
#2. They're in the "in" crowd

I like to call these people the "socs" (anyone see The Outsiders?)

Actually, sometimes when they say that phrase, I feel like laughing because some people...they can be so up themselves.

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*Read my diary

*Read my page

I absolutely hate when words aren't used properly!

Anyway, here's a list of words you can use insted of "gay". "This is ______":

rediculous
unbelievable
unfathomable
pointless
absurd

Anyone else have any good ones? We should keep the ball rolling on this one!

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Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Hee hee!

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My menstrual diary
Updated as often as my uterus

As for the Username I picked...the explanation is simply wherever pixies go, their pixie dust isn't far behind...I'll let you figure that one out yourselves.

Remember when gay meant to be happy?
It still does.

Kid (male): "You'd have to be gay to get married."
Rove: "You'd have to be gay to get married to a woman?"
Kid: "Yep."

Anyway, I can't tell you how often I hear this term misused ona daily basis. My friends, family, coworkers, team members... nearly all of them misuse this phrase.

Hiding my sexuality, even online, seems to get harder every day. With the pressures that come with being a teenager, throwing homosexuality into the 'gumbo' doesn't help much.

Anyway, I guess I've trailed far off topic >.<;; erm... well... yes, this phrase is misused far too much, and that's... that .

I really despise whenever people say "That's gay!" It really peeves me off.

My sister tends to say it a lot, and I was surprised whenever I confronted my Mom about it one day and she said "Well she just means it's...." and said "twisted?" And she said "yeah!" And I said "There's so many other things she could say instead of gay. Gay doesn't mean twisted, it means happy, or liking the opposite sex. It really surprised me that my Mom would say that.

My aunt is a lesbian, and my parents always tease her (not to her face) about that with things like "I wonder where her other half is" and the like. I admit, I used to laugh at their jokes, but now I don't. It's the 21st century. You gotta be more open to things like that.

So.. there's my 2 cents.

(Edited because I mis-spelt despise- muahaha)

I think that because the word gay is so rivetted into general slang theres no point trying to change peoples usage of the word. I just see there as being 3 meanings: happy, homosexual, odd.

That way, I dont end up taking offence from people who dont mean to offend.

As this topic is gliding into gay inanimate objects, I thought I should mention my dark brown suede jacket, as it is now called the 'gay jacket,' owing to the fact that it has prompted 3 people (individually) to assume that I'm gay (which I am). 8)

I wearit with pride.

(All bow down to icon of gay crayon, illuminated by angelic light, and sing eerie prayers to it, like in a really bad cult movie.)

All hail the crayon, the bringer of gaydom and rainbows to Scarleteen gaydar central!!! All hail the crayon!!

Am I the only person of an alternative "lifestyle" (I'll get into why I hate that phrase in that context later) that isn't offended when the word gay is used in a derogatory manor? I just don't really care. I have to agree with all of the responders who have basically said "if it's so engrained in everyone's vocabulary as being "stupid" or "weird," then there's really no chance of changing people."

Those of us who are gay or bi or tri (haven't heard that phrase used to describe someone in a while ) have many battles to fight on the way to equal rights. Trying to change people's minds on the usage of the word gay isn't one of the major battles to fight. Let's pick our battles, mmmk?