"That is so gay!"

[Kid Icarus]

Do any of you feel it's wrong to use both "gay" and "retarded" as insults? For me it just seems wrong to use those words as an insult, since they both are the names of a particular group, and it just belittles them, and makes being gay or retarded sound like a bad thing. I guess most people know this, but both these words have reached a level where they're just casual, and no one really minds when it's said. I personally think that just sucks, that some people have just become so ignorant that no one cares that it's said.

If a stranger said it, I wouldn't really want to try and defend it, even though I oppose it. It just seems like a wasted effort, because they'll think I'm some crazy guy who's having a stroke over a word. But if a friend said it, I'll say something, since they're my friend, so I'll have more influence over them.

So what do you think? Do you not mind saying them as insults, or do you try to avoid using them? Also, if you heard someone else say it, would you say something?

 

[RobertM]

"Ugh this is so gay"
"What? whats gay"
"I have to go to work tomorrow."
"Do you work at a dildo factory?"

I try to adapt that into the conversation. "That movie is so gay" often gets a "It has sex with men?" from me. Retard hasn't been socially acceptable where I live for ages.

 

[Morm]

No. Both have become part of my vernacular and have thusly been seperated from their oringinal meaning and have become a 'generic bad term'. I've heard handicapped gentlemen use retarded in that way, same as homosexuals use the word gay to describe a generic negative.

Those words no longer mean, exclusively, their traditional meaning. It's how language evolves; without swings in vocabulary and meaning like this, language becomes stagnant and eventually becomes outpaced by another language and effectively becomes less and less common until it becomes a dead language like Latin.

 

[lilyhollow]

iirc "idiot," "moron" and "imbecile" were all used as technical terms to describe how mentally retarded someone was. Now they're predominantly used as insults, and nobody cares.

 

[Sixonesix]

Guh, I used the word "retarded" multiple times while my friend used the phrase "That's gay" multiple times today.

We were playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Dunno, in my high school it really doesn't appear to be that big of a deal.

@ Sikh Assassin: wtf?

 

[Bungalow Bill]

I personally hate it when people use gay as an insult. It just ticks me off.

 

[Atlas]

No. Both have become part of my vernacular and have thusly been seperated from their oringinal meaning and have become a 'generic bad term'. I've heard handicapped gentlemen use retarded in that way, same as homosexuals use the word gay to describe a generic negative.

Those words no longer mean, exclusively, their traditional meaning. It's how language evolves; without swings in vocabulary and meaning like this, language becomes stagnant and eventually becomes outpaced by another language and effectively becomes less and less common until it becomes a dead language like Latin.

this. although i do (try to) curb the way i use the word retarded, like around retarded people. im not sure if they mind but their parents or looker outers (blanking on the word i want) will freak out on you.

 

[Ambitions]

I used to care about people saying "gay" as an insult. But it really works when trying to make my friends feel inferior and I only know one gay person personally, so I really don't care.

 

[Luduan]

I don't actually know of anyone who uses the term "gay" disparagingly in real life. "(BAN ME PLEASE)" is quite common, though.

. . . makes being . . . retarded sound like a bad thing.

Being retarded is a bad thing.

EDIT: Spelling "you're" incorrectly when insulting someone makes you look gay as well.

 

[Ambitions]

Using big words that make you think your intelligent is gay.

Using (BAN ME PLEASE)ry over gay is a good idea though.

 

[Olie]

what the hell Sikh?

Also, I have to admit, I say "this is gay", more often than I should, which is not at all. However, this is something I will likely never STOP saying, since it's part of my vocabulary, but I definately try to stay away from it, especially around homosexual people.

Retarded, I've never really used (as far back as I can recall).

 

[-Nitro-]

I sue both regularly. It's as mormoopid said, they have their own meanings now.

Of course, if I know someone DOES find it offensive, I generally avoid it.

 

[Trax]

If gay people can't handle the heat, they can get out of the kitchen. I'm not the kind of person who censors himself for others feelings.

 

[lilyhollow]

I'll reply with "I don't think that shirt lieks other boy shirts"
Because people need to realize how ignorant they sound when they call inanimate objects homosexual.

people need to realize how ignorant they sound when they act as if that's the actual thought process behind someone calling something "gay"

 

[Venom]

I call people retarded, not because they actually are retarded (I would never call a real retarded person retarded) but because they say some of the dumbest shit ever.

How I use gay:

me: im done typing this long ass rate my team
* firefox closes
darkie: what happened to the rate
me: my firefox closed this shit is fucking gay

 

[Tingaling]

Man this topic would be hilarious if posted in firebot, but anyways...

I think people just use it as a generic insult or interjection, but it is definitely not acceptable. Retarded hasn't been really accepted for awhile where I come from, but people call eachother gay all the time. I think that it must be severely offending for homosexuals, and I try to limit my usage of it (that I used to use so much)

 

[cookie]

I used both pretty extensively. The beauty of language is taking words and using them in different ways, and if homosexuals or the mentally retarded take offense they need to understand that words take on different meanings over time (lol gay is the perfect example of this) and if they get offended they don't understand this.

 

[Goodbar]

I say gay since most gays are well (BAN ME PLEASE)s and act like ones too, they can be used to be an insult as the majority of them are insulting most religions. Of course, I'm not making fun of jrrrrrrrr or other gay users here since well you guys don't act like (BAN ME PLEASE)s and just keep fucking announcing it and showing it to people and using this as an excuse or interference. It is OK to be gay, but why the hell would you publicly keep showing it?

Retarded used as an insult is just moronic and idiotic.

If gay people can't handle the heat, they can get out of the kitchen. I'm not the kind of person who censors himself for others feelings.

try to have a little tact...

Morm summed up what I think, and it's the reason I don't feel guilty when I swear, because it's pretty much empty and meaningless talk that someone decided to call "bad"

 

[Bourbon]

I use both liberally, unless I am around a homosexual person, then I change it to "lame". Of course, this applies if I am around a mentally challenged individual, then I change it to "gay" or "lame".

And wow Trax... like I said before... you're pretty cold :/

 

[Morm]

Trax is just calling a spade a spade guys...I personally think that censorship should be up to the individual who is being offended. By that I mean they should avoid it, ignore it or get a sense of humor. Why should their uptightness be imposed upon me and my language selections?

 

[Bourbon]

I agree being forced to limit your vocabulary around certain individuals is annoying, but you should still have some respect for their lifestyle choice.

Like, suppose there is this guy who eats Mcdonald's twice a day. Should I tell him how fat and ugly he is, and how he'll never get any women? I would love to, but even though "freedom of speech" permits me to do so, you should still avoid trampling on people's feelings.

That's why you should avoid using words like "(BAN ME PLEASE)" in front of gay people, and making nazi > jew jokes in front of jewish individuals. Yeah, sometimes things like that can be funny in certain context, but if they offend people, just say it when those people aren't around. :P

 

[Morm]

So you're saying their choices of limitation/censorship should also limit me, thusly inconveniencing me because of their choice? I think the burden of inconvenience should be placed on them if they decide to exclude various aspects of mainstream culture.

 

[Iamslow]

Heres the thing. People call eachother "LD" when they're too slow to come up with an answer sometimes or in place of calling somebody stupid.

I've been an LD student in school for as long as I can remember and if somebody ever called me LD, I'd realize theres a reason I'm LD and take it with a smile. I'm dumb as hell, you guys. You oughta see me sometimes...

There are reasons why society gives words extra meanings, is what I'm saying.

 

[Articuno64]

I've pretty much stopped calling things gay as an insult, maybe because one of the friends I'm hanging around with a lot is gay. I can be offensive sometimes, but this kind of thing is just unnecessary.

 

[REQUIRED FIELD]

Thicker Skin get!