That's Gay

[Clover Heart 978]

I'm bi (pansexual to be specific) and I couldn't give two shits. To me, foul language is almost an art. It's about knowing when and how to use certain words. I understand that saying "gay" to mean something you don't like could be interpreted as: "Thing is bad. Thing is gay. Therefore, gay is bad." But as this is kind of an illogical way of thinking, I think people are capable of separating out the meaning of what gay is. To break it down, this is association fallacy, saying "A is B. A is C. Therefore, B is C," or in other words, "Ketchup is red. Ketchup is tasty. Therefore, red things are tasty." So, I disagree with this line of thinking.

 

Moreover, it's all about meaning. When you say "That's gay," you're saying that the thing is something you don't like. That doesn't necessarily mean that you don't like gay people. English has done this plenty in the past. Take the word "bad." For a period (though, I don't believe any longed) "bad" used to describe things that you thought were cool. "I love the Power Glove. It's so bad." (lol, I know, but seriously think about it.) Bad takes on a whole different meaning when you use it like this, and no longer means the traditional thing it once did. We do this with slang all the time. Cool, boss, radical, lame, scary, all words that have changed meaning and when used in a certain context, mean something completely different. "I want a cool drink," vs. "This show is cool." "That doll is scary," vs. "That doll is scary cute." "That man is lame," vs. "That book is lame." Things mean different things in different contexts, and we don't even evaluate what the original meaning is anymore. When person A says "This show is cool," and B replies with, "Really? Well, when I touched the TV, it was really warm," you think person B is being a dick. But when A says "This show is gay," and B says "Why do you hate gay people," suddenly, A is the bad guy, even though it's the same situation. (The only difference being a term that refers to a group of people.)

 

Words take on new meanings as they're needed. And as human beings, we're smart enough to weed out when someone means one thing versus when they mean another. Generally speaking, I don't think people mean anything against gay people when they say something's gay. Personally, I would take more offense to someone saying something along the lines of "Oh, that man's a fashion designer so he must be gay," than I would to someone saying, "This video game is so gay." The former has a clear implication and is making a rather offensive stereotype. The latter is using the word in a non-literal way to describe that they don't like the game. One is harmful and the other, I don't think is.

 

I feel like people get far too up in arms about this kind of thing. Pejorative terms are usually bad, and for the most part, I don't agree with using them. However, changing a word to have a non-literal meaning and then using it, I'm fine with. I don't really see it as anything to get so upset over.

[Koelath 444]

"Gay" once meant "happy".

 

"Faggot" once meant "a bundle of kindling".

 

 

So some people use "gay" to mean lame or stupid or whatever else nowadays. So what? Yeah, it's likely rooted in homophobic bullshit but there's literally nothing to be done about it. Definitions change, and the catalyst for that change is often awful,

like how "[racism 1]" went from a term denoting classlessness and stupidity to a term specifically denoting racism because uppity white pricks in history thought all the black folk were classless moronic apes and created that association.

 

 

Why get upset? Most people using it in that way don't even think of the sexuality-related definition anymore so it's not like they're being deliberately prejudiced or anything. It's just a new definition that stuck. Hell, I call people faggots all the time, and not a one of them is gay. Even if they were, it wouldn't matter because that's not the definition I'm applying to the term. My neighbor's kid who bawls and cries his head off through the thin apartment walls at 6 AM, he's straight as an arrow (as far as I know), and he's a faggot all the same. His headache-inducing mother who screams her head off at him at the same time, also straight, and also a total faggot.

 

TL;DR - Don't get your tits in a twist over semantics. And always remember, it's okay to be Takei.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Koelath

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Words are only offensive if you make them offensive and if you attach negative connotations to those words. My friends all call me "faggot" at school and I gladly answer to that because not only does it make them laugh (with me) but it's just stupid to get upset over a word.

 

People get really tetchy about words like transexual or transgender or tranny when they're talking to me and you can tell that they're being really careful about what words they use around me. I'd rather someone just straight up called me a drag queen or something extremely derogative if that's how they felt about me and it made them comfortable when talking to me.

 

In short; STOP GETTING SO FUCKING CAUGHT UP OVER A WORD AND GET SOME THICKER SKIN.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Ella_Ess

[Noazark 67]

I think it's just kind of an under-thought when someone uses it. I doubt anybody who says "that's gay", actually means it's something homosexual, they obviously just mean it's stupid or dumb in their opinion. So I just roll my eyes and say "they don't really mean that".

[Koelath 444]

"There are no offensive words. Only offensive ideas." - Me, anytime someone gets too whiny about harmless terminology.

 

"Faggot" is not offensive. The idea that anyone outside of heterosexuality is a second-class citizen is offensive.

 

"[racism 1]" is not offensive. The idea that an excess of melanin in one's skin makes them inferior to everyone else on the planet is offensive.

 

"Tranny" is not offensive. The idea that anyone who makes use of modern technology to better attain their own identity is an abomination is offensive.

 

"Baby-boning Jihadist" is not offensive. The idea that anyone who violates babies and supports honor-killing and suicide bombings is somehow a bad person is offens-...Actually, that's true. Don't molest babies, kids. (Do it, it'll be hilarious on Youtube.) (No, don't, seriously.) (C'mooon!) (NO!)

Edited October 18, 2013 by Koelath

[Mr F 1,521]

I usually don't care when people use that word. (For now gay is just another word that means something else than it originally did so I am okay with that for now)

I don't mind others sexuallities, I would still respect a person if he likes potatoes sexually.

(It's not my business. So why care about others stuff, if they enjoy it let 'em have it. You can call people lots of crap, but using a sexuallity or nationality offencive is a don't)

Edited October 18, 2013 by a crazy pony

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,671]

You know, I've always wondered if this is one of the many ways children turn into homophobes. They keep hearing that word used in a derogatory way and without knowing better, grow up thinking that being gay is something to the ashamed about. Heck, that's kinda how I got homophobic (now hit the brakes for a second, I'm not saying that I still am).

[Koelath 444]

using a sexuallity or nationality offencive is a don't)

 

You realize that this thread isn't about using a sexuality offencive [sic], right? It's about the word "gay". "Gay" is not a sexuality. "Homosexuality" is a sexuality. "Gay" is a word that has been defined in various ways throughout history.

 

Hell, people never complained when "gay" became "homosexual" instead of "happy" and that's pretty offensive if you think about it, as if straight people can't be happy!

Edited October 18, 2013 by Koelath

[Skylar 1,641]

I am Bisexual and I admit to using that phrase alot when I was younger, though I never meant it offensively and I never treated anyone differently (had a gay friend). I think teenagers / young adults tend to get it stuck in their vocabulary

 

I don't say it anymore since coming out as Bi but I still don't see the harm in it 'thats gay' isn't pointing at anyone, however saying like 'hahaha your gay' is a different ball game  

[Sig Hoovestrong 837]

Well the (That's gay) is stupid thing in it self really, i feel. And am watch MLP and am wherry masculine stallion. But am surely not insecure abut watching show, with pony's. And even doing silly fan art for it cause i feel like doing it. I never take seriously when people say the line That's Gay. Cause whats dos it mean really? Dos it mean don't approve of what am doing with my free-time? Is it you simple applying that am just homo? Our trying to say love something so much, so that thing love so much and i could be couple? Yea so what dude, i like what am doing, and it doesn't hurt any pony, so how give's flying father abut with, either you think That's Gay our not.

 

Sig, out.   *Squee*

[squareyes 153]

The phrase is dumb and most teenagers are dumb (I also am a teenager who witnesses the use of this phrase EVERY DAY.) I know it's not putting the gay community in the best of lights but if this annoys you, DEAL WITH IT! There's nothing you can do about it without trying to relate to them, then convince them into not saying it like that and repeat. There will still be loads of teens who say it. In the end, it should die down but for the moment, my mates would as if they're gay in order to put a spin on it so it's not as offensive. (It's also pretty funny.)

[Flutter's lover <3 8,204]

I don't use the term, but I am gay.Me and my friends use it sarcastically between each other sometimes,because well we're all gay.I tend to use "That's stupid" or "that's retarded" which both mean the same thing.

[Vinyl Variety 40]

The word has lost all meaning so I see absolutely no reason to get upset over it.

When someone says, "Oh F**k", do you really think they mean "Oh Sexual Intercourse!"? No.

Edited October 19, 2013 by Vinyl Variety

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

It's a rather lame insult. When I hear gay I think of happy. So if someone tells me that's gay I usually respond with "That's happy?".  I did this once and the person got mad and told me to "Shut up, fag!". I laughed. "It never occurred to me that I'm a bundle of sticks." This pissed them off some more, and they just walked away.

 

Anyways, if you're going to rage and use insults at least use creative ones, not meaningless BS ones like "That's gay". What does it even mean? Are they trying to cut down homosexuals? Well that's not very nice.

[CometSpeed 38]

As a brony, who goes around using that phrase allot out of habit... i have to say the phrase itself isnt bad at all. i got it off of my friends on my days of Halo3 gameing. " thats gay " was used in ways that didnt even refer to sexuality, like if the internet connection lagged, it was gay. if someone left the game due to being beaten, that was gay. today, my battery going out in my car key was gay. etc... anyway, the use is the problem. all the ways i listed, i dont have a prob with at all. but when this girl i know heres " thats gay " about her hair, just bacause it has a streak of purple. or im told " thats gay " when im wearing my wonderbolts hoodie and a Rainbow colored tail in the halls, thats when i see a problem, because it is obviosly refering to sexuality and without reason, or proof claiming it to be gay.

[ASocialyAwkwardPony 299]

I find it stupid to turn a word associated with happy times and homosexuals into something negative, so I am completely against using the word in that way as a insult and putdown. Sometimes I wanna start calling out shit I don't like by saying "that's straight" just to parody this stupid thing (though it stays with the thought for obvious reasons revolving hypocrisy and wanting equality).

 

Besides, "that's lame", "that's stupid", "that's shit" and "that's wack yo" all sounds better in a negative light.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Nightmare Lyre

[Ac3xAssasin 452]

I think saying "thats gay" is realy just the easy way for people to pass something off that they don't enjoy or like, and while I said my fair share of this phrase I always try to refrain from using it, because to me it means "I don't really like that, but I have no argument to back my dislike." 

[Moonlight 7,279]

A sentence or word isn't necessarily offensive unless you take offense to said sentence or word.

 

Personally, I do use "That's gay", to describe something stupid, it's a bit of a habit for me, honestly. I'm personally bisexual, but I do say it quite or lot, even though it's not really necessary. 

 

There are more things to be concerned about rather than some silly little phrase. 

[Le Kvlt Dawn 2,364]

I'm bi and it doesn't offend me at all. I can't speak for everybody but I find hardly anything offensive in general. Maybe people should lighten up and laugh at themselves a little.

[Winterbass 763]

I don't find it insulting, but it is pretty annoying. Mainly because it is unoriginal and not creative at all. I mean, you could've used all the words in the world to form a funny insult, and you use gay? That's kinda lame to be honest. At the very least be creative with an insult, use those adjectives for once.

 

And it's not even about whether someone should be able to laugh at oneself or not. Using "That's gay" might be insulting to people, there's no part in there that could make you laugh at yourself, such an insult or joke would have to include a reference to a past event.

 

Damn, it's not even schadenfreude. It's just not funny at all, it's annoying and fairly obnoxious honestly. People really should get it out of their system and lose this pretty lame habit. Or at least use a funny and creative gay joke.

[ChoroChii 284]

I don't think because somebody uses this phrase, necessarily means they're against homosexuals. I think it's been a slam against them  for so long [well duh] and then just progressed into a saying and it's a bit ignorant but it kind of means something else now. It's not really something I support but I won't flip when I hear it unless it's clearly a slam against gay people. 

 

..Then again I believe even homophobes deserve a voice but not if they're just bashing others. 

[AppleJared 87]

I'm actually pretty proud of some of the first responses to this thread. You guys never fail to surprise

 

This is something that needs to be brought up in major society for debate for sure. I haven't said "That's gay" for a long time, not because I thought it was wrong, but because like most popular sayings, it got old. What I do say now is "faggot", which is very ironic. What's even more ironic is that I am not anti-gay in the least bit. My best friends and I call each other "faggot" out of a sick kind of respect and I wouldn't have it either way. I smile and I laugh when they call me a faggot and I say the same right back. It's much the same as women calling each other "sluts" and possibly equally offensive if not more when used in a purely derogative form.

 

The fact is that words are meaningless when there is no meaning attached. It depends how you use the words that would give it definition and meaning. I think that in general, the word faggot has changed from an anti-gay slur to a general slur towards people you don't like. My friends and I were talking about someone we didn't like and one of us referred to this person as a faggot, while the man in question is blatantly heterosexual. I understood the meaning of this word without even considering the man's sexuality. I wouldn't call any gay man a faggot because he might not understand the meaning I'm trying to convey, but I hope that changes soon. And honestly, the last time I heard "faggot" used as an anti-gay slur was from the mouth of my grandpa.

 

If I as a straight male can come to terms with the fact that I see gay men together all the time, I don't see why gay people couldn't come to terms with the fact that faggot and gay can be used in ways that aren't offensive towards them.

[Virulence 254]

That's not right at all. I don't like it when I hear that. I feel like asking, "Do you know what that means?" No you don't. I havent's heard it in awhile, but I will eventually with a bunch of immature children.

 

(Found this, it's the truth)

 

[Sig Hoovestrong 837]

Don't care, if you are, you are. And people using as an insult are stupid period. So they can shut there trots, and here is an funny song to lighten the mood.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Sig Hoovestrong

[lomk 20,663]

People saying that something is gay really doesn't bother me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-gay. I was raised conservative, though so I don't believe it's the right. However, I don't feel like any person deserves to be treated like trash because of the way they stand, so I don't shove that down anyone's throat. I've accepted that it's a part of the world that I live in. I'm not a homophobe and I actually have a couple of gay friends who are actually pretty awesome.

 

When I was a kid, I never really said something was gay. I didn't have any understanding of what gay meant until I was about 15. I thought it was weird, but I never thought of something as being gay as a way of degradation. 

 

Nah, when something upsets me, I tend to swear like a sailor. Or Michael Jones (rage quit guy on YouTube). Take your pick. If I die 26 times on the same level, I'll probably yell something along the lines of "THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT!" rather than "Well that's gay." 

 

And again, don't take my conservative views as me being a bible thumping redneck homophobe. Like I said earlier, some of my coolest friends are actually gay. They also tend to kick my ass when I play Magic with them on the weekends. My policy on sexual orientation is something like: what you prefer in a non-platonic relationship is none of my business and I won't force my views on you. That's just a forgotten thing called respect.