Gay Pupils Insulted By Homophobic Phrases

[mushroom25]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24984781

the word "Gay", from the French "gai", meaning joyful or bright and showy, was increasingly appropriated in the last century to mean a particular lifestyle associated with orientation. Now it's been appropriated by others to mean something else.

Language is constantly evolving; is this something that the LGBTI community needs to "get over", or is the word "gay" now irrevocably locked to its 20th century meaning?

[sp1814]

youngmafbog

Hope you get the sarcasm of my post.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814
youngmafbog

/// Hope you get the sarcasm of my post. ///

How could he fail not to?

In answer to all those things you accuse heterosexuals of "telling us all about", one notices these things more when they are actions of the majority.

[Zeuhl]

/How could he fail not to? /

What!?

That's one double negative I can't even get my head round LOL

[sp1814]

Yes AOG - but everything that straight people accuse gay people of - they do themselves.

Why should gay people keep quiet about their sexuality when straight people don't?

Is it not double standards?

[davetuc]

Personally, I've got nothing against homosexuality, as long as it's not rammed down my throat.............!!!

[China Doll]

Does 'joey' mean Joey Deacon? My OH had to explain that to me if so before.

[Baldric]

///Okay - we get it...you're heterosexual...why do you have to tell us all about it all the time///

Yeh, right, assuming that ^^^ to contain a largish degree of tongue in cheek that's how most of us straights feel about this kind of story every time one pops-up.

[sp1814]

Baldric

Yes - but my point is straight people do exactly the same - banging on about their sexuality, but they want gay people to be quiet about theirs.

It's hypocritical.

[sp1814]

triggerhippy

Indeed - it does. Joey Deacon, Blue Peter's biggest ever miscalculation. Overnight, 'Joey' took on a whole new meaning for an entire generation.

[Old_Geezer]

Not sure one can bang on about normality.

Gee this is such a gai thread !

[jomifl]

sp
/my point is straight people do exactly the same - banging on about their sexuality/
Really? you must know some strange people. No heterosexuals have ever found it necessary to tell me that they are heterosexual but a few gays have told me that they are gay, when it was patently unecessary.

[sp1814]

jomifl

So none of your male friends have told you that they're dating a new girl?

None of your female friends have ever expressed (in graphic terms) what they would like to do with Daniel Craig?

Straight people show the world they are straight by implication.

Gay people have to cut to the chase many times because it stops any confusion.

If you met a new group of people and one of them referred to your partner, you wouldn't think to hide whatever personal pronoun was appropriate, would you?

Well, the same should apply to gay people.

[sp1814]

triggerhippy

Unfortunately not. You see, when they aired the pilot of Friend, Joey was much more sexually assertive and 'Italian'. The feedback they got from test screenings was, "Why would the rest of the friends be mates with that sexist jerk?"

So the producers decided to tone Joey down...by making him a bit stupid.

And it worked.

But unfortunately, for a whole new generation, the name 'Joey' now means 'stupid' again.

[Baldric]

I find it difficult to come to terms with this sort of story, I'm straight (Banging on about it over, OK sp?), no gay has ever made me feel either threatened or insulted, and, as far as I am aware I have never done either of those things to any gay person either, intentionally or otherwise.
We are what we are, and I see no need for either group to shout about it.
People, all people, are just too sensitive at times.

[jomifl]

Nope
Nope
My wife was my partner until we got married, now she's my wife.
I think gays should be more aware of the demands that they put on heterosexuals. I personally can't be bothered to try not to offend people (of whatever gender alignement) who have an inclinationto be offended at every opportunity.

[jeffa]

Language is an amazing thing, isn't it! The word homosexual has its roots in Ancient Greek where homo meant same, the direct opposite of hetero which meant different.

Nothing whatever to do with the Latin word homo which meant man / person / human. Ecce homo! = behold the man!

Yet people have managed to confuse words like homosexual, homoeophathy, and homogeneous with phrases like homo sapiens and come up with words like homophobia, a word which makes very little sense!

Do schoolboys still snigger when singing "Don we now our gay apparel" at Christmas?

[jomifl]

Jeffa, If roots of language meant anything 'homophobia' shoild mean 'fear or loathing of the same or self', wheras it means fear or loathing of something or someone (in this case gays specifically) different. Perhaps 'heterophobia' would be more accurate, though not too accurate.