Why is "faggot" such a bad word in USA?

[Stu in USA]

Here in the USA saying the word "faggot" to describe a gay person has got people into a lot of trouble recently. One actor had to go into rehab to be cured, also one of the Democratic candidates was described using that word and all hell broke loose. By the way I know that you eat faggots in UK, but is it also used to describe gays in a derogatory way?

[Postdog]

no, but can't tell you what words we do use as they will probably be blocked.

[joko]

yes it is usually used in a derogatory way.

I suppose it could be used in jest but generally it is not a nice word

we say 'fags' in the uk to mean cigarettes

[GMH]

Some time ago an advertisement was upheld by the ASA in Britain because the word "faggot" was used to described pork and liver with gravy. Cue various people saying "political correctness gone mad".

I suppose that from a British perspective, the word is more milder over here than over in the United States.

Herbert Hill Brain must be turning in his grave at such a thought!

[jno]

why is it a bad word? Because people use it to insult a minority. What it 'means' isn't important. The N word just comes from the Latin for 'black'; it's the insult that causes offence, rather than the meaning. An opposition politician has just stood down for using it in a stupid way when he would have done better just to keep his mouth shut:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6431005 .stm

Much the same would have happened to him if he'd called gays 'faggots', I think; even though the word is seldom used in that sense in Britain, the insult would have been clear.

[Booldawg]

'One actor had to go in to rehab to be cured' Why? Is calling someone a faggot a disease that has to cured by indoctrinating someone with PC namby pamby thesis?

[DwayneDibley]

Rehab to be cured? Are you sure that's not a spelling error and you meant 'curred'?

As you'd expect, there are a number of derogatory terms for gays in the UK. several spring to mind but I wouldn't want to offend anyone.

[Pippa68]

I have never heard a British person call a gay person a 'faggot'.

[jno]

the actor was that guy in Seinfeld. When he used the word in his stand-up act - insultingly - a lot of the audience walked out. This isn't what a stand-up needs, so I imagine he'd think a dose of rehab would be in order to help him find out how to retain the crowds.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/307809/seinfelds _kramers_racist_tirade_of_craziness/

[jno]

no, hang on, sorry, I was still thinking of the N word. The F word was a guy from Grey's Anatomy.

http://www.hecklerspray.com/isaiah-washington- goes-to-big-gay-rehab/20066690.php/

[CushtyFred]

I heard a guy on hear is a bit of a marmite miner!

[CushtyFred]

A guy on here called BradPlantPot is very homosocial.

[chazza]

Yes I would say it is definitely used in Britain, but as someone else said, Fags is more common!

[casaespana]

Mani, is Dorothy the girl across the street from the Yellow Brick Road.

[Stu in USA]

Thanks for all your replies, seems as if some differences as to use of word faggot in UK. Had to laugh at some of UK expressions to describe homosexual, my favourite so far is "marmite miner".

[mightyWBA]

or the lesbian dinosaur................
Lickalotapuss