Views on the word "faggot"

[Deleted]

So what are your thoughts on the word "faggot?"

For me, and so many other people, that word means "loser" and NOT homosexual.

Nowadays, that is a word that youths throw around among each other while in school or on the Internet as an androcentric insult, regardless of sexual orientation. While in the past it has been used as a gay slur, the word faggot (or fag) has become a synonym for such other cliche insults as "loser" and "asshole."

In fact, the episode of South Park "The F Word" nailed it by how "fag" has mostly changed in meaning. Being that the boys refer to these asshole bikers as "a bunch of fags."

www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e12-the-f-word

So basically, being gay DOES NOT make you a fag (and vice-versa). I know this from having been called that word time and time again throughout my life. Though I do get pissed off when people use it in a homophobic sense, but not if they use it as a generic insult (i.e. calling an annoying straight guy a fag).

So does anyone on here agree with me? Or do you still view it as a slur used against homosexuals?

(Please, let's try to have an intelligent discussion here, people.)

[StevePulaski]

Really funny because living in Chicago (the Bulls are hot right now) their player Joakim Noah called a fan "a fucking faggot" when frustrated, espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/29445/joakim-noah-thats-not-who-i-am This happened just yesterday so I thought this thread would be about that.

Anyway, after getting in touch with some gays and learning more about them I removed "fag" and "gay" from my vocabulary. I used to call things "gay" and call people "fags." Hell, in my early days on D&M and my forum I called movies "gay" and people "fags." I'm ashamed. Now I know better, and do not act on impulse using words that aren't fit to mean what they were made for. I hate that society is so prejudice nowadays.

Though I am for gay rights, I do think that gays can sometimes take things way out of hand. When Joakim called the fan a "fag" I'm sure he meant it like "loser," or "jerk," or even something as strong as "dickhead" or "asshole." I'm sure his mind didn't even cross "gay" when he said it. I knew the gay community was going to rip him a new asshole for saying that and felt that the argument wasn't worth it. Just not at all worth time or trouble. Now he is going to need to do PSAs and public apologies and interviews and working for his respect back. I hate basketball, but every individual is equal.

[Handsome Devil]

Sums up my thoughts pretty well.

[nopersonality]

Alright, let's be very clear about something - since I am the board's only practicing homosexual (and by "practicing," I mean- jerking off to pictures, videos, and thoughts of men):

I realize that just because someone says the word doesn't mean they are necessarily trying to be homophobic or hateful. And the person who says the word determines the intention with which it's used. However, the word itself has a different meaning all its' own. And so long as that word isn't being used to describe cigarettes or a bundle of sticks (not that I've seen a bundle of sticks in my lifetime), it is not okay for people who are not homosexual to use the word in relation to another person.

No stand-up routine or South Park episode will ever change that. At least not so long as our culture is still highly homophobic and sexist. As long as there are people saying it's sick for men to dress or act in a way they see as feminine or for women to behave in a way they see as not feminine, words like "gay" and "faggot" will have this stigma upon them.

When things change, we can talk about it. But until then, that's what I have to say and while the using of the word will not result in banning for members- it will still be punishable by deletion of posts in which it's used against any other person or group of people. Same thing goes with "gay." However, objects are still fine.

[Deleted]

May 23, 2011 19:08:32 GMT -5 StevePulaski said:

Really funny because living in Chicago (the Bulls are hot right now) their player Joakim Noah called a fan "a fucking faggot" when frustrated, espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/29445/joakim-noah-thats-not-who-i-am This happened just yesterday so I thought this thread would be about that.

Anyway, after getting in touch with some gays and learning more about them I removed "fag" and "gay" from my vocabulary. I used to call things "gay" and call people "fags." Hell, in my early days on D&M and my forum I called movies "gay" and people "fags." I'm ashamed. Now I know better, and do not act on impulse using words that aren't fit to mean what they were made for. I hate that society is so prejudice nowadays.

Though I am for gay rights, I do think that gays can sometimes take things way out of hand. When Joakim called the fan a "fag" I'm sure he meant it like "loser," or "jerk," or even something as strong as "dickhead" or "asshole." I'm sure his mind didn't even cross "gay" when he said it. I knew the gay community was going to rip him a new asshole for saying that and felt that the argument wasn't worth it. Just not at all worth time or trouble. Now he is going to need to do PSAs and public apologies and interviews and working for his respect back. I hate basketball, but every individual is equal.

I guess I picked a good time to have this discussion. Though I would imagine that Joakim would have just ignored the jerk, for I doubt he's the only basketball player that gets picked on by obnoxious fans.

Well, good for you Steve for removing those words from your vocabulary. I also pretty much never use those words since I am very tolerant and accepting of homosexuals. Personally, when I hear (or see as it would be on the Internet) people use the word "gay" as a synonym for "stupid", I find that to be incredibly homophobic. Though, it's fine to use "gay" as a synonym for "happy", even if it is not really used in that sense anymore like it once was long ago.

May 24, 2011 7:46:02 GMT -5 No-Personality said:

Alright, let's be very clear about something - since I am the board's only practicing homosexual (and by "practicing," I mean- jerking off to pictures, videos, and thoughts of men):

I realize that just because someone says the word doesn't mean they are necessarily trying to be homophobic or hateful. And the person who says the word determines the intention with which it's used. However, the word itself has a different meaning all its' own. And so long as that word isn't being used to describe cigarettes or a bundle of sticks (not that I've seen a bundle of sticks in my lifetime), it is not okay for people who are not homosexual to use the word in relation to another person.

No stand-up routine or South Park episode will ever change that. At least not so long as our culture is still highly homophobic and sexist. As long as there are people saying it's sick for men to dress or act in a way they see as feminine or for women to behave in a way they see as not feminine, words like "gay" and "faggot" will have this stigma upon them.

When things change, we can talk about it. But until then, that's what I have to say and while the using of the word will not result in banning for members- it will still be punishable by deletion of posts in which it's used against any other person or group of people. Same thing goes with "gay." However, objects are still fine.

Thank you for sharing your view, No Personality. I was pretty reluctant to start this thread since I didn't want it to offend you, but I knew that you would have something smart to say on the matter. Plus you KNOW that I am not homophobic whatsoever.

But yeah, you have a good point. A lot of the usage of the word "fag" stems from how there has been a lot of homophobia in our society for a very long time. People had always use such horrendous terms to descriminate homosexuals, and it just so happens that particular word has broken its barriers. Because of how you can't tell someone's sexual orientation by just looking at them (like you can with their race), people will just assume that any guy that ticks them off is a "fag." As a result, it has drifted from this meaning, but is still regarded as a homophobic slur.

I for one got called "faggot/fag", as well as "retard", a lot in school; starting in the 5th grade, going on through middle school, but thankfully not so much in high school. And of course, I saw those words used a lot on the Internet as well. For years, I had no idea what those words meant, but came to the conclusion that they was another way of saying "loser." It was in high school that I found out what those words really meant, and then it was all like "so those kids were calling me mentally challenged and homosexual?"

As a result, I would like to call such jerks I meet those insults just to see how they would like it. Thankfully, I don't come across such people anymore except on the Internet, where they use such words as both slurs and generic insults. Of course, if I do meet such jerks that I feel inclined to insult back, it probably would be best to just call them "assholes."


So have any you guys watched the episode of South Park I've linked to? It's uncensored!


Plus, for the record, here is a thread on another forum where they are talking about not only the episode, but the word we are discussing as well: forums.whyweprotest.net/threads/south-park-explains-that-fags-are-losers-not-gays.49468/

[StevePulaski]

I saw that episode of South Park when it aired. I must say it was a good episode, and very funny in parts. But also very true to its message. I've been called a "fag" before and this one kid likes to say all of my tastes are "gay" and that movies I live for (like Clerks) are extremely gay. It doesn't bother me.

[patface1979]

I think the word Fag is just as bad as any swear word as when people say fuck! It also some other words have slang saying like pussy (a.k.a. vagina). So almost any word has a double meaning like me besides having aspergers I also have Mental Illness that brands with word Crazy Loony and Pyscho! So most of these words are Barbaric because they came from the Middle Ages where Barbarians and also sailors get these words from So I know NP feels about being hurt from that word as much as people call me crazy or insane!

[nopersonality]

With the exception of having personal experience in being insulted for being gay offline, I want to clarify: I very much agree with Pat. I'm not entirely sure people got from my post that I am very thoroughly against the word being used to describe any kind of people in any way.

So, I don't agree with South Park or the comic in the YouTube clip above.

I recognize that many people don't care about gays (the ultimate compliment- I mean, we don't care about straights either: you are who are you and it's not our sexualities that matter) or don't mean to suggest being gay is bad, and so they shouldn't be branded as homophobic for using the word. But that is the history of the word and if you use it in a derogatory way, it's still wrong. Using the word doesn't make you a homophobe but it does make you an idiot.

When the world really changes, this might too. But until then, this is the way things are.

[Deleted]

May 25, 2011 1:53:23 GMT -5 No-Personality said:

With the exception of having personal experience in being insulted for being gay offline, I want to clarify: I very much agree with Pat. I'm not entirely sure people got from my post that I am very thoroughly against the word being used to describe any kind of people in any way.

So, I don't agree with South Park or the comic in the YouTube clip above.

I recognize that many people don't care about gays (the ultimate compliment- I mean, we don't care about straights either: you are who are you and it's not our sexualities that matter) or don't mean to suggest being gay is bad, and so they shouldn't be branded as homophobic for using the word. But that is the history of the word and if you use it in a derogatory way, it's still wrong. Using the word doesn't make you a homophobe but it does make you an idiot.

When the world really changes, this might too. But until then, this is the way things are.

Well, if it makes you feel better, NP, I don't call any people I encounter that word. In fact, I pretty much don't use that word at all, not even for a bundle of sticks.

Though, for the jerks out there, I think that the words "loser" and "asshole" will suit them just fine.

[Deleted]

Now that I think about it, I recall this one time where I was walking home from school (I believe I was in middle school at the time) and a car full of these high school boys drives down Richlee Dr. really fast. At that instant, the boys see me and call me "faggot!" It was another one of those incidents where I was called that horrible word, and I had no idea what it meant other than "just an insult."

[StevePulaski]

Jun 14, 2011 11:10:44 GMT -5 @jib said:

Now that I think about it, I recall this one time where I was walking home from school (I believe I was in middle school at the time) and a car full of these high school boys drives down Richlee Dr. really fast. At that instant, the boys see me and call me "faggot!" It was another one of those incidents where I was called that horrible word, and I had no idea what it meant other than "just an insult."

Between making immature Youtube videos, voicing my opinion, and speaking out in class I've been called a "faggot."