Homosexuality

[the*blue*girl]

A couple days ago, someone started a topic on IMDb about the use of the word ‘gay’ as an insult. The topic’s been deleted, I suppose, because I can’t find it. But it basically said that "it's stupid to get offended when someone uses 'gay' as an insult. Since it’s already been changed from 'happy' to ‘homosexual’ it doesn’t matter if someone changes the meaning again and makes it mean 'stupid'." (something along those lines.)
...what do you think of this statement?

when it's put like that, i can see their point. technically, "gay" means "happy", so yeah, i see where they're coming from. i don't quite agree with it though. see, plenty of gay people will hear that and consider it an insult to them. therefor, it's an insult to them, whether it was intended to be or not. i'm not sure if that makes sense... it's been a long day... but there you go.

[Sailor V]

I'm still trying to wonder where the hell they turned something that means "happy" into insulting slur.

[Cardcaptor Takato]

I think it's ridiculous to claim that it's ok to use the word gay as an insult for something just because it's definition has changed over the years. While yes, the word gay originally meant happy, what makes it different to use the word gay to describe someone as homosexual as opposed to using it as an insult for something stupid is that the definition of the word gay as meaning "happy" is out of date and no longer used in every day speech. However, using the word "gay" to define someone who is homosexual is still used in current everyday speech. It'd be like suddenly using the word Christian as an insult just because words change definition over time. Furthermore, words evolve all the time but just because they once meant one thing doesn't mean you can suddenly use it to mean something else just because you feel like it, otherwise we'd all be speaking gibberish. And the word f**got originally meant bundle of sticks, but just because it once meant something else, does that mean it's suddenly ok to use it as an insult? And finally, it's rude, childish, obnoxious, and just wrong to insult anyone for any reason with any word whatsoever. Whatever happened to just treating each other with respect and love? This whole debate of using any word as an insult shouldn't even be an issue if we all just learned to get along.

[Sailor V]

Well, now I'm wondering 'who' changed the definition.

[Cardcaptor Takato]

Quoted from Wikipedia, "The use of gay to mean homosexual was in origin merely an extension of the word's sexualised connotation of "carefree and uninhibited", which implied a willingness to disregard conventional or respectable sexual mores. Such usage is documented as early as the 1920s. It was initially more commonly used to imply heterosexually unconstrained lifestyles, as for example in the once-common phrase "gay Lothario",[3] or in the title of the book and film The Gay Falcon (1941), which concerns a womanizing detective whose first name is "Gay". Well into the mid 20th century a middle-aged bachelor could be described as "gay" without any implication of homosexuality.

A passage from Gertrude Stein's Miss Furr & Miss Skeene (1922) is possibly the first traceable published use of the word to refer to a homosexual relationship, though it is not altogether clear whether she uses the word to mean lesbianism or happiness"

[Jusenkyo no Pikachu]

Quoted from Wikipedia, "The use of gay to mean homosexual was in origin merely an extension of the word's sexualised connotation of "carefree and uninhibited", which implied a willingness to disregard conventional or respectable sexual mores. Such usage is documented as early as the 1920s. It was initially more commonly used to imply heterosexually unconstrained lifestyles, as for example in the once-common phrase "gay Lothario",[3] or in the title of the book and film The Gay Falcon (1941), which concerns a womanizing detective whose first name is "Gay". Well into the mid 20th century a middle-aged bachelor could be described as "gay" without any implication of homosexuality.

A passage from Gertrude Stein's Miss Furr & Miss Skeene (1922) is possibly the first traceable published use of the word to refer to a homosexual relationship, though it is not altogether clear whether she uses the word to mean lesbianism or happiness"

The full article

[Sailormars Obsessed fan]

I overheard something at wal-mart recently that pissed me off.

A little boy was looking at the barbie dolls and some guy (I assume his father) came up and slapped his behind and said "boys dont like those unless they also like boys")

The man was huge so my desire to break his neck was blocked by my desire to keep breathing, but still dammit why do people have to be like that?

[Tiff]

I overheard something at wal-mart recently that pissed me off.

A little boy was looking at the barbie dolls and some guy (I assume his father) came up and slapped his behind and said "boys dont like those unless they also like boys")

The man was huge so my desire to break his neck was blocked by my desire to keep breathing, but still dammit why do people have to be like that?

-_- Way to give your child a complex, man..

That reminds me of when I used to work at the candy store...whenever a little boy wanted some plastic pink novelty candy thing, their fathers always made them change to blue or some OMGMANLY color. The poor kids would always be like "but I want that one..." "No, boys don't like pink."

[Senshi_of_Vision]

Ya know that whole Pink = Gay think makes me laugh truly because as a female ive always personally hated the color, too darn bright. And my god what would theses manly macho men do if the new Fabulous color to be associated with homosexuality became Blue or Black? then what? Ugh peoples mentalities boggle me.

I have my own vast opinions of homosexuality but they basically tie into my core believe about sex in general. Its a private matter that should be handled by adults in their own private way. Who you are attracted two and conduct sexual activities is your buisness. I think thats the main problem with homo phobia is too many people only focus on the sexual aspect of homosexuality instead of the emotional aspects to it and its wrong. I dont go thinking about what straight couples do (okay unless im watching adult movies) so why should it bother me what two consentual gay adults do in their private time? I think if people focus less on certain aspects of being gay that it would not be such a big deal.

[Sailormars Obsessed fan]

I just hate it when people think "such and such" = your gay.

I think because as a crossdresser I face that a lot.

[Senshi_of_Vision]

Ive hung out with plenty of crossdressers that were very straight, the only thing that bugged me about them is they always manged to look sexier then me..whines Im so damned frumpy its not funny lol

[Sailormars Obsessed fan]

Ive hung out with plenty of crossdressers that were very straight, the only thing that bugged me about them is they always manged to look sexier then me..whines Im so damned frumpy its not funny lol

You dont have to worry about the sexier part with me

I look pretty much like a guy in a dress with makeup applied incorrectly.

[Cardcaptor Takato]

I overheard something at wal-mart recently that pissed me off.

A little boy was looking at the barbie dolls and some guy (I assume his father) came up and slapped his behind and said "boys dont like those unless they also like boys")

The man was huge so my desire to break his neck was blocked by my desire to keep breathing, but still dammit why do people have to be like that?

Randomly I like other guys and I used to play with dolls when I was little but I agree that it's stupid of them to lump everybody together and assume that all gay men are exactly the same or that anybody who likes pink is gay. When people act so homophobic over something so trivial like that it makes me question whether or not they have insecurities about their own sexuality. Surprisingly my parents didn't have a problem with letting me play with dolls even though they're otherwise homophobic. Part of me feels a little ashamed when my mother starts bragging about how I "turned out fine" even though she let me play with dolls....

That reminds me of when I used to work at the candy store...whenever a little boy wanted some plastic pink novelty candy thing, their fathers always made them change to blue or some OMGMANLY color. The poor kids would always be like "but I want that one..." "No, boys don't like pink."

Is it true that pink didn't start to be associated with homosexuality until after WWII or is that just one of those urban legends? I've also heard before that blue used to be associated with girls and pink with boys at one point in history but I have no idea how accurate that is.

[Tiff]

Surprisingly my parents didn't have a problem with letting me play with dolls even though they're otherwise homophobic. Part of me feels a little ashamed when my mother starts bragging about how I "turned out fine" even though she let me play with dolls....

Indeed. My brother, being very close to me, played Barbies and My Little Ponies with me (just as I played He-Man and GI joes with him), and he's the most non-homosexual person ont he planet ^^;

it's insane how people think a TOY will influence someone's sexuality -_-

[Sailormars Obsessed fan]

you all are so lucky.

As a kid I wanted to play with barbie dolls a lot, but I never admitted it because as a guy I was "supposed" to play with gi joe and stuff (though I actually did like transformers)

I still think barbies are beautiful (except brats and those vegas drag queen ones called fairytopia) and wish I could have a chance to experience what it would be like to have one as a child, and I am heterosexual too so what does that tell these people?

[SeiUsa]

it's insane how people think a TOY will influence someone's sexuality -_-

Yes, Barbie will make a little boy gay, and a GI Joe will make a little girl "tougher" and "equal to boys" and "an adorable little tomboy." ><

[Cardcaptor Takato]

Indeed. My brother, being very close to me, played Barbies and My Little Ponies with me (just as I played He-Man and GI joes with him), and he's the most non-homosexual person ont he planet ^^;quote]That's the other thing about it that annoys me. Whenever a boy wants to play with a "girls' toy" someone will start freaking out but nobody ever thinks that a girl will become a lesbian if she plays with something like Ninja Turtles.

[Senshi_of_Vision]

I think the core problem with people associating toys and or colors with homosexuality is when people get off the notion that it means bad. As long as people treat being gay as the worst thing in the world (cause god knows murderers and rapists people who hurt children, arent who they should be chasing with moral jargon) then people will find ways to make things that they associate with homosexuality bad to.


I believe it will start with the newer generations I mean things are still bad but each couple of years you see things that are more accepted then they could have ever been back in the "good old days" I think if more parents of the new generations teach their kids to be "humans" and not hang up on sex and being different maybe stuff like this will fade.

its like the song Imagine says "maybe im just a dreamer, but im not the only one." I know plenty of people out there who like me want to teach their kids that there should be no limits gender, color who they love who they are friends with. Id much rather teach my son about the true goods and bads then give him a complex toward good people who happen to have a different sexual preference from me.

Maybe just maybe if more teach that to the newer generations gay will stop being the worlds worst evil to many and we can focus on the true evils and other world problems that dont get as much coverage.

[Cardcaptor Takato]

According to Animeondvd.com, LJ is now banning yaoi fans from their site.

Coming at the same time is apparently a new attack on civil liberties as LiveJournal is removing a large number of communities and journals related to taboo subjects as well as advising users who have Interests such as yaoi, rape, and shouta, or the names of shows and books sometimes associated with such terms to remove them as quickly as possible which implies that their accounts could be removed as well. An online "vigilante" group apparently declared war on LiveJournal last week over such interests and LiveJournal's corporate legal side. As of this writing nobody has full confirmed who is involved with this sudden rash of removals but JournelFen has a large amount of reading material on the subject.

I just don't understand why they're suddenly banning people with these interests because last I checked yaoi and shota weren't illegal in the U.S. I've just deleted my entire LJ interests in my profile because over half of them could be related to these themes even if they're not illegal since homosexuality and sexual content in general is pretty common in anime. Banning sexual predators is one thing, but deleting users who like legal forms of pornography is clearly infringing upon people's free rights.

[Senshi_of_Vision]

wow its one thing like you said to go after predators, but since when did liking Yaoi mean molester? thats another thing that bothers me, they always try to lump homosexuals in with child molesters and im sorry from all the psychological profiles and studies ive seen most of them are older males who are in straight relationships. And a. homosexuality has nothing to do with being attracted to children. B. Everyone I know be it gay or straight are just as appalled at the thought of abusing children. And its always bothered me how people try to lump gays in with that. Its just pure bs IMO.