BBC says "gay" is OK!

[Drake Tungsten]

When referring to lame things, that is...

THE word “gay” now means “rubbish” in modern playground-speak and need not be offensive to homosexuals, the BBC Board of Governors has ruled.

A listener complained after Chris Moyles dismissed a ringtone by saying on his Radio 1 breakfast show: “I don’t want that one, it’s gay.”

The complainant argued that the use of the word gay in this context was homophobic. The governors said, however, that Moyles was simply keeping up with developments in English usage.

The programme complaints committee noted: “The word ‘gay’, in addition to being used to mean ‘homosexual’ or ‘carefree’, was often now used to mean ‘lame’ or ‘rubbish’. This is a widespread current usage of the word amongst young people.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2212170,00.html

I made the same argument here a couple years back and caught some grief for it. Now that I am vindicated, please know that I hold no ill will towards you gay ***** that condemned me. I was right and you were wrong and that's all that needs to be said on the matter.

[Asher]

Now that some BBC Beurocrat says it, you think that means anything?

"gay" as an insult is offensive because of its very origin. It's no coincidence that the people who use it as an insult are usually homophobes.

[SlowwHand]

Gay meant happy to begin with.

[Drake Tungsten]

The full article actually had an interesting summary of the etymology of the word.

Believed to derive from Old French “gai”, the Latin “gaius” or a Germanic source. Originally meant “carefree”, “happy” or “bright and showy”

From late 17th century acquired sexual connotation of “uninhibited by moral constraints”

Gertrude Stein’s Miss Furr & Miss Skeene (1922) cited as first published reference to ambiguous sexuality

Noel Coward pens tribute to dandies of the “gay Nineties” wearing green carnations in 1929 musical Bitter Sweet

Used to describe foppish dress code, unattached men or bachelors until adopted by homosexuals themselves in 1960s
Originally used as an adjective (“he is gay”), the word is adopted as singular noun (“I am the only gay in the village”)

Children and students use gay as shorthand for “rubbish” during 1990s

Bloggers substitute “gay” for “boring” or “dull”, reversing original meaning

[Asher]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Gay meant happy to begin with.

It still does in certain contexts.

It's come to be shorthand that describe hundreds of millions of people, so when it is used as an insult or derogatory term it's inherently insulting.

These people aren't saying it's "rubbish" because it's "happy", they're saying it's "rubbish" because it's "gay", and "gay" is now synonymous with "rubbish". Yeah, nothing offensive at all about that.

[DaShi]

I can only think of one word to describe this thread: lame.

[Frozzy]

Originally posted by Asher
Now that some BBC Beurocrat says it, you think that means anything?

"gay" as an insult is offensive because of its very origin. It's no coincidence that the people who use it as an insult are usually homophobes.

Then you don't know it's origins.

It started out as simple sarcasm to people using gay as happy or fun-filled, like "OMG that movie was rather gay wasn't it?".

The orginal sarcastic tone caught on as a word of it's own and kids now use it, perhaps because of the homosexuality link, but it never started out like that.

I use the word "gay" as an insult (e.g This Reminds Me of GAY!) and I'm hardly a homophobe.

[DaShi]

My students in China would often use the word gay as a noun when refering to homosexuals. For example, "Is it true that Tom Cruise is a gay?" A friend of mine absolutely hated that they did this. I, howeve,r encouraged it along with, "I'm boring."

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kalius
Then you don't know it's origins.

I know the origins of the word "gay", and I guarantee you that the origins of the insult of "gay" does not stem from the "happy" definition. Think for a while before posting.

I use the word "gay" as an insult (e.g This Reminds Me of GAY!) and I'm hardly a homophobe.

Maybe not, but that does make you inconsiderate and equating homosexuality to an insult without you being intellectually capable of understanding you're doing it.

[Asher]

I really cannot fathom how anyone thinks that "gay" sprang up as an insult as a form of sarcasm meaning depressing or sad. To be honest, that's completely ridiculous.

The original people using the word (and most of the current users) are kids in elementary or junior high schools. It was used as in "unacceptably queer", "that movie was gay; those shoes are gay; you're so gay; he's gay; she's gay; etc". Not surprisingly, this sprang up in a social climate where kids are trying to fit in, so saying something is gay is a form of rejection.

It's now so common it's just a generic insult used by people without the brain power to even apply an appropriate one, and used by people without the brain power to understand the connections it has to homosexuals and the inherent insult of association.

[Frozzy]

Originally posted by Asher

I know the origins of the word "gay", and I guarantee you that the origins of the insult of "gay" does not stem from the "happy" definition. Think for a while before posting.

It seems you fail to achieve this on a regular basis.

Maybe not, but that does make you inconsiderate and equating homosexuality to an insult without you being intellectually capable of understanding you're doing it.

I don't care about being inconsiderate. I say a word, people understand what it means and I get my point across. That's all that really matters. People who are offended should simply stop being so insecure and think that Oh Noes! The Entire World Is Against Me!

It's complete PC bullcrap is what it is. If I say I think a ringtone is gay it doesnt mean that I think the ringtone barebacks someone or has sex with another ringtone, it's just that it's a common word for something that's lame or boring, so I'll say it.

People who have a problem with that should build a bridge and get over it.

[Asher]

It's complete PC bullcrap is what it is. If I say I think a ringtone is gay it doesnt mean that I think the ringtone barebacks someone or has sex with another ringtone, it's just that it's a common word for something that's lame or boring, so I'll say it.

I'm not a PC cop by any stretch of the imagination.

But I do understand that "gay" as an insult was derived from the usage that implied someone is queer/homosexual by kids scared of social rejection. And I do understand that lesser people who are much older than that, and maybe even accepting of gays, still use it out of habit. That doesn't change the sentiment of the insult.

And honestly, if you can't figure out what's insulting about it, you can build a bridge and shove it up your ass.

[Asher]

Just apply some basic logic and reasoning.

The word "gay" as an insult didn't really start til the 80s or 90s -- well after "gay" referred to homosexuals in modern use, not "happy". You have to be high to assert that it started by a bunch of young kids using sarcasm of an antiquated definition that isn't really used anymore.

From wikipedia:

When used with a derisive attitude (e.g. "that was so gay"), the term gay is pejorative. The derogatory implication here is that the object (or person) in question is 'cheesy', 'kitsch', or even simply 'bad'. Recently, young bloggers have used "gay" to mean "uninteresting" or "dull" -- just the opposite of the original meaning (e.g.: "That party was so gay."). This usage has its origins in the 1980s, when homosexuality had already become mainstream but was still seen as negative by many people. Beginning in the 1990s and especially in the 2000s the usage as a generic insult became common among young people, who may or may not link the term to homosexuality. This practice is frowned upon in communities that seek to ensure respect for people of all sexual orientations, and is considered to be on par with ethnic slurs. Many defenders of the word's pejorative usage choose to spell it "ghey" to avoid any sexual connotations. Critics object to this change of spelling, often comparing it to the use of “k******” for ****** to evade accusations of racism.

Further, a word is only insulting if the people that are victimized by it deem it insulting. The sentiment is what is actually insulting, not the words itself. If people that are gay are telling you they are insulted by the use of a word describing them is used to equate negative things in general usage, who are you to tell them they cannot be offended when the obvious roots of the word as an insult are so clear?

[Frozzy]

Originally posted by Asher

I'm not a PC cop by any stretch of the imagination.

But I do understand that "gay" as an insult was derived from the usage that implied someone is queer/homosexual by kids scared of social rejection. And I do understand that lesser people who are much older than that, and maybe even accepting of gays, still use it out of habit. That doesn't change the sentiment of the insult.

And honestly, if you can't figure out what's insulting about it, you can build a bridge and shove it up your ass.

I really don't get what's so insulting about it. It's used in a negative context, yes, but then many harmless racial stereotypes are. Being an immigrant I get jokes daily about where I come from, etc. but I know they are jokes because I don't have an insecurity about people having Anglophobia, and I know many racial minorities who get insults thrown at them daily but they know if they are jokes or not.

Using the word gay is this context has nothing to do with homosexuality whatsoever. He's just using a word which, for whatever reason, has evolved into a word meaning lame or not wanted. He's not saying the ringtone is homosexual, and therefore bad, in the slightest. If he wanted to be blatantly disparaging to homosexuals then he would have said "This ringtone is homosexual and likes to have sex with men". But he didn't. He just used a word a majority of his target audience know as meaning lame or rubbish.

Believe it or not most people dont actively seek to insult or disparage gays blatantly all the time.

[Frozzy]

Further, a word is only insulting if the people that are victimized by it deem it insulting. The sentiment is what is actually insulting, not the words itself. If people that are gay are telling you they are insulted by the use of a word describing them is used to equate negative things in general usage, who are you to tell them they cannot be offended when the obvious roots of the word as an insult are so clear?

Simple thought would show you that it's not meant as obvious slander against homosexuals and simply means lame or not cool. Like I said, look in context. The target audience are teenage/young white heterosexual males and the word "gay" to them means something different to you.