Among other things that I'll discuss here related to terminologies, I am particularly vexed by how people say "straight" when they refer heterosexuality and I want people's opinions on this. Why don't we call such people with attractions solely for the opposite sex "hets?" At least that's better than implying that heterosexual people are perfect, normal, and even right while anything else is abnormal, imperfect, and even wrong. I'm surprised I've never come across someone who has pointed out the connotations of "straight." Whenever someone says "straight" in regards to their own sexuality, I feel as if it's condescending. In fact, many other words, such as "gay" and "fag," have been used derisively and I don't appreciate that at all, especially when they're not used in such a fashion in the LGBT community. Saying that one is "gay" can be either neutral or offensive, but I've mostly seen it to be offensive. Even when it's used to refer to people solely attracted to the same sex, it can be considered offensive, but that's because of the way people sometimes say it. Tantamount to calling a group of people with African descent "black," referring to a group of homosexual humans as "gays" or "the gays" is rather offensive, no? People shouldn't be referred to as "[insert adjective here]." Using "gay" as an adjective such as in "gay marriage" is pretty dumb, if I'm mentioning adjectives here. Does everything I do require an adjective because I prefer the same sex? Do I eat lunch or eat gay lunch? Try using a different adjective for marriage and see if that's offensive. Marriage = two people uniting, regardless of X, Y, or Z, even if they deviate from the "norm." Now, coming out of the closet... What does that even mean? Wherefore does one compare the revelation of one's sexuality to "coming out?" I never came out of anything, save my mother's vagina. I've never felt isolated or repressed, and I know it's not the case with everyone, but still... just... the phrase sounds dumb. "Straight-acting," oh how I love seeing this as much as I love seeing "gay-acting" and "gay-lifestyle." Not only does it have that word, it is also based off of stereotypes. Commonly, people under this category are not effeminate, as homosexual males are depicted, may enjoy sports, etc. There's nothing wrong with that, but why then are they classified into a different category and are even frowned upon by some members in the same community? It just perpetuates more stereotypes, the way I see it, that someone belonging to X must behave like this. Sexuality doesn't govern one's way of life, dammit! Humans are humans--varying as much as the amount of ice cream flavors there are (have you tried death-flavored ice cream?)--and you're all going to die and realize how meaningless your struggles were.
This topic comes up all the time in EC doesn't it :lol: 'Gay' is used as an adjective in English, because English is like that. Not only English, (in French too one would say 'le marriage homosexuel'), but for example in my native language you can't say 'gay marriage' you have to say 'marriage of gays' in order to make sense. I don't think it's used to stigmatize you in everything you do in your everyday life (as in eating lunch), it's only used when it's necessary to make a distinction: if one said 'marriage is illegal in Uganda' they certainly wouldn't be making sense, therefore the 'gay' adjective is necessary ("gay marriage is illegal in Uganda"); if I said 'I think John is gay, I saw him in a bar' I wouldn't be making sense, so it is inevitable to use 'gaybar' ("I think he's gay, I saw him in a gaybar"). Again, in English it is convenient to use gay as an adjective(gay marriage) or even as a prefix(gay-bar) it happens because it happens not because someone is trying to impose a 'gay lifestyle' on you. A simple google search will show you the origins of the phrase 'coming out of the closet'. I find it pretty accurate actually, being inside a closet and hiding from the real world fairly describes the situation of sexual repression for me, but that's up to everyone's linguistic preferences. I will agree however on your view on distinctions on 'straight-acting' and 'gay-acting' people, I find these pointless and stereotypical.
First thing - it's not just neutral or offensive. For most of us, it's something we identify with and take pride in - I don't know about you, but every day, there's at least one point where I smile and shake my head at myself and think "I'm so gay" and that's kind of nice for me. Gay literally means happy - and it's not just terminology and/or a slur. It's an identifier that has been embraced and reclaimed by the LGBTQ community, along with queer and a few other terms. Second one - even queers use these terms, though a lot of users are closeted, and therefore are putting up a facade that lines up with straight stereotypes, but also acts 'straight' in the little ways - for instance, when around people who don't know, I very deliberately talk about future significant others with male pronouns, hoping they won't realize I'm not straight. Yes, straight does imply 'right', but at the same time, as a gay person, I sort of see it as straight people with one line going forward, and gay people with a twisting and curving line. it's just more of an adventure for queer people - and I'm 100% up for that.
Sounds like optimism and it burns one thing I will give people though is that it's easier on the tongue to say "gay" or "straight" instead of "homosexual" and "heterosexual," respectively. Try feeling proud after saying, "I'm so homosexual." Still though, the use of "gay" in a pejorative manner needs to stop.
