Yes, it is important. When some adjectives are nominalized, they can become degrading in their usage. This is why I never want to be called "a gay".
Indeed! Can't live without. Just try! No, seriously, I love your examples. The use of "queer" as a noun has always especially grated at me. And "beautiful" as a noun is creepy, because there is an implied "thing" that follows (i.e., "hello, beautiful thing"). One could argue that it should be read as "hello, beautiful person"...but I don't buy that argument...if you really think of me as a person, then *treat* me as a person, rather than a quality. (I can just hear the reply "ok, smartass!" )
