reclaiming slurs

[GuardianKitten]

Does anyone else feel that this isn't really such a bad thing? i mean it's removing the *meaning* of the word and therefor its impact.

that said i think if its relclaimed everyone should be able to use it. not just the lgbt+ community.

discuss

[Hexagon]

No, I do that a lot. But although I have no problem with straight people using slurs in an appropriate way, I don't think I'd feel comfortable with it if I were out of the community. Its a very good point though

[GuardianKitten]

I think a dcent one that's half back anyway is 'queer'. It's still sometimes used an insult, but i know SEVERAL people who are proud of their queerness (gender or sexuality)

[Echidna1]

Anything can be used as a slur, in the right context.

[Kamina]

Queer I'm all right with and I just laugh if some idiot uses it as an insult. But "fa**ot" should NEVER be "reclaimed." The reason I think it's just as bad, if not even worse, than ni**er is the two g's in the middle.

On a completely different note, since those the two most offensive words in the English language have 2 g's in the middle, how about a word to describe the bastards who still use "fa**ot" and "queer" as insults. Only it'll have 3 g's in the middle. The word I propose is, "NIGGGOTS." Yes, NIGGGOTS.

[Markio]

Or "iggnorant."

[Aya McCabre]

A lot of slurs are in common use among friends here. 'Fag' is just one of a whole bunch of words that get used when calling out to friends (I believe 'slut' is the main one among straight girls.) Context: "Hey slut! How's your mum?" - I heard this called out across a crowded area today. The tone of voice made it pretty obvious they were friends. That sort of thing's really common here so no one really notices. 'Fag' get's used that way occasionally at queer social group meetups and also within a couple of groups I know (but not my close group of friends). I don't see anything wrong with it used that way amongst people who get that it's not meant to injure.

There are a couple of people around here who will self label in a defiant way with words like that. That's the real way to take their power away. If anyone's interested there are a couple of good articles around about how people are doing the same thing with the word 'fat'.

I have an awesome comic about getting the write insult to yell at people, but I don't have it to hand.....

[Beachboi92]

queer i'm ok with but i don't know if i will ever get over faggot since i learned the origin of the word as it transformed from a bundle of sticks to light a fire to gay people used to start a fire. I don't feel comfortable when anyone uses fag or faggot but i actually find it worse when LGBT people use it because it seems like you are insulting yourself and the community by attributing gay with bad. Straight people i give a little more leeway to because they don't understand the impact it has like i feel an LGBT person should. However i do often correct people when they call someone gay or a faggot or something like that. I will replace it with stupid or bitch/dick/asshole etc etc

---------- Post added 27th May 2011 at 01:15 AM ----------

altho now that i think about it the idea of calling myself a fag or someone else doing the same to themselves doesn't seem at all bad. In fact i almost like that they would claim it. However i still don't like it used any other way for whatever reason xD just rubs me the wrong way :x

[Tornadored]

Personally I am not a big fan of the whole take back the word and use it in the community as slang bit. In a general sense I get the idea of it, but I would never feel comfortable yelling out to someone "hey fag" or what up faggot" knowing the negative connotation it carries. That goes for other words as well.

[Indiana Juno]

My friend and I sometimes use the F@g word when we "insult" each other. We also play "you know how I know you're gay?" from 40 year old virgin a lot just because it's funny. (he's straight btw). I don't care about him using the word but if he were to ever use it against someone in a way that was meant to attack I would have something to say about it. There's a difference between "Yo my n/gga" and the N word proper, as some folks will tell you.

Then again some people have a problem with either usage. I guess it's a point of personal preference.