The word dyke.

I rarely hear it used derogatorily. Most of the people I know who would mean ill by it, don't use it. It's the people acquainted with the LGBT community that I hear it from the most.

 

Depends how it's said, I guess.

I hear my dad use it an offensive way all the time....example, "f***ing dyke!" in a disgusted tone of voice. He uses it as a female equivalent of the word "faggot."

I've heard it used in a derogatory way other times but can't think of any specific examples right now.

 

I avoid using it, as I avoid using other such words like faggot, tranny etc. If people want to reclaim it, thats great, but I don't want to contribute to the abuse of the word, particularly since most who meet me consider me to be a heterosexual guy, my use of it would just seem offensive.

 

Like queer, "dyke" is a partially reclaimed slur that is still fairly widely used in a negative way (far more so than queer). As such, the only people who should be using it are those who are targeted by it, which is primarily queer women and people perceived as both female and masculine.

 

I actually get the same sort of queasy feeling from hearing the word "dyke" that I get when I hear the word "faggot". I would have no problem with an LGBT person using it as a descriptor, but I more often hear it used as an insult, which makes me fairly uncomfortable.

 

Off topic: When I first heard the word dyke, I actually thought they were talking about levees and flood control embankments. :roflmao:

 

Except human dykes only respond to female fingers plugging up their holes. So much for the little Dutch boy XD.

I don't think dyke is terribly offensive. I'm not close friends with any lesbians, but I see it more as a descriptive slang term than a slur.

 

I've heard 'diesel dyke' used as a non-derogatory term for a large, broad-shouldered woman (usually implied to be lesbian, though not always). Apparently the 'diesel' in the term comes from the phrase 'big enough to burn diesel', referring to how most vehicles with diesel engines are quite large. But I've heard a few women call themselves diesel dykes.

 

Here it can be offensive but then it depends on how you say it or who it's said to
to just walk past someone and call them a dyke is offensive
But when sitting with you're friends i don't see a problem with jokingly calling them gay/faggot/ dyke ect.. But i would only say it is it was true. I wouldn't say dyke to one of my friends unless they we're gay
I don't understand why people take it to heart

 

Never heard of this use of the word dyke before. Where i live (north east scotland) a dyke is a very common word but it just means a wall (local dialect).

 

I don’t hear it in a derogatory way, (have years and years ago) but I don’t particularly like it just like some do not like the word lesbian.

 

It's rather offensive where I live, but we all call each other worse so...
Affectionate-ish between friends, not-affectionate-in-the-slightest between not friends.

 

i don't think it's used offensively here. i think it's just the way people describe a masculine female. not that i'm personally against dykes but i feel like every time my friends say something about one or point one out, it's to make fun of them. so i'm not really too sure, but i don't think it's offensive.

 

Hm, good question... The word dyke or being called a dyke doesn't bother me particularly. I use it myself from time to time. I guess, like everything else, it all comes down to who's saying it and for what purpose. If I was going to use the word dyke, it would be in a light hearted manner to my friends, if they used it to describe me I'd probably take it based on context. I don't like just randomly being called a dyke, or if it's taking the piss, but in certain contexts it wouldn't worry me. I wonder if I mean that if my friends are using it in a none offensive conceptual way then it doesn't bother me, but if they were just to call it me I might feel uncomfortable.

LGBT people is a different matter, or maybe other lesbians using it is another matter. If another lesbian uses the word dyke, unless it's in a mockingly offensive way of somebody then it doesn't bother me. I'm not too sure how I feel about none lesbians using it. Probably the same as my friends.

If a stranger just started using it to me then I probably would feel offended by it. I'd consider it either mocking or over familiar.

Really it all depends on the context and my mood at the time.

 

i hardly ever hear it, insulting or not
but i dont think i would ever use the word myself ​

 

I don't approve of it said in a derogatory manner. It doesn't offend me to hear it used to describe a masculine gay woman, but maybe it would if I was masculine.

 

Whenever I've heard someone use the word "dyke" or "poof" it's always been used in a negative context. Or it is where I come from.