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Was this offensive?

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by ConnectedToWall, May 7, 2016.

  1. ConnectedToWall

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    So I had to go to a different high school than my own to take the SAT today. There was this decoration a teacher had on their wall, and I was trying to figure out if it was a quote from something because teachers aren't allowed to have offensive things on their wall right?
    I don't remember exactly what it said but it was something to the effect of: "you had all these words to choose from" then it listed negative words like "ugly" and "irresponsible" and then it said "and you choose gay?"
     
  2. HM03

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    Not at all.

    It's saying the person could of thought of other words to say instead of [gay in the expression "That's so gay" aka that's really lame/stupid/whatever.

    It's not saying you choose to be gay :lol:
     
    #2 HM03, May 7, 2016
    Last edited: May 7, 2016
  3. Lance

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    Yes I agree with HM03. It seems to be a pro-gay statement rather than a negative one.
     
  4. Aberrance

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    If it is a pro-gay statement like the guys above have said then it's not in very good taste. How is calling someone ugly any better than calling them gay? Doesn't seem like something a teacher should have on their wall either way.
     
  5. bleedingheart

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    Its not a great poster from what you describe though. It does not seem to be saying it is wrong to call something Gay in a derogatory sense, just seems to be saying your vocabulary could be increased. Not exactly a positive message. I might find it offensive it is suggesting that being gay is ugly or irresponsible, and those words are better to use because it displays a better vocab. I think I would have to see it to really come to a conclusion about how I feel about it though. Can you google it and see if you can find an image of it somewhere?
     
  6. bleedingheart

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    Found it.

    No, it is clearly saying you are stupid for using such language. Found a similar one for 'retraded' and I am sure there will be a whole series of them.

    So no, it is not offensive at all. Still not a great poster though IMHO.
     

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  7. Eveline

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    The meaning is most likely different from how you interpreted it, it is saying that: You could have said ugly, irresponsible or other words yet you used the word gay, and by doing so insulted an entire group of people. Think carefully about what words you choose to use to express yourself.

    Edit: If the above posters are what you saw than it is actually really clear, as the sentence: "Buy a dictionary" clarifies what it means...
     
    #7 Eveline, May 7, 2016
    Last edited: May 7, 2016
  8. Kira

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    It could have been a little clear, as in "You chose to insult someone, you have all these words to pick from (words list) ...but you still pick "gay" out of all of those?"

    As it's laid out it could easily be misinterpreted, so I'd feel a few minor adjustments would make it much more definitive. Then again, I'm no expert and it's just my opinion.
     
  9. Eveline

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    I agree, the real problem is that the poster can be seen as offensive even if you do understand the meaning because it creates an association between the word Gay and the offensive words.

    Unfortunately, this is a common problem. I can't help think of a series I recently watched that clearly pointed out sexist stereotypes and showed how wrong they are in the context of the heroine. The intention was to fight against those stereotypes but it felt really off because it was unintentionally reinforcing those stereotypes by connecting them so clearly with being female.
     
    #9 Eveline, May 7, 2016
    Last edited: May 7, 2016
  10. Chip

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    With regard to the word "ugly" remember that it is by no means limited to appearance. Someone can make an ugly statement, or witness an ugly fight.

    Other than that, I agree with the consensus: the intent of the poster is, I think, to encourage people to use language effectively and not use words like "gay" when they mean "not desirable" or some variation.