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Anyone Else Hate the Word "Straight"?

Discussion in 'Sexual Orientation' started by Posthuman666, Jun 17, 2015.

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  1. Posthuman666

    Posthuman666
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    It really bothers me that heterosexual people are called straight. To me that seems to be implying that they are correct in their sexuality and we, the LGBT community, are not. It could be that straight refers to biological reproduction, but I don't really think so.

    Straight has multiple definitions, the ones that stand out are "extending or moving uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend" and "properly positioned so as to be level, upright, or symmetrical". The first one from a sexuality standpoint, talks about conformity, which makes sense, most people are straight. The second one, which I believe is where the term aligns itself, describes being properly positioned. Once again this implies that LGBT+ people are wrong.

    Now, I understand that these definitions have little to do with sexuality, but it still seems wrong that straight is used interchangeably with heterosexual. And I mean no harm to any straight people, you are all great people.
     
    #1 Posthuman666, Jun 17, 2015
  2. Fred89

    Fred89
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    I agree. A gay person can also be morally upright.
     
    #2 Fred89, Jun 17, 2015
  3. XenaxGabby

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    I have no problem with it. I prefer straight and gay/lesbian over heterosexual and homosexual because to me they sound like a disease.
     
    #3 XenaxGabby, Jun 17, 2015
  4. Lyana

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    I don't really care, personally, but I know someone who dislikes it for the reasons you stated. Straight, as in in opposition to bent, which isn't the most flattering term out there.

    I think it's kind of unrealistic to hope that "straight" will go away.
     
    #4 Lyana, Jun 17, 2015
  5. Gandee

    Gandee Guest

    A certain something goes straight to the other certain something?
     
    #5 Gandee, Jun 17, 2015
  6. Yosia

    Yosia
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    I'm fine with the term.
     
    #6 Yosia, Jun 17, 2015
  7. Fallingdown7

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    I'm fine with it. I personally think people in the lgbt community overthink things and get offended too easily. I also like the word homosexual over gay/lesbian, but people are also way too uptight over that term and shame people out of using it.
     
    #7 Fallingdown7, Jun 18, 2015
  8. greatwhale

    greatwhale
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    I understand the objection and kind of agree with that myself, but it is so pervasive, I don't know how it could disappear anytime soon. I myself however refer to them as "heteros", this removes the value-judgment inherent in the word "straight", keeps everything neutral, and in my French-speaking province (where hétéros works just as well) it is just more acceptable.
     
    #8 greatwhale, Jun 18, 2015
  9. biAnnika

    biAnnika
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    I understand the objection. The word does have an unflattering implication. But the word only has to imply that gay is a deviation from the norm. And LGBT people *are* that, whether we like it or not. We are a universal and natural deviation from the norm...but we are a deviation from the norm.

    Personally, I prefer to see "straight" as "linear" (and hence, in my view, a bit dull), whose opposite is "curved", which I see as more interesting and attractive. Also "straight" as in "straight man"...the guy with no sense of humor in a comedic pair...he says, does, and interprets everything in the completely "straightforward" way. I prefer to be the comedian.
     
    #9 biAnnika, Jun 18, 2015
  10. Awesome

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    I am not offended. I always have a joke in my head whenever people use the word straight for a meaning other that heterosexual. My horseback riding instructor is always shouting, "Stop straight!" and I always kind of chuckle in my head. I can stop gay, but I'm not so sure I can stop straight. :grin:
     
    #10 Awesome, Jun 18, 2015
  11. MissBookworm

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    Well... Although straight might imply correct, gay literally means happy. Just think about that.
     
    #11 MissBookworm, Jun 18, 2015
  12. Mikeal

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    Straight also has connotations of being a stiff.
     
    #12 Mikeal, Jun 18, 2015
  13. Acm

    Acm Guest

    I don't have a problem with it.
     
    #13 Acm, Jun 18, 2015
  14. Chloe

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    I don't automatically think of "straight" as "correct", except in carpentry and such things. For me, it's more like "conventional," which isn't necessarily a good thing.
     
    #14 Chloe, Jun 18, 2015
  15. Chiroptera

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    I don't have any problem with it, but that may be because English isn't my primary language, so i don't think too much about the word.
     
    #15 Chiroptera, Jun 18, 2015
  16. Posthuman666

    Posthuman666
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    Awesome to see so many responses, I was just ranting.... but hey, at least I got some opinions!
     
    #16 Posthuman666, Jun 18, 2015
  17. Starwind78

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    I agree. I think the term implies more than just "normal", but preferred. In German, I think, their word for "backward" actually means gay instead of stupid or primitive. Still a negative connotation there though.
     
    #17 Starwind78, Jun 19, 2015
  18. Schloss

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    I don't like it myself, so I just call them heteros. Lets not forget that it doesn't take a lot of effort to bend something that's straight, so that's another way of looking at it. :grin:
     
    #18 Schloss, Jun 19, 2015
  19. GatoAzul

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    The term 'bent' used to be used to refer to gay people (in the UK at least), but it seems to have fallen out of used as it is offensive. The same hasn't happened to 'straight' though and people use it as the default term. If 'bent' is offensive, 'straight' should be too, but it's not. Damn heteronormative society.
     
    #19 GatoAzul, Jun 19, 2015
  20. Straight ally

    Straight ally
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    I have a different concern... Since when was bent or curved inherently a bad thing? Or straight a good thing?

    A straight boomerang would not work... A guitar that is not curvy would not work the same
     
    #20 Straight ally, Jun 19, 2015
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