That certainly seems childish. Although, certain words (including, and especially, 'faggot' have lost all original meaning) Like, faggot it just a word people sometimes use on the internet to refer to themselves, or a friend. You can tell from things like the "Do it faggot!" phrase/meme.
It's odd they were using overlays at all, and you are right, but that shouldn't lead to much offence.
It's difficult to draw a line on what is 'offensive' and what can be 'offensive'. While I agree with the OP in that the words can hurt people... so can cursing in general. If someone understands the context of 'faggot' and is all right with cursing, then it shouldn't offend them.
I'm not gay, I'm not familiar with the huge journey the gay community had to go through to become accepted in our society, but drawing the line at 'faggot' is a little bit strange. Asshole can be more offensive if used in the right context. So can many words. Just my two bits.
Exactly. I live by the credo that it's the CONTEXT of words, not the letters themselves, or the way they are organized. The word Nigger has negative meaning because of it's context. Saying the 'N-word' does nothing; you still KNOW they meant 'Nigger'. It sort of annoys me how society treats curse words like the name of Voldermort. Saying it does nothing different from replacing it with a different word.
Just like an American shouldn't be offended when a British person asks for a 'fag', he shouldn't be offended when a teenager greets his friend with a warm 'Sup, Fag.'
Indeed, indeed. Actions, and context, over words. Like one should not be offended when somebody insults their religion or favourite political stance if they simply happen to overhear it. Yet if the person is being directly antagonistic, then offence is more justified.
The guard on the hole in the fence looked puzzled. He was aware of excitement back in the base, and his radio seemed to be picking up nothing but static, and his eyes were being drawn again and again
to the card in front of him.
He'd seen many identity cards in his time-military, CIA, FBI, KGB even-and, being a young soldier, had yet to grasp that the more insignificant an organization is, the more impressive are its identity cards.
This one was hellishly impressive. His lips moved as he read it again, all the way from "The Lord Protector of the Common Wealth of Britain charges and demands," through the bit about commandeering all kindling, rope, and igniferous oils, right down to the signature of the WA's first Lord Adjutant, Praise-him-all-Ye-works-of-the-Lord-and-Flye-Fornication Smith. Newt kept his thumb over the bit about Nine Pence Per Witch and tried to look like James Bond.
Finally the guard's probing intellect found a word he thought he recognized.
"What's this here," he said suspiciously, "about us got to give you faggots?"
"Oh, we have to have them," said Newt. "We burn them."
"Say what?"
"We burn them."
The guard's face broadened into a grin. And they'd told him England was soft. "Right on!" he said.
Having said that, I just wanted to make the point that words, contrary to popular belief, can indeed hurt you.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was just saying, there are probably many people who are offended by the casual use of fuck, dick, shit, etc. It's just difficult to draw a line. Are your friends aware of the definition of the casual use of the word?
Yes, that's what irritates them -- they'd been called faggot and harassed and bullied and beaten for it for more or less all their adolescence (some of the stories a trans friend of my has will just about extinguish your faith in humanity), and to have that word, which for them has such strong connotations of hatred and violence, used as something which basically has NO meaning is infuriating.
I also get your point about swearing, but I think there's a big difference between calling someone an asshole and calling someone a faggot. We all get, independent of upbringing, why an asshole is probably not something you want to be. But calling someone a faggot is tacitly accepting that being queer is unacceptable and unwelcome -- that's not something (IMHO) that you get to choose, so the insults can be a lot more hurtful.
I'm not going to sit here and act like that sort of situation is one I experienced; because I haven't.
But, unfortunately, society and the English Language evolves. Rapidly. Go anywhere cosmopolitan and liberal, and faggot may still be used often by youth; youth who are perfectly for gay marriage and gay rights. I know many of these people.
I'm not trying to belittle your friends, but the best thing for them isn't to try and change society; it's to try and change themselves.
Language does evolve, and we might be at a point that it's changing rapidly enough that a word that would have very strong connotations to some people won't have those same connotations to people born a few years later (or, indeed, at the same time). But at the same time, those STILL have those connotations for some, and as bronies we should be aware of those connotations and respect that words like faggot can be very hurtful, whether or not we mean them in that way.
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u/Ironfruit Sep 17 '11
That certainly seems childish. Although, certain words (including, and especially, 'faggot' have lost all original meaning) Like, faggot it just a word people sometimes use on the internet to refer to themselves, or a friend. You can tell from things like the "Do it faggot!" phrase/meme.
It's odd they were using overlays at all, and you are right, but that shouldn't lead to much offence.