In keeping with our whole getting-the-blog-back-on-track thing, here's the GSA's answers to the last group question we had up here, which was: Are homosexual or bisexual (or transgender or whatever part of the spectrum you belong to) folk really bothered by the derogatory words used to describe them, even if not aimed at them?
Here are our answers:
A: Hmm. See, this is completely just my opinion but like I notice that I'm less bothered when it's aimed at me, than when its aimed at other people; whether I know/like them or not.
As far as it not bothering me specifically, it could just be a matter of thicker/thinner shelled personalities, etc. but I always feel more obligated to say/do something about it when its aimed at others.
When it comes to general conversation among other people though, that isnt specifically attacking a certain person or idea I always feel like it'd be super out of place to leap in and correct them.
I dunno. It's all so situation/mood/enviroment based.
A: Well, yeah. I mean, if someone called you a terrible name, you'd get offended too, right? The way I see it is that the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender, etc...community is a minority group, just like any racial group or religious group. Along with the territory of being a minority group comes the words that you shouldn't say. Truthfully, I am okay when my friends or fellow gays say words like fag and queer, but that's because they're basically allowed to say it.
When someone says something in a conversation that I'm not in, I feel tempted to say "hey, can you not?", but it seems out of place. Maybe that's something I can work on. But, just to be blunt, yeah, just how people within any minority can throw words around that they themselves identify with, it works the same with the LGBT community. Words like fag, dyke, queer, homo, all of these are completely inappropriate if not said in a joking manner between two friends who do identify with the community. Otherwise, it's actually just inappropriate. And yeah, sometimes friends who I am very, very, very close friends with who aren't gay can sometimes throw these words out. But, if someone I barely know calls me a faggot and thinks it an endearing term, it's really not.
A: I'm not personally offended, no. When someone says "That's so gay!" or something, it's not that I feel insulted. The problem I've always had with that sort of talk is that people simply aren't thinking about what they're saying; it's become so accepted a phrase that people don't even think about homosexuality when they say it, and that's the real issue.
A: I am offended when people toss around derogatory words for LGBT people. I'm disgusted with the current atmosphere in which it's okay to equate homosexuality with "stupid." If things get to a point where I can say "I'm gay" and people might very well respond with "really? Why? What did you do?" then I'm a bit afraid for the future. Okay, so maybe I exaggerate, but you get the point. Being gay is a significant part of who I am. It's been damn difficult to accept myself and my identity and all that goes with it. So yes, when I hear someone say the word "gay" in the halls, I turn around. And if it turns out they're just bitching about, say, a CD they didn't like, it gets me pretty goddamn angry. I'm constantly hearing a part of myself associated with the stupid and the inconvenient, and it hurts. People say that things have changed and "gay" now just about means "stupid," so why fight it? Well, words change meaning, yeah, but the meaning of this word hasn't completely changed yet, and there's no reason why I can't fight to keep the word 'gay' from becoming a symbol of intolerance and hate.
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