I went through this a short while back with "
That's so gay."
I used to say it all the time ... and, as a gay man, I feel I have the right. But once I got involved in gay activism, more and more people started to object (not just Gemini Cricket).
For a while I was tellilng people to get over themselves. It's a phrase that I never said meaning to insult homosexuals. Much like "
moron" does not really insult retards, er, um the developmentally disabled.
In fact, just as eskimos have 24 words for snow, I was pretty insistent that "
lame" was not an acceptable substitute for "
gay." Lame "
gay" is a particular sub-set of lame, i.e., the lameness of something inappropriately effeminate. Like C(
hick)adaverous Pallor wearing a flower in her hair would not be gay, but G(
uy)houlish Delight doing the same would be
so gay.
Granted, the phrase stems from a negative connotation of a certain stereotypical aspect of male homosexuality .... but, like the afore-mentioned "
idiot" and "
moron," has moved far beyond that root meaning (but not completely).
Anyway, my roundabout point is ... it didn't matter. A lot of people I was going to be interacting with took offense at the phrase, and so I dropped it out of consideration.
And sure, the goalposts will keep moving ... and if we drop "
retard" today, it's replacement might be just as offensive in 20 years. But that's 20 years of not causing offense to people who need no more grief.
So I'll drop it.
Except, of course, when referring to Kevy.
