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Originally Posted by mystmarimatt
While it's true that "Gay" has only become synonomous with homosexuality within the last 50 years, that does not exclude it from being, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the definition used for the word Gay. More than that, if the people who choose to use the word Gay's original meaning, we'd still regard them as peculiar for using a word that means "happy" as derogatory.
Nor is this a singular event. The meanings, the denotations and connotations of plenty of words have changed throughout history.
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No argument here about that aspect. I challenge thee to find a single teenager who would use the term, or many like it, in their original context. I don't mind the fluid nature of language - I mean, it is what it is, so what get angry about it...but I don't always like the taboo nature of some words, derogatory though they may be, particularly if they weren't originally conceived as being derogatory.
Then again, in this specific instance, I find the term "faggot" more derogatory than "gay." Maybe because the homosexual community itself uses the term "gay" to describe itself, whereas I don't think I've ever heard a GLAD member announce a meeting of "local faggots." etc?
I don't know...when I hear someone say "that is the gayest thing I have ever heard..." I don't find it as offensive. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just a child of the '90's.