Younger and hipper people - I know that referring to something as "gay" is intended to indicate that it's bad, lame, or stupid, not that it's a homosexual man, but do you know how the term originated? If it didn't stem from thinking that "gayness" was bad or lame, where did it come from?
2007-03-05 03:33:30 · 3 answers · asked by AndyH 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Younger and hipper people - I know that referring to something as "gay" is intended to indicate that it's bad, lame, or stupid, not that it's a homosexual man, but do you know how the term originated? If it didn't stem from thinking that "gayness" was bad or lame, where did it come from?
Good answers so far, but I'm hoping that some kids who actively use the term will also add their opinions.
2007-03-05 03:58:55 · update #1
When I was a kid "gay" meant happy....how it has come to this is beyond me....I do believe in the beginning that the use of the term "gay" to describe something as bad, lame, or stupid was a poorly disguised jab at homosexuality.
I don't think even the people who use the term today as you described it even know why....they just follow along like they do with any other fad.Free thinking seems to be out of fashion these days.
2007-03-05 03:43:11 · answer #1 · answered by Erinyes 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ok, when I was a little younger and still in school, the term started out meaning something that was thought to be more feminine than masculine. An example would be, if a guy's girl got him some flowers for v-tine's day, people would say "that's gay!" As time went on more and more people started saying it for more and more reasons. It was now a more "cool" word to say instead of lame, bad, weak, stupid, dumb, or sorry. It was not meant to say anything about gay people, it just became the "cool" replacement word.
2007-03-05 04:09:38 · answer #2 · answered by Dane Cruz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Heck, how did the term "gay" get associated with being homosexual? Who knows, but it did.
I totally see your point, and I agree. Keep in mind, though, that words change, as do their meanings. Take the term "suck." Olden days, telling someone they suck meant that they literally, um, "seviced" men- quite the insult, huh? Nowadays, saying "that movie sucks" has absolutely no sexual innuendo. Sure, it's still meant as an insult, but not the same kind.
Personally, I think it's too early to use "gay" as an alternate meaning. BUT, keep in mind that people use it all the time as an insult, while not intending at all to be an insult to homosexuals.
2007-03-05 03:41:30 · answer #3 · answered by Milana P 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋