Now, I Finally Have Something to Say

And, to some it might seem stupid, to others it might seem offensive, and other might not give a damn, but I'm gonna say it.

Dorian talked about the use of the word "gay" a few days ago, specifically in Robert Kirkman's invincible. Now, while I don't read the book, and completely agree with what Dorian is saying, I do believe there are two sides to every story. So, here, now, I'm going to argue against Dorian's point.

Alot of words like this (gay, queer, nigger {yeah, there I said it} and even negro) were basically assigned (is that even the right word?) to a group of people by people who felt they were better than the people they assigned them too. They began to use them as derogatory terms to describe that group of people. However, each one of those words had a far different meaning before then.

Nigger and negro were both slang used to describe something black (you can look into the origins of just about any widely spoken language, and somewhere you'll find a similar term being used as an adjective for a dark or black color. But, that's really beside the point, just something I wanted to address while I'm talking about word origins.

Side note here, before someone says, "what about fag?" Alot of people seem to be under the impression that the term fag was taken from the British, where they use it in reference to cigarettes, however, the term they use is derived from the word fag-end, which ironically comes from the original definition of the word fag, which was to hang loose, or flap. If you look into word origins you'll find that the British use of the word fag is actually referring to the way a cigarette hangs from your mouth. The derogatory, more American use is derived from the word faggot, and I honestly have no idea where that term comes from, and any definition you find, or that I've found, it's only meaning is to describe a male homosexual. But, I'm getting off track.

Gay was originally (or, until it became associated with homosexuality) used to describe someone that was quite happy. How or why it became associated with homosexuality, I haven't the slightest. Near as I've been able to find it was originally adopted (as all the other were) as a derogatory term, meant to be hurtful towards the receiving party.

Queer was originally used as a term to describe something odd, or not right. Given that it too was meant to be hurtful, it's not hard at all to tell how it became associated with homosexuality.

Now, I've got a feeling that if Kirkman had wrote "This is so queer." we might not be having this discussion, so I'm going to leave that one aside, but like the other terms, it's something I just wanted to address while I was on the subject.

Okay, so, like I said, I pretty much agree with what Dorian is saying, but it was a word that originally had a different meaning, and somehow became associated with a specific group of people, and was thought to be a bad term. Much like the black community, you have to give the homosexual community credit for taking a word that was originally meant to offend, and using it as a term of edearment (usually) between each other.

Unlike the "N" word, the slang usage of gay doesn't have the same history of torment and oppression behind it, even if it was adapted as a term of hatred, hopefully everyone can agree with me there. There's also a theory that the word gay wasn't derogatory at all, but that it was adopted by homosexuals as a sort of "code." I don't personally buy into that, but it is an alternate theory, and like I said, two sides to every story.

Where was I?

Honestly, I don't really know....

What it boils down to is the fact that in the English language, especially in America, it has never been uncommon to take a word and prescribe it a different meaning. Cool, bad, sick, tight, fat; all recent examples, and all readily used by a lot of younger people. Granted none of them have ever been used as a term of endearment between a specific group of people, but that's not to say they never will either.

Teens are constantly creating new slang, but just because they use a word one way doesn't mean they are ignorign it'sother meanings, or attempting to infer that it's other meaning is somehow wrong (see, depending on how you read this sentence, I could be saying two different things).

"That's bad."

It's a sentence that can mean two different things. If kids are now using "gay" to describe something they think is stupid or weird, well, that doesn't mean they are implying that homosexuals are stupid or weird to them, but they've taken a wordone generation has been using to mean something, and using it to mean something else. It is just a word, and in the end that's all it is. We may not like it, but it's something I don't think yelling at people will change it, every new generation does it.

I'm a fat white guy and if the term "fat cracker" suddenly became popular for describing something else, well, I guess I'll just have to get over it.

Like I said, I agree, and completely see your point there Dorian, but it's out of our hands once we become adults. Or, at least reasonable facsimiles. We're never going to understand the slang the kids are using these days.

Hope I didn't piss anyone off with any of this, honestly, that was not my intent, and if I have, apologies. But, in situations like this I think it's important to always look at someone elses perspective, no matter what. You'll be amazed at what you find. And that's not directed at Dorian, but everyone. Offenders and offendees alike.

Okay, I've droned on enough. Got some comics in the mail today, much thanks to Mr. Doane, so maybe I'll have more to talk about tomorrow. Night folks.

-L