Have you ever corrected anyone for using "That's Gay" in a negative sense

[LynneSin]

I do it all the time. I'm not talking about someone who points at a picture of Rupert Everett or Ellen Degeneres and saying "That's Gay" but someone who doesn't like something they see and saying "That's Gay". My nieces and nephews have all be corrected of this many time (even some of their friends) because I get bugged when they use that phrase to describe something they don't like.

Anyone else do that?

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Hell, I've kicked people out of my house

when they wouldn't quit using homophobic or racist language. My little brother's friends. It does make an impression.

[EstimatedProphet]

2. No, because it's so gay.

[HuffleClaw]

24. *snicker* nt

[Seashell Eyes]

3. Yes.

I also use it, but only in the real sense, such as "Provincetown is so gay."

[Ellen Forradalom]

4. Yes

Good friend of mine, too. Now I always tell her that something is "just so straight."

[Inchworm]

5. Many Times

I'm glad to see the fad of saying that has passed. Either that or the ones I've warned stopped and I haven't been around many ppls lately.

It's big with gamers..

:shrug:

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

6. Occasionally. However, I don't know if I have to moral authority to do that.

I've never use it in a 'negative' way (That movie was GAY), however, I have used to to mean effeminate (quite possibly equally wrong). When I say effeminate, I mean I'll put on a pink boa with my friends and say "Wow, this doesn't make me look gay at all."

So if someone is using it 'negativly' I will correct them.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. yes.

[BlooInBloo]

8. LOL! That woulda been a great joke in Airplane!

For someone to say "that's so gay", the other dude take him to task for it, and 1st dude pointing to a picture of Liberace or something.

[skygazer]

9. Yeah - also "that's retarded"

I heard a pre-teen girl repeatedly using that in the restaurant where we ate the other day - she was babbling her father's ear off, everything and everyone was "retarded" and it was like fingernails on a blackboard to me. I wanted to stuff her napkin in her mouth.

Made me remember how LOUD those years were. :eyes:

[LynneSin]

10. I've corrected that one too

:grr:

[Guava Jelly]

11. This thread is So GAY!!

Or should I say Normal..
I fucking hate the "so gay" statement.
It is a negative slur and I have corrected people in the past

[Call Me Wesley]

12. How is it used in a 'positive' sense?

I'm curious about that.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. When you're with the Flintstones

having a yabba-dabba-doo time — a dabba-doo time.

Y'know, when you're having a gay old time.

[Call Me Wesley]

17. Hmm, I know of the origin of the word,

since I attended the 'Dino Crocetti University,' where we all learned about the 'gay tarantula.' (But this was all about Italy and stuff ...)

But how is pointing at Ellen Degeneres saying "That's so gay" not a bigoted slur? :shrug:

[Oeditpus Rex]

19. Perhaps if she were dancing gaily?

Which she often does. :shrug:

[begin_within]

13. Only with, "Actually, that's a real girl in the middle there."

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Of course not! Doing that would be totally retarded.

:hide:

[guitar man]

16. My RW sister

chewed her kids asses for doing it, kinda shocked me when she did. She told them to knock it off and not to denigrate anyone in that way again.

I guess there is hope in a changing world.

[huskerlaw]

18. Yes.

And I'm not nice about it, either.

My sister, who is a high school English teacher in West Bumblefuck, Iowa fights a constant battle with "that's gay". She tosses out detentions every time she hears it.

[Richard Steele]

20. Yes.

[femmocrat]

21. What do you say to them?

I hear kids use that expression all the time. Mostly middle-schoolers.

[LostinVA]

30. Tell them it's offensive and homophobic

If they want to call something stupid, they should call it stupid, not "gay." Explain why it's offensive. Believe it or not, kids can understand bigotry.

It's no different than correcting them on using racist language.

[femmocrat]

50. I always tell them it is "inappropriate," but I like your terminology better.

It's tricky talking to kids that age... they can be real jerks sometimes.

[evlbstrd]

22. My son.

I pointed out that his aunt is gay and she must be very hurt when she hears him say that. He loves the shit out of his aunt.
I haven't head it from him for a while, now.

[ElboRuum]

23. Nope. Never intend to either.

If others want to be ignorant, it's their choice. Besides, shit like this never really bothered me that much. It's a little too much to expect for people raised in an environment of institutionalized blank-ism to fully ever get it out of their systems.

[LostinVA]

31. Let me guess? You're straight and white -- no wonder bigotry doesn't bother you

You can educate people on how what they're saying is offensive. Oftentimes, they don't even realize how ignorant what they're saying is.

[ElboRuum]

40. Bigotry offends me greatly.

But this sort of juvenile language usage just doesn't bother me. They're just words, and as such, I consider the source. Usually, it's a kid (whom I can forgive because that's just Dumbass Kid Syndrome... I went through it myself) or some stubborn cuss who refuses to change (whose poor attitude I can't make a dent in anyway). I know that some people feel very strongly that this sort of language is bigoted and offensive, and they'd be right.

If they're your friends saying this stuff, I could see how such an admonishment might have an effect. However, I've tried this before with some of mine, and usually it didn't matter. Ultimately I had to accept that these friends, with their occasional bouts of coarse and inappropriate language, weren't going to change. But your mileage may vary.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

33. Do you let the n-word pass, too?

[LostinVA]

35. Well, if you're not black, who cares?

:sarcasm:

BTW, I got your RSVP in the mail today.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

37. Cool!

(The RSVP, I mean.) ;)

[ElboRuum]

39. If I am a friend of the person, I'd say something.

However, I think lecturing perfect strangers or people I know but whom I'm not very well acquainted with to be a bit presumptuous.

[SoxFan]

25. Reminds me of a Simpsons episode

Nelson (the "HA HA" kid) develops a crush on Lisa. He tells his pals that he kissed Lisa.

"You kissed a girl? That's so gay!"

[Pale Blue Dot]

26. delete

I forgot. I'm not Finnfan.

[SarahB]

27. With my kids.

It works too. My daughter's 15 and strait, but has several gay and lesbian friends. Having an open-minded, tolerant attitude is serving her quite well. :thumbsup:

[yellowdogintexas]

28. on a regular basis. I hate that. nt

[LostinVA]

29. Definitely

I know Haruka has corrected her definitely not homophobic sisters on it, too. It's like they don't even make the connection with how it's offensive.

[txwhitedove]

32. Yes, I have spoken up about this disparaging reference.

[electron_blue]

34. i can't recall anyone saying that around me

[GoddessOfGuinness]

36. Yes...When my kid brought it home from school.

I told him I didn't want to hear the phrase again because it was insulting to people I care about very much.

[treestar]

38. Yes, my 11 year old nephew has picked this up

He is forever saying something he doesn't like is "gay." He didn't get it at home. In fact his mother tells him not to do it.

[Neshanic]

41. Although it is comforting to hear so many that would correct it, I love the

conditional responses like "only if it was someone I knew", or some other shit like that.

Is it blood relatives, or just friends or both? Where is that line drawn?

This topic is incredibly crass.

[Godhumor]

42. I taught high school for 6 years; I corrected students every day

Thankfully, I did most of my correcting in the hallway--students knew within the first week of class that it would not be tolerated in my room.

[crim son]

43. My son.

It became a common phrase at school and I hate to admit it but I paid no attention. Here on DU I found a discussion on the subject and realized my error. I've since corrected it, and rightly so.

[DarkTirade]

44. No, I usually just mock them.

Or say something like, "Yes, but is it really our place to judge?"

[Deep13]

45. That's not something I hear much.

I heard it a lot in high school, but that was in the 1980s. Once at the office I did tell someone that the other "F" word belongs in the closed files next to the "N" word. I generally don't think it is up to me to correct other people's verbiage.

[datasuspect]

46. what about when gay men call each other "bitch?"

i've noticed that in several places.

i tried correcting them in the gay bar that saturday night, but everything was just so fabulous that my scolding fell on deaf ears amid all the dancing and loud music.

[swimboy]

47. Yes, and then I'm sometimes told I'm overly sensitive and have no right to take offense

but that's only happened on DU.

Most other people, including many on DU take a moment to consider what I've said and are very gracious.

[IndianaJones]

48. I find many of these responses funny. Many of you must not spend much time in GD...

where being gay is portrayed as a negative characteristic or insult all the time. I tend to see the same familiar names calling attention to it, but very little diversity. It is interesting what passes for bigotry in the real world and what seems to be pushed aside as excess political correctness in the fantasy world of the internet.

[swimboy]

49. that resignates with me

:toast:

[BarenakedLady]

51. Yes

Lucky me, my nephew just taught my son the word "gay" used in just such a negative way. I haven't heard him use it yet, but I will make sure to nip that in the bud.

[mainegreen]

52. I was once corrected for saying we had 'a gay time'.

Had to explain that gay has two meanings.

That was fun!

There should be a rule against allowing words to have meanings that can be there own opposites!

[ZombieNixon]

53. I used to be guilty of saying that.

:blush:

I've long since replaced it with "that breastfeeds at Olive Garden." :yoiks: