Why "faggot" is an offensive word even if you're not saying it to a homosexual.

This week I want to try my hand at tackling political correctness, and how we use language to show respect to each other. I love to read the comments on news stories, blogs and youtube videos, and I want to address some of the ideas I commonly see there.

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SERIES: IT'S OKAY TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT*
PART 1: Why certain words are offensive no matter who they're directed at.

In 2009 the Ultimate Fighting Championship president, Dana White, said this in a video to a journalist he disagreed with:

"First of all, whoever gave you that quote is a pussy, and a fuckin' faggot, and a fuckin' liar, and everything else. ...And if you're gonna put some fuckin' quotes in there, get some quotes from people who at least have the fuckin' balls to put their fuckin' name on it. ...You fuckin' dumb bitch."

Here are some of the replied to this video of gay people reacting to the comment:

"Obviously Dana's remark was not directed toward gay people, but people love feeling marginalized and offended."

"Seriously fags- stop being faggots. You know what he meant, and the meaning/intent of the person using the word is more important than the word its self. Why has some little bitch got to make a scene whenever someone uses a "Bad" word?
Nigger Faggot Cunt Cumdumpster Pussy Felcher Cocksucker "

"You know what I say to those who are offended by the word "fag" or "faggot"? I have a friend who is a lesbian and even uses the word faggot toward other people. You know why? Because she does what most people should do.....not take shit so damn seriously"

"why arent all the pussies coming out offended?"

So there you have all the classic arguments.


1. He wasn't saying it TO a gay person.
2. It's the intent that matters.
3. Gay people say it too.
4. How come women haven't complained about the use of "pussy"? 

I'm only going to address point #1.

Elnias

When you call someone "a shit" you are saying that they are poo, and poo-poo is bad.


When you call someone "an asshole" you are saying that they are like the part of the body where poo-poo comes from, and since poo-poo is bad, being an asshole is bad.

When you call someone "a faggot" you are saying that they are a homosexual, and homosexuals are bad.

When you call someone "gay" (as an insult) you are saying that they are a homosexual, and homosexuals are bad.

When you call someone "a homo" you are saying that they are a homosexual, and homosexuals are bad.

No one uses "cookie" as an insult because we all think cookies are good.

So even if you call a non-homosexual a "faggot" it is still insulting to gay people, and to people who think there's nothing wrong with being gay. So if you really do believe there's nothing wrong with being gay, then you won't use the word to insult people.

kbelge

Does that make sense? Heterosexual people may have trouble understanding this, because they generally haven't experienced being persecuted, insulted, yelled at, beaten up, or tortured and murdered because of their sexual preference (I know I haven't.) If most of the people who've been persecuted/insulted/yelled at/beaten up don't like the word to be used outside of their own community, then why can't we respect that? Why can't that be their decision? Do the non-persecuted people have to decide Everything including what other people should find offensive?

Join me for Part 2: Why gay people can say faggot.
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* This is explicitly not an academic discussion, and I recognize I've simplified topics that entire PhDs have been built on. For the record I'm white, Anglo-Saxon-Norman, Christian, heterosexual, female, middle class, a little overweight, and pretty able-bodied. :-)