Banning gay/lesbo marriages?

[InnerBrat]

Personal space does not have to be physical.
Do you not remember Ted, who used to persistently invade the personal emotional spcce of the women of this board by demanding naked pics? Personal space is a matter of respect, and by using a derogatory term for a person, or group thereof, you are showing a lack of respect and invading their space.

If you cannot just accept that people are offended by a word and cease to use it, then the problem is with your complete lack of consideration, not with their emotional response.

[Gil Hamilton]

I assumed you could understand the concept of personal space and use that understanding to help you grasp the subject at hand. I was wrong.

Except you were the one who was using the term incorrectly, not me.

Why do you bother to ask questions if you cannot accept the answers? Offense is an emotional reaction. You can get a valid reason for why something is offensive within the context of emotion, but if you keep digging deeper into it you will always come back to the fact that emotion is irrational. Accept this or find something else to do.

But you didn't answer the question. So far, you've utterly failed to answer them, but rather are giving lousy answers that don't answer the important question and that is "why?" All you've come up with is "people don't like it... cause they don't like it". That's circular logic.

[Gil Hamilton]

Personal space does not have to be physical.
Do you not remember Ted, who used to persistently invade the personal emotional spcce of the women of this board by demanding naked pics? Personal space is a matter of respect, and by using a derogatory term for a person, or group thereof, you are showing a lack of respect and invading their space.

Of course it doesn't have to be physical, it can be calling someone on the horn constantly or something like that, but how XaLEv was describing wasn't what an invasion of personal space is.

If you cannot just accept that people are offended by a word and cease to use it, then the problem is with your complete lack of consideration, not with their emotional response.

But no one yet has answered the "why?" part with anything logical or rational. I don't like when be jump down peoples throats for no reason and that's what they were doing to the person who posted this thread.

[InnerBrat]

BECAUSE IT IS A DEROGATORY AND UNNECESSARY SHORTENING THAT HAS A HISTORY OF BEING USED OFFENSIVELY.

I don't like it when people address me as "woman", either. Is that being irrational?

And you've not yet explained why you need a "why?".

[Frank Hipper]

BECAUSE IT IS A DEROGATORY AND UNNECESSARY SHORTENING THAT HAS A HISTORY OF BEING USED OFFENSIVELY.

It's not just a shortening, it's a diminutive form. It belittles.

[Sektor31]

Sorry, I was unaware of "lesbo" being derogatory. I usually don't pay attention to being politically-correct.

[HemlockGrey]

-hacks through five pages-

Hey, look! There it is...I thought it was only legendary...it's the topic.

[jegs2]

Sorry, I was unaware of "lesbo" being derogatory. I usually don't pay attention to being politically-correct.

I thought "dyke" was the derogatory term. Are there others of which I'm not aware? And speaking of lesbians, I know that homosexuals use the rainbow flag. What do the lesbians use?

[kojikun]

And speaking of lesbians, I know that homosexuals use the rainbow flag. What do the lesbians use?

Lesbians are homosexuals. They use the rainbow too. A lesbian friend of mine just recently bought a rainbow hoodie. Its like psycho rainbow. it just never ends.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

BECAUSE IT IS A DEROGATORY AND UNNECESSARY SHORTENING THAT HAS A HISTORY OF BEING USED OFFENSIVELY.

It's not just a shortening, it's a diminutive form. It belittles.

Is "bi" offensive?

[kojikun]

Is "bi" offensive?

I don't think it is. A bi friend of mine says no, but that even "gay" offends him if used to mean stupid.

[haas mark]

Sorry, I was unaware of "lesbo" being derogatory. I usually don't pay attention to being politically-correct.

I thought "dyke" was the derogatory term. Are there others of which I'm not aware? And speaking of lesbians, I know that homosexuals use the rainbow flag. What do the lesbians use?

"dyke' is less derogatory than "lesbo" (on a case-by-case basis), but again, it's acording to the person.

~ver

[haas mark]

As for the word 'bi', XaLEv, what other words are there?

Creamer is the only one I can think of, though I'm sure there are more.

"Swinger."

~ver

[Andrew J.]

Gil, come on. You're usually a lot smarter than this. I don't understand this sudden burst of pedantry now. I'm really disappointed in you.

[haas mark]

Okay, so I don't know WHY it's offensive, it just IS. It's because it's been derogatory since before I was born, and still is. I don't know why "fag" is a bad word, but it is (and the only time I MIND being called one is when someone calls me a fag in anger). However, as per "lesbo," it's the same reason why you don't say "That's so gay!" around a gay person - because it takes a perfectly good word and puts it in a bad context.

But if you don't know why you are being offended by something, then you are being silly. If people are going to waste time being mad over a single word, then they should know why it makes them mad in the first place. Otherwise, people are getting their mad on for no reason. Words have history and don't mean anything without reference to that history. A word cannot be offense without a real rationale. "It just IS" isn't a real rationale, as it is circular logic. A real rationale would be "<insert word> is offensive because <insert explaination of why it's offensive>"

That's right. Words have a HISTORY. That is why they are used OFFENSIVELY. If someone used a word to OFFENSIVELY describe your social group, ethnic group, economic status, sexual orientation, etc., etc., how would you feel? And if this word has been used for longer than you have any real knowledge of it?

Like I said, it IS AND ISN'T BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE CONTEXT. If it is used derogatorily, it is in BAD context. Sometimes even a joke is bad context (most of the time, rather). It depends on who is saying it and how (frankly, I couldn't care less about most statements of such, but "lesbo" and "faggot" and "homo" are the few words I just don't like hearing). SO some of it is subjective, but you still have to be careful. Some gay people call straight people "breeders." How would you feel if I started calling you a breeder?

I could give a shit. You are going to have to do better than that if you want to offend me, since I'm very hard to offend by words alone. Besides, you are doing the same two things I described in my opening post as meaningless, IE claiming "It just is!" and a modifed version of the "Well, why is this offensive". I'm looking for an actual reason here. Since you admitted that you don't actually have a good reason, why are you arguing here?

That being offended doesn't have to have a reason.

~ver

[haas mark]

I generally disapprove of the use of the words "Lesbo" or "Dyke" by lesbians, and "fag" or "queer" by homosexuals in general. I also disapprove of blacks who call themselves "nigger", etc, on the basic principle that if these words are offensive that nobody should use them. They are offensive to me, and it bothers me that some people whom they are used derogatorily against take them as a badge of pride; however, I can attempt to stop that behaviour, and the use of the word in the standard derogatory fashion, like it was used in this thread, albeit unintentionally.

OK, good, but you haven't exactly explained why it is offensive in the first place. I'm looking for something like kojikins explaination of the origin of the word "faggot" as an insult here.

Plus let me reiterate:

• "It just is" is a circular argument, and therefore is useless (because it is short form of "Lesbo is offensive because it is offensive!")
  • "Well, why is <insert word> offensive?" or the modified form "How would you like it if I called you <insert word>?" are both useless, since they don't actually answer the question, but rather dodge away from it.
    
    So go on, why is "lesbo" offensive?

Why do you care so much? Is it so hard to just fucking ACCEPT it?

~ver

[haas mark]

Running the hazard of guessing, it could be that "lesbo" has a history of being used derogatively, couldn't it? I mean come on....

That's a variation on the "Is because it is" circular logic crap.

It's a dimunitive form of the word lesbian, and when diminutives are used without consent, offense is normally taken.

Well, shit, I should belt the next person in the mouth that calls me "Dave" and yell "THAT'S DAVID, YOU ASSWIPE!" since I invariable introduce myself as David, shouldn't I?

[ahem] It's the repeated nature of the offense, you dolt.

~ver

[haas mark]

Why do words have accepted meanings if not for history of usage?

What you don't see to be getting is that it doesn't explain why it's offensive in the first place. Does it make any sense to say "It's offensive because it's always been that way"? Of course not. That's the sort of thing that leads to people getting mad without knowing why they are mad to begin with, which is a fantastically stupid practice.

Well, it's be nice to see why it SHOULDN'T be offensive...

~ver

[haas mark]

It is often USED derogatively. Thats how it becomes insulting, constant use of the word in a negative context embues upon he word a negative meaning of its own.

By that logic, anything can be offensive as long as it's said in a mean way, you computer chassis. I'm talking about a specific reason.

Probably anything and everything IS offensive to someone, depending on who you talk to.

You have NOT shown why it's not offensive, you have NOT said anything regarding whether it SHOULD NOT be offensive, nor have you just SHUT UP. You have also not heard that REPEATED derogatory use makes something offensive to a group.

~ver

[haas mark]

And you're being purposefully obtuse. You're demanding a logical explanation for an emotional response to a word that is unwelcome, be-littling, a common insult, impolite, mocking, on the point of being mysoginistic, and a modified form of the original "lesbian" that implies a lack of respect.

Hardly. You are just making up bullshit because you don't have a rational reason. You are absolutely refusing you explain why it is all those things. Why is replacing that "-ian" with an "-o" disrespectful? Why is it a common insult? It's becoming increasingly clear that you do not have a good reason that isn't some form of logical fallacy.

I swear, people are so damn offended nowadays.

So you're saying that we shouldn't take offense to DEROGATORY TERMS??? Because that's what "lesbo" IS!!! Again, WHY SHOULD WE NOT TAKE OFFENSE???

~ver

[haas mark]

Metaphor, man. You don't have to literally feel like they're right up on you to be uncomfortable.

Except personal space invasion is a specific thing. You shouldn't have said it in the first place if you just meant "makes one uncomfortable".

But it does offend. Emotion is not rational.

You aren't able to post a good reason why it should. Concession accepted. Only stupid people get mad over something when they don't know why they are mad in the first place.

Then that makes you stupid. You're getting offended because we can't answer a question to your satisfaction, when we've covered every single base that we can.

~ver

[haas mark]

Sorry, I was unaware of "lesbo" being derogatory. I usually don't pay attention to being politically-correct.

It's all good.. I'm sure you know now, though, lol. It happens a lot. Ya just gotta be careful whose feet you're stepping on.

~ver

[haas mark]

BECAUSE IT IS A DEROGATORY AND UNNECESSARY SHORTENING THAT HAS A HISTORY OF BEING USED OFFENSIVELY.

It's not just a shortening, it's a diminutive form. It belittles.

Is "bi" offensive?

No, it's not. But sometimes it is harder to date a bi person than it is to date a hetero-/homosexual person.

~ver

[Gil Hamilton]

OK, I think won the bet.

To everyone, sorry about the above screwing around, I wanted to prove a point to someone. Continue on.

[Frank Hipper]

OK, I think won the bet.

To everyone, sorry about the above screwing around, I wanted to prove a point to someone. Continue on.

Clarify on this!