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DARE TO ASK: Some say it’s ‘so gay,’ but it’s not OK

By PHILLIP MILANO

(Space hijacked by MySpace)

D.T.A.’s Friends Comments Displaying 11 of 1,005 comments (View All Add Comment)

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Will, 17, Pine Grove, Calif. Sep 18 6:01P

Why do so many people refer to non-sexually related items or actions as “gay”? The word has developed nearly the same importance as “stupid.”

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Kelly, 20, straight, Los Angeles Sep 18 6:13P

Tell me about it. I was chatting with my 14-year-old cousin and when I asked him what he was doing for Earth Day, he replied, “Earth Day? Ew, that is so gay.”

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fakeguy, 15, Sep 18 6:14P

dude yor profile page is gay

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J, 39, gay, Jacksonville Sep 18 6:56P

It’s the intent of the use of the word that affects its reception . . . (it) just doesn’t feel nice when it’s used to demoralize you.

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fakeguy, 15, Sep 18 7:31P

who uhave for Chemestry 1

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Eric, Norwalk, Calif. Sep 18 7:37P

When something is referred to as gay, it means more like dreaded or unfavorable. Human nature says people don’t want to be different in any way, so I guess gay is an easy way to totally alienate yourself.

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Kim Ficera, lesbian, columnist, author, Sex, Lies and Stereotypes Sep 18 8:50P

Calling someone “gay” or calling what that person does “so gay” is a power play, just like any insult. Every average first-grader knows the meaning of the word “stupid” and that it’s belittling. But as they mature and become more sexually aware, their insults reflect their maturity, so to speak.

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fakeguy, 15, Sep 18 8:57P

people still leaving comments about this? how . . . gay?

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Ann Pellegrini,associate professor, NYU, co-author, Love the Sin Sep 18 9:26P

It strikes me that many of the same young people who use the term “gay” as a synonym for “stupid” do not even connect their use of it in this way to “gay” in the sense of “homosexual.” . . . This separation between gay as stupid and gay as homosexual feels very different, of course, to those on the other side of the expression, who may hear “gay” as meaning homosexuals are stupid and thus find this casual use of the term “gay” hurtful or insulting.

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Kim Ficera, lesbian, columnist, author, Sex, Lies and Stereo-types Sep 18 9:44P

Despite the efforts to educate the public on what it means to be gay, it’s still widely believed that gay people are inferior – specifically, morally inferior. But that belief often extends to everything-inferior. Unless the name caller is a powerful person . . . the flak that results from calling someone gay is minimal. If a name-caller is confronted, he can now say, “I didn’t mean anything bad; everyone says it!” – and get away with it.

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fakeguy, 15, Sep 18 10:22P

now I get it, no mo lmao. won’t say it again. ttyl, bye

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