The word Gay in our schools

[Chris_Sleeps 10]

but if they don't have an issue with it why should anyone else.

I'm sure they have an issue with the word being used in such a negative sense.

 

What they don't comprehend is punishing children for using a word when the child doesn't know the context.

 

My 4 year old nephew called his Mum a <REMOVED> the other day. It's a similiar case. Not exact, but close. He has to learn that the word is wrong, and then he can be punished for using it.

Edited June 14, 2012 by esme
masked swearing

[Chris_Sleeps 10]

I really don't know why they chose to hijack the word anyway

It was a slang term that originated from the original meaning. Nobody hijacked anything, language is a communal thing.

gay

Online Etymology

 

Slang meaning "homosexual" (adj.) begins to appear in psychological writing late 1940s, evidently picked up from gay slang and not always easily distinguished from the older sense:

 

After discharge A.Z. lived for some time at home. He was not happy at the farm and went to a Western city where he associated with a homosexual crowd, being "gay," and wearing female clothes and makeup. He always wished others would make advances to him. ["Rorschach Research Exchange and Journal of Projective Techniques," 1947, p.240]

 

The association with (male) homosexuality likely got a boost from the term gay cat, used as far back as 1893 in Amer.Eng. for "young hobo," one who is new on the road, also one who sometimes does jobs.

 

"A Gay Cat," said he, "is a loafing laborer, who works maybe a week, gets his wages and vagabonds about hunting for another 'pick and shovel' job. Do you want to know where they got their monica (nickname) 'Gay Cat'? See, Kid, cats sneak about and scratch immediately after chumming with you and then get gay (fresh). That's why we call them 'Gay Cats'." [Leon Ray Livingston ("America's Most Celebrated Tramp"), "Life and Adventures of A-no. 1," 1910]

If you really want to discuss the language here then homosexual is the label that was created specifically for a group of people with no consent from them.

[WeX 10]

as a kid we used to use the word Gay as something be bad or rubbish. I don't think we knew what the word meant until much later.

 

Its funny what words kids use and don't know what they really mean. I once called by mother a "ladies personal, usually made of latex, toy" (not watching to write the actual word on a family friendly forum) when I was about 10. I got in so much trouble and I didn't know why, I though the word was similar to "Plonker".

[Garbo 10]

The reason i like being called gay, is that its other meaning, as in happy, bright etc is hardly insulting. homosexual is a bit clinical, so straight and gay are good words for general discussion.

 

but they shouldnt be used as an insult, which is what she did!

 

If she was told what it actually meant, then thats what should happen, if she was told that its a bad word, then thats wrong too.

[Bloggs 10]

Tbh how can she not use this word as it does have other meanings would the same thing have happened I wonder if she'd have used other words like "fag, faggot, puff, queer, queen" need I go on. I mean she only has to mention that i have a gay friend and that means she's using the word which she been told to be a bad word.

[Teddybare 10]

What about "queer"? As in "queer as folk" the cult tv series starring jax from sons of anarchy.

Is that also a big no no?

[Bloggs 10]

 

My 4 year old nephew called his Mum a <REMOVED> the other day. It's a similiar case. Not exact, but close. He has to learn that the word is wrong, and then he can be punished for using it.

 

 

Exactly you can't punish a child for something they don't understand. Explain and tell them they will be punished for using it

Edited June 14, 2012 by esme
quote tags & masked swearing

[Suffragette1 10]

Tbh how can she not use this word as it does have other meanings would the same thing have happened I wonder if she'd have used other words like "fag, faggot, puff, queer, queen" need I go on. I mean she only has to mention that i have a gay friend and that means she's using the word which she been told to be a bad word.

 

You just have to explain to her that in the right context the word 'gay' is totally acceptable. Used in the playground when calling kids gay is inappropriate at best and an insult as worst. My experience is that kids use it to taunt other kids, whether it's about their same sex parents or the child in question. They use it as a substitute for 'freak'.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Tbh how can she not use this word as it does have other meanings would the same thing have happened I wonder if she'd have used other words like "fag, faggot, puff, queer, queen" need I go on. I mean she only has to mention that i have a gay friend and that means she's using the word which she been told to be a bad word.

 

Is perfectly OK to use the word gay as an adjective, what is unacceptable is to use the word gay as an insult; as I said earlier much like the word Jew. Maybe this is the point that you're missing

[Teddybare 10]

Perhaps it isn't exactly the same thing, but both are about establishing a culture of respect and good manners in school. For example if a child uses the word 'spazz' and is disciplined as a result, but then is heard to use the word 'mong', should the teacher shrug their shoulders and think so what? I would hope not. Or should teacher not discipline a child for using the f word, because the child will then use the c word?

 

If everyone used swear words all the time they would lose their offensiveness. It's different to punish and prevent bullying than it is to ban words because some people have delicate sensibilities.

Also use of the word gay is not the same as using mong or spazz as being gay is not an affliction/disability.

The f word and the c word are both valid words. Anyone offended by them should be deported to Australia for "submersion therapy".

[Bloggs 10]

You just have to explain to her that in the right context the word 'gay' is totally acceptable. Used in the playground when calling kids gay is inappropriate at best and an insult as worst. My experience is that kids use it to taunt other kids, whether it's about their same sex parents or the child in question. They use it as a substitute for 'freak'.

 

This is what we've told her but we have also had to explain what the word means in all it's meanings even though I find at 7 years old this was quite inappropriate although we did just say its when two men or two women love each other. And I feel that the school making an issue of this has provoked this explanation they have the issue they should have explained why it was inappropriate after all she was in there care at the time. Sorry but I have issues with the school and this is just another one to my list that I feel are wrong ways of doing things.

[Bloggs 10]

Is perfectly OK to use the word gay as an adjective, what is unacceptable is to use the word gay as an insult; as I said earlier much like the word Jew. Maybe this is the point that you're missing

 

No I'm not missing it I understand exactly. But what I'm saying is she'd never used it before and never really knew what the word ment let alone that it was an insult. Like I've said in a recent comment you can't punish a child for something they don't understand, explain to them and then tell them if they use it in that way again they will be punished. Unfortunately it is now up to me as the parent to explain to her.