what does the syaing "Its so gay" mean

[princealbertofb]

Here it's just a phrase that caught on, like "That's lame" "So not cool." "How retarded." and many others over the decades. People just say it not really thinking about it as a slur against gay men any more than they thing of calling something retarded as a slur against retarded people.

Does that just show that words no longer have any meaning? Devaluating words that way can lead very far, but is not helpful. Imagine legal cases where word definitions could just slip and slide on a wide range of possibilities, cases would never be defendable.

[Lilitu]

Generally here it means something someone has done which would be reminiscent of homosexual stereotypes or something overly sweet and sentimental.
E.G: "I want to bake rainbow cookies and pies made of sunshine and happiness." "Wow that's so gay."

Personally I don't find it offensive, probably because I'm sort of desensitised to it.

[princealbertofb]

When people don't even know what words mean, or give them the wrong meaning, things like this happen:
see Towleroad. http://www.towleroad.com/2011/12/michiga...users.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...Halls.html

[princealbertofb]

My teen daughter explained that the reason for the shift in this saying is to promote the need for less social focus on and increased tolerance of same sex relations in shifting the connotation of the use of the word gay in the expression toward the very connotation it was actually begun for. She says "It's hyperbole Dad, it works for us young people so you'll just have to deal with it as you are getting older. Sorry."

My reply was, "What a smart assed chip off the OLD block!"

You can tell your daughter from me, that hyperbole, like marriage, has to be redefined...

[princealbertofb]

Gay comes from the French "gai" which means happy, and joyful. It was applied to homosexuals, I'm guessing, because we often seemed to be joyful, fanciful and happy (even when maybe we were not...) like clowns, able to make people laugh at witty repartee and make fun of ourselves (and others)) because of this outsider's eye.

The word "gay" used to mean just that before it was applied to homosexuals as an epithet. The sad thing about the way the word has evolved is that what might have given homosexuals some credit (positive connotations for being able to generate joy and fun) is now negative and means 'lame', 'retarded' or some other disrespectful thing, which honestly retrieves the positive to make us look like fools. Why should we accept that connotation?

I vote for it to be reinstated in its original meaning and if it has to be applied to homosexuals, then let it be for their ability ot generate joy and fun.

[mihai]

"It's so gay" - saw people using it in the sense of "lame"

[zeon]

its something that if u say it over your 21st birthday

u offically dont have a life its a childish meaning for something thats stupid

[TryingNewThing]

i prefer to say "it's so homosexual", just adds a bit of sophistication into it

[ChadCoxRox]

I think of it as ignorance which is not necessarily a bad thing until you have been informed that it is offensive..if you decide to continue using the term knowing it is offensive it becomes WILLFUL ignorance which is another thing entirely...

I have gone round and round trying to explain this phenomenon to people who say "Someone Jewed me down on a price".....I will initially consider that they may be ignorant to the insult they are using and when I point it out...if I hear them say it again then my opinion of who they are lessens as does my respect for them.

I agree and I think my kid does as well, but "they" still do it. She is careful not to do with me however and we've not even talked about it being specifically offensive to me personally. I take it as a sign of her exercising at least a little judgment! I wish the saying "that's so gay" referred to people demonstrating some cultural sensitivity and better judgment.

[ChadCoxRox]

thats so gay

The fruit does not roll too far from the tree!