offended

[Zennyboy]

I can honestly say I have never heard a gay guy, or me, being called a faggot in England.
And none of my gay friends have ever called each other a fag....

Besides, faggots are delightful.

Oh i have, duing high school which was brutal times for me when i was still confused about myself and now i get called it, but with the intent of a joke and it doesnt bother me when i know a person is saying it in a joke fashion.

[dfiant]

No words can hurt you if you don't want them to. Personally I am not offended by any of these words.

I'm offended by the people that use those words in a derogatory manner and in my opinion, those people do more damage to their own character than they do to mine

So call me whatever you want

[Pix]

Just for the record, here in the USA "dyke" means general lesbian. I understand that it USED to imply a mannish, "ugly" lesbian, and that this definition still lingers in some countries, but lots of lesbians (including the femmes) refer to themselves and each other as dykes. We also have all kinds of expressions like "dyke drama." The L Word (made by lesbians for lesbians) also used dyke in a neutral, inoffensive way.

Now obviously if some fundie puts a ton of venom or dismissive contempt in the word "dyke" then it WILL offend me...but technically speaking so would "Hey, you!" or "woman" (as in "Shut your mouth and get me a sandwich, woman!"). And not because "dyke," "woman," or "you" is offensive in of themselves but how they're used, and as a "bonus" such a word as "dyke" or "woman" so used would not only trash me but every other lesbian or woman as well. That is, it's not what they say so much as how they say it.

[Pix]

And I just remembered this pic someone shared once here on GS:



Though obviously, if a person can't see past a label then it's best to avoid the one blinded by prejudice.

[unkown21]

No words can hurt you if you don't want them to. Personally I am not offended by any of these words.

I'm offended by the people that use those words in a derogatory manner and in my opinion, those people do more damage to their own character than they do to mine

So call me whatever you want

I guess that's what i was leaning to more. Words are words, but used in a certain context that is to intend harm grosses me out.

[megumidesu]

i don't particularly like being called a dyke . or a bitch . or a chink .
but people do , and there's not a whole lot i can do about it so i might as well not let any of them offend me ...

[monk]

Sticks and stones . . .

[dfiant]

A group of lesbian bikers here in Australia call themselves 'Dykes on Bikes', they lead out the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras each year.

There appears to be no negative connotations with the word Dyke here in Australia.