Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Decline and Fall of the ‘H’ Word (Homosexual)
New York Times ^ | March 21, 2014 | JEREMY W. PETERS

Posted on 03/23/2014 7:31:00 PM PDT by reaganaut1

To most ears, it probably sounds inoffensive. A little outdated and clinical, perhaps, but innocuous enough: homosexual.

But that five-syllable word has never been more loaded, more deliberately used and, to the ears of many gays and lesbians, more pejorative.

“ ‘Homosexual’ has the ring of ‘colored’ now, in the way your grandmother might have used that term, except that it hasn’t been recuperated in the same way,” said George Chauncey, a Yale professor of history and an author who studies gay and lesbian culture.

Consider the following phrases: homosexual community, homosexual activist, homosexual marriage. Substitute the word “gay” in any of those cases, and the terms suddenly become far less loaded, so that the ring of disapproval and judgment evaporates.

Some gay rights advocates have declared the term off limits. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or Glaad, has put “homosexual” on its list of offensive terms and in 2006 persuaded The Associated Press, whose stylebook is the widely used by many news organizations, to restrict use of the word.

George P. Lakoff, a professor of cognitive science and linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, has looked at the way the term is used by those who try to portray gays and lesbians as deviant. What is most telling about substituting it for gay or lesbian are the images that homosexual tends to activate in the brain, he said.

“Gay doesn’t use the word sex,” he said. “Lesbian doesn’t use the word sex. Homosexual does.”

“It also contains ‘homo,’ which is an old derogatory,” he added. “They want to have that idea there. They want to say this is not normal sex, this is not normal family, it’s going against God.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: americanpravda; antibreeder; anunnaturalact; apbias; asspress; buttociatedpress; culturalmarxism; cultureofcorruption; culturewar; downisup; downourthroats; dramaqueen; fdrq; gay; gaynewsrooms; gaystapo; glaad; goesagainstnature; heterophobe; heterophobia; homo; homonazism; homos; homosexual; homosexualagenda; homosexuality; howveryqueer; notnormal; nuclearfamily; nytimesbias; orwelliannightmare; pederast; pederastagenda; pederasty; pinkjournalism; sexpositiveagenda; smashmonogamy; smashthepatriarchy; sodomites; thoughtcrime; unnatural; waronmarriage; wrongisright
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101 next last
To: ROCKLOBSTER

My personal favorites... turdburglars and calmlickers.


81 posted on 03/23/2014 11:14:12 PM PDT by Rodamala
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Not that there’s anything wrong with that . . . .


82 posted on 03/24/2014 12:59:40 AM PDT by kaehurowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Homosexual was originally a euphemism for the terms sodomite and pederast.


83 posted on 03/24/2014 1:00:39 AM PDT by kaehurowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Can you upgrade to cheerful?


84 posted on 03/24/2014 1:16:16 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Not only won’t it shut up, it bullies


85 posted on 03/24/2014 1:17:17 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

These fanny banditsxare awfully niggardly with the amount of adjective we are allowed to use.


86 posted on 03/24/2014 1:36:31 AM PDT by Organic Panic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stansblugrassgrl

I used to tutor and one of the readers contained all of the “may, say, gay” words. They always chuckled and I always told them the meaning of the word “gay”.

I never use the word gay when referring to homosexuals. I call them homosexuals, because that’s what they are.


87 posted on 03/24/2014 3:45:07 AM PDT by JudyinCanada
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1
.. to the ears of many homos ..


             


News Flash: that 'bothering' the sodomites are sensing is, in many cases, vestigial shame.

An incessant reminder from Nature that their aberrant behavior is biologically self-negating.

88 posted on 03/24/2014 5:22:36 AM PDT by tomkat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

“Queer” always works.


89 posted on 03/24/2014 5:43:00 AM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ("There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - Thomas Jeffersony")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Homosexual and gay are not the same meaning. Homosexual refers to a reaction, while gay refers to a self-identified association. Not everyone who practices homosexuality is gay.


90 posted on 03/24/2014 5:50:44 AM PDT by wolfman23601
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Okay, how about “sexual deviant,” then? Or sodomite? Your choice, pervs.


91 posted on 03/24/2014 6:47:31 AM PDT by fwdude ( You cannot compromise with that which you must defeat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wolfman23601
Not everyone who practices homosexuality is gay.

That's what we're saying...they're queer.

92 posted on 03/24/2014 7:05:21 AM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

I know it takes longer to say but I usually call them people who engage in homosexual acts.


93 posted on 03/24/2014 7:26:26 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom

That just made me laugh. :)


94 posted on 03/24/2014 7:30:45 AM PDT by SoKatt ("Change" is not a strategy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Slings and Arrows

Manhole inspector?


95 posted on 03/24/2014 7:35:39 AM PDT by SoKatt ("Change" is not a strategy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1
"Gay" is a lifestyle ... "homosexual" is a behavior.

The last thing homosexuals want is for the 97% of Americans who aren't homosexual to judge their behavior. Whereas judging a "lifestyle" is arguably none of anyone else's business, judging a person's behavior is an acceptable -- often necessary -- thing for anyone with an ounce of intelligence to do in the normal course of life.

96 posted on 03/24/2014 7:36:30 AM PDT by glennaro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

“Homosexual” or “gay” or whatever term-de-jour, are terms that intentionally obfuscate sexual attraction and sexual acts.

Rather than use the term “homosexual,” we should use the terms “same-sex attraction” and “sodomy.” Same-sex sodomy is known dangerous voluntary behavior with harmful consequences for individuals and society as a whole. Same sex attraction is a condition that is worthy of showing sympathy about and is not in and of itself harmful. And besides, people who have adopted the homosexual label HATE when people make that distinction, because it reveals the truth about them: that they choose the engage in dangerous behaviors.


97 posted on 03/24/2014 10:59:14 AM PDT by MikeyB806
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Josa
The response is usually not supportive of that particular act.

Gee, I wonder why ?

/S

98 posted on 03/24/2014 2:25:22 PM PDT by jimt (Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: wolfman23601
Homosexual and gay are not the same meaning. Homosexual refers to a reaction, while gay refers to a self-identified association. Not everyone who practices homosexuality is gay.

Didn't a discussion between William Buckley and Gore Vidal lead to the term "homosexaulist"?

For some, their whole lifestyle definition is centered around a category of sex acts.

99 posted on 03/24/2014 4:00:42 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (The Texas judge's decision was to pave the way for same sex divorce for two Massachusetts women.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1; sickoflibs; NFHale
The accurate term "homosexual" bothers them. Good -- I'll make sure to use it instead of the euphemism "gay".

yep, correct terminology, as is "queer"...

i only use homo, or queer these days, as in most cases there is simply nothing 'gay' about anything ASSociated with the queer lifestyle that the homos promote...

if they dont like it, tough $h!t, which in their case might be a turn on...

100 posted on 03/25/2014 11:02:12 AM PDT by Gilbo_3 (Gov is not reason; not eloquent; its force.Like fire,a dangerous servant & master. George Washington)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson