Is the word "homosexual" extremely offensive?

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Who knew?

Quote:

Identifying a same-sex couple as "a homosexual couple," characterizing their relationship as "a homosexual relationship," or identifying their intimacy as "homosexual sex" is extremely offensive...

http://www.glaad.org/reference/offensive

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 2,880 • Replies: 21

@layman,

I didn't know that.

After reading the commentary at the link I can understand it and will keep it in mind.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

2 Replies

@ehBeth,

If what I always took to be a neutral, descriptive term is "extremely offensive" to gays, I wonder how they would characterize the terms that are applied to them with the intent to mock or ridicule?

Extremely extremely offensive, maybe?

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Why would 'homosexual' be offensive to gays/lesbians if 'heterosexual' isn't to straights? Are bisexuals offended by that term? Asexuals? Pansexuals? I sometimes wonder if people haven't become addicted to self-righteous indignation. Not just gays, mind you. People in general.

2 Replies

@FBM,

Of course.

1 Reply

@roger,

roger wrote:

Of course.

How dare you say such a thing?

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb192/DinahFyre/dramaqueen.gif

1 Reply

@FBM,

Comes with seniority, and you're hurtin'.

Not to be offensive, you understand.

1 Reply

This is political rectitude carried to a ridiculous extreme. The term homosexual is simply descriptive and does not inherently constitute a value judgment. I see no reason to knuckle under to the dictates of a self-appointed special interest press agency.

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A good deal of reality is offensive, but we still need words for it. So, there are going to be lots of offensive words if we are to communicate reality. Therefore the argument " such and such word is offensive" tends to get a "ho-hum" from me.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

Comes with seniority, and you're hurtin'.

Not to be offensive, you understand.

I need to get me a little señorita, then.

1 Reply

@FBM,

FBM wrote:

I need to get me a little señorita, then.

(I'm sure that video is full of offensive stereotypes.)

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if I said that my boss was "homosexual" (which he is) I am sure that he would regard that as an unfriendly thing to say. Sometimes the neutral term can be seen as distancing.

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@Setanta,

Quote:

This is political rectitude carried to a ridiculous extreme. The term homosexual is simply descriptive and does not inherently constitute a value judgment. I see no reason to knuckle under to the dictates of a self-appointed special interest press agency.

Hear, hear.

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@FBM,

Have you read the info at the link?

I think it makes sense after reading that page.

Again, very pleased that this was brought to my attention.

I'm sure the OP had another intent now that I've read more of its posts.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Did you read the material at the link?

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@ehBeth,

Yes, I did, and I was convinced until I started thinking about the terms 'heterosexual,' 'bisexual,' etc. There's nothing inherently derogatory about any of those terms, and I don't know of anyone who intends to insult a gay or lesbian person with that term. It now looks to me as a case of PC hyper-sensitivity. That's not to say that I'm unsympathetic to their plight. I know that they are discriminated against. But I just don't think that word is an example of it.

That said, I'll go back and re-read the page.

Edit:

OK, I re-read it and am still not convinced.

1 Reply

@FBM,

Quote:

OK, I re-read it and am still not convinced.

Me neither, FBM. The basic rationale seems to be summed up this way:

Quote:

"homosexual" is aggressively used by anti-gay extremists to suggest that gay people are somehow diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered

But why focus upon what a particulary group ("anti-gay extremists") might "suggest?"

The "reasoning" seems to be along these lines:

For Hitler, the term "jew" implied an inferior person. I don't like Hitler. Therefore the term "jew" should be expurgated from the language, and it's usage forbidden.

Hitler was indeed "extremely offensive." But that doesn't make "jews "offensive, does it?

1 Reply

@layman,

layman wrote:

Hitler was indeed "extremely offensive." But that doesn't make "jews "offensive, does it?

You are either autistic or a troll.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Quote:

You are either autistic or a troll.

I haven't said what I think y0u are, contrex, and I'll try not to. I try to be polite.

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@ehBeth,

I've read the entire page linked to. I'm afraid I have to agree with Set and others here that this is political correctness run amok. These people also object to such expressions as 'gay lifestyle,' as opposed to 'gay life.' If that makes semantic sense to you, we are speaking two different languages.

I can't find anything at all offensive -- let alone 'extremely' -- in a connotation-neutral descriptive word e.g. 'homosexual.'

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Is the word "homosexual" extremely offensive?

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