Re: Coming out of the closet . . .
I dunno, gay more commonly refers to an alleged "lack of masculinity" with respect to any number of endeavors or choices. Well, at least when my friends use gay that is what they mean/intend. Its not a pejorative term thrown at people to imply a sexual oreintation that is homosexual. That term would be "[censored]" and other much less endearing stuff.
Gay is more akin to the pejorative way of refering to something/some action that might otherwise be less offensively be referred to as "meterosexual" or "effeminate". Its still perjorative, but not regarding sexual oreintation. When somebody says "that's gay", I don't think homosexual, I think weak or unmasculine or emotional or effeminate or passive or just plain stupid etc.
Maybe that is just perpetuating a unfounded stereotype regarding "homosexuals" and the "homosexual lifestyle" that should not be tolerated or allowed, in much the same way that "jew" didn't refer to jewish people but to one who was cheap, and "cheapness" is/was an unfounded sterotype about jewish peoples.
But then again popular "gay/homosexual" culture does take some measure of pride in its dismissal of social norms cenetered around supposedly "masculine" beliefs and attitudes. Wasn't the now played out queer eye in large part all about the celebration of a gay or "unmasculine" lifestyle, while jewish people didn't celebrate their cheapnesss, for example.
That's probabaly missing the point though, as "gay" is meant as an inult when used to refer to someone or something as gay, and hurful intent is what counts. Even if you are not actually intending to call them homosexual, you are intending (I think) to insult or hurt them because they allegedly have "homosexual-like traits". And even though homosexuals refer to themselves as gay and fight for gay and lesbian rights, they are not doing so in an unflattering manner, while pointing out someone "gaybetting" isn't exactly a compliment regarding their playing style.
i dunno, i think i may have convinced myself of the oposite of what i thought when i started typing this, but typing "gaybetting" is fun, even if it is wrong. I'll stop
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