well, it would be like if you said, "it sucks"...it is not actually that your work involves sucking...lol, but we all understand what "it sucks" means. but the intention is that the word "gay" traditionally means something when said this way which has a negative connotation. people who find it ridiculous to take offense to it, often do not have the intention of it meaning anything negative with regards to homosexuality. so it is hard for them to understand how it can be taken negatively. having said that, if someone was to use the n-word, whether in a good light or bad, whether with good intention or not, most people have an easier time understanding how this could be taken as an offense. an important thing to remember is that because it is not offensive to you, does not mean it is not offensive to someone else. so it can be important to remember that. for instance, someone joking about 9/11 may not understand how it could be taken as offense, but in fact many people are offended by 9/11 jokes. i am really the last person to ever agree with the PC police...lol...but having said that, we all have to coexist on this blue rock, and if I find that something offends a person or group and it is not personally injurious to avoid practicing that offense, then i always make my best effort not to.

While I don't completely disagree with you I think both parties (super sensitive people and super ignorant people) should just let the word die out as many slang terms do in their time. Making it a big deal when someone says that's gay will just draw attention to it allowing it to perpetuate longer in our American vocab. But there is absolutely no possible way of comparing "the n word" to the word "gay" or "-blam!-" even. The foremost carries the weight of years and years of slavery, degradation, and the ugliest time in American history. As a white person I cringe at the word as it is a reminder of such a sever inequality that still effects parts of blacks lives everyday. The homosexual community while I agree are discriminated against on some level, never had it nearly as bad as blacks deeming the severity of "the n word" and "-blam!-" or "gay" not even near equal. Sorry for any grammar mistakes wrote quickly on my phone

well, i used the n-word as a comparison as it is hard to quantify offense. so one person could be more or less offended by something than another. it is just an easy example. however, i noticed that you said, "as a white person i cringe at the word." i was just wondering why that would make you cringe more as a white person? i would think it would make everyone cringe.

You didn't really understand what I said at all. I am not in any way trying to "quantify" anyones personal offense to a word. I am simply stating that "the n word" has an actual historical context of slavery, inequality, ect which explicitly gives an explanation for any right minded individual not to use the word. It has a more definite meaning in our culture and society. Anytime the word is used a similar image or notion is initiated in each of us. The word "gay" or "-blam!-" has many more interpretations, some extremely homophobic and others as harmlessly using today's slang. So one who is always offended by the word "gay" must realize it has come to have a more generalized definition away from homophobia. This their level of offense taken can be unwarranted at times. Sure politely asking someone not to use the word because it carries specific connotations to you is ok. But to immediately assume they are using it in the most homophobic way possible is absurd and plain ignorant of today's slang. And I never said that "the n word" made me cringe [u]more[/u] than any other person. I used no comparative there. (Maybe in your imagination)