by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 15
-
I think you mean, "Why do we have many synonyms for homosexual people (gay, queer, homo, fag, etc.)?"
-
Good question..Have you noticed that most of the synonyms refer to male homosexuals? Something about men and sexuality brings out synonyms. Think about the male sexual organ. There must be a thousand synonyms (or nicknames) for this. But women do not suffer that same problem. I think the answer lies in the fact that, traditionally, men don't take sex as seriously as women and therefore lots of innuendo, off color jokes, and nicknames surround them.
-
I think the word synonym is wrong. I think that there are a lot of derogatory words used for gay people. "The word gay is now standard in its use to refer to people whose orientation is to the same sex, in large part because it is the term that most gay people prefer in referring to themselves. Gay is distinguished from homosexual primarily by the emphasis it places on the cultural and social aspects of homosexuality as opposed to sexual practice. Many writers reserve gay for males, but the word is also used to refer to both sexes; when the intended meaning is not clear in the context, the phrase gay and lesbian may be used. Gay is often considered objectionable when used as a noun to refer to particular individuals, as in There were two gays on the panel; here phrasing such as Two members of the panel were gay should be used instead. But there is no objection to the use of the noun in the plural to refer collectively either to gay men or to gay men and lesbians, so long as it is clear whether men alone or both men and women are being discussed" dictionary.com
-
We actually have synonyms for everything.
-
So teenagers can look cool when they say them.
-
I think it's because over time, the names take on negative connotations through use and are replaced by new terms that are fresh and don't carry any baggage with them. When I grew up, "queer" was acceptable and "homosexual" was too clinical for use by normal people. Now, it's almost 180 degrees, where "homosexual" is the standard term and "queer" is a means of identifying rednecks and gaybashers who use it. What it comes down to, from my perspective, is a song-and-dance routine to put a little polish on a troubled condition and make it seem less of what it is. And, of the homosexuals that I have met and continue to know, they're not all that gay in the traditional meaning of the word. They're pretty normal, as far as that goes, and they have problems just like everybody else.
-
why are there so many synonyms for ANY minority? because people are close-minded and ignorant!
-
Because they are alot of people who are mean & cruel
-
Language thrives off colorful expressions and when something such as this occurs which has such a volatile mixture of feelings about it; there are bound to be a lot of creative efforts made in the construction of names to call others just like they did with racial slurs. What ever the target of opprobrium is, the concentration on creating new and colorful synonyms will not cease.
-
They are not synonyms. They are insult words, some of which were reclaimed. "nigger" is not a synonym for "black". "cunt" is not a synonym for "woman".
-
In Norway we have many words for the gay and lesbians too. Skeiv = Queer (In Norway its cool to say queer) Homse = Faggot (Also OK) Belgisk (slang for "lesbisk", meaning lesbian - allthough belgisk actually means belgian... Skinkerytter = Eh... "Ass-rider" Flatbanker = Dyke...atleast in a way Traktor = Tractor, meaning a manly lesbian Homo = Short for homosexual, but we normally don't say anyone is homosexual, we say they are homophiles or "homofil". This cause the ending sexual referes to sexuality and the ending fil means love. Dronning = Queen, meaning a drama-gay-man. Rompis = an explicit word used for gay men. These and many-many more... Those words mentioned above are the nice ones... In Norway though, the gay and lesbians take the bad slang words used by the homophobes and uses them about themselves. This means that the words, over time, misses their original bad meaning and are thereby transformed into a positive and "well ment" quote.
-
Well homo doesn't have a bad connotation, it's more of an abbreviation. Fag comes from germans burning homosexuals and referring to them burning like a bundle of sticks. And queer is derived from strange, or different.
-
I love my Homosexuals:)
-
Why not? I don't find them insulting, but that's just me.
-
When I took a "Gay & Lesbian Lifestyles" college class in 2004, I found that a large portion of homosexuals actually prefer to be called "queer". I think it's all in preference. They're just silly little words, and if both parties treat them that way, then they are. I think what's more important is the context that the word is used in. Someone might say "my friend is queer", and there is no negative connotation with that, but if someone says "that damned queer", then of course it's going to be offensive. It would be just as offensive if they said "that damned homosexual".
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC