Loaded words and other gay issues (was: Fanfics with slash & sex...I don't get it)

[ER <ression@hotmail.com>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, Queer as John <john at q...> 
wrote:

> 
> Oh, no, it isn't against the law in the United States, and has only 
very
> recently become illegal in the EU. In the USA, it's a state- and
> locality-based legal system. The majority of states and localities 
do not
> have sexual orientation related anti-discrimination laws. I quote:
> 

I confess I'd sort of assumed you were English. Especially as you 
knew what I meant by Tyke (and the one reference _I_ can find 
uses "so", so there :)
> 


> Yes, that's right. Harry Potter, beating out "Daddy's Roommate" 
and "Heather
> Has Two Mommies", numbers 2 and 11 of the 1990-2000 Most Frequently
> Challenged Books List.
> 

Ballot-stuffing! How many votes are we talking about here? Hundreds, 
thousands, millions?

> 
> Frankly, if Joe and Jane Six-Pack are letting Little Joey and 
Little Suzie
> roam around the Internet unsupervised,  reading slash is the least 
of our
> concerns. 
> 

But as we can do something about it, why not do it? The longest march 
begins with the first step or whatever it was.

> Ah, now, we get onto a very interesting question of usage of 
minority
> vocabulary. Is it, for instance, acceptable for me to say "I speak 
fag"
> while decrying somebody for calling me a fag as I'm walking down 
the street?

We're not talking about paper tubes filled with tobacco here, are we? 
Scope for confusion here!

> 
> Nope. No slang. And I apologise for assuming that you knew that 
these words were loaded.

I really do wonder how many other people on the forum would have 
known that "gay people" (reading ahead here, and must say I find it 
hard to separate that from "gays" BTW, but there you go) considered 
it loaded.


> 
> Well, if you'd read your statement as I read your statement, 
wouldn't you?
> :D


Agreed, but if you _can_ see that there are different readings 
possible, ask first! If I say that all gay people should be strung up 
with piano wire, then by all means open fire immediately.

> > By your argument you're preaching love of the BNP (read Klu-Klux 
clan in
> > America). This obviously isn't what you mean, but perhaps you 
could clarify
> > what you do mean.
> 
> *blinks* No love for them, but I *will* defend their right to their
> opinions, right up until they start inciting hatred or violence. 

Erm, that's what they do. And very little else. I do often think that 
this "I disagree with you but will defend ..." philosophy can get 
taken too far. Some things (and people) just need stomping on before 
they hurt somebody. Hindsight is of course a wonderful thing - "if 
only Chamberlain hadn't appeased Hitler so much" etc etc.


> 
> So, are you saying that children shouldn't be exposed to gay people 
in
> stories? If so, how is that different from saying they shouldn't be 
exposed
> to black people? If not, what are you saying?
> 

Tricky one, let me get back to you on that. 

> Absolutely. That's why I'm attempting to explain. :) I've been 
trying to
> find an online list of loaded words, but Google is failing me. If 
anyone has
> one, do shout out.

Ah, but loaded from whose POV? Who creates these lists? Do you see 
that telling people what words they can and can't use could be a very 
slippery slope?

As it happens I object to being referred to as "straight" as I really 
don't see any reason to usurp this otherwise useful word. I suppose 
it was invented by the gay community ("gay people" just doesn't read 
right here) as the opposite to "bent" (if you use that in America). 
Though I think more and more, bent now refers to those of a criminal 
dispostion. In England that is. Probably totally different elsewhere, 
as is usual with slang.
 

> 
> Well, I do pick up on them in face-to-face conversation, as those 
listies
> who have met me in person will attest. I visualise words, you see, 
and words
> like that sort of throw up a big red flag.
> 

Do you literally mean like those people who have that "disease" where 
they hear in colour, taste in sound, smell in words or whatever? Or 
are you just speaking loosely?


ER