By: Tyler Harris
Rap artist Eminem has caused much controversy over his repeated use of language considered homophobic in his recent single "Rap God". The song mentions the word faggot and gay numerous times. As long as the words are used in a non-homophobic manor, than there is no problem with the use of the words at all. (3)
Rap artist Eminem has caused much controversy over his repeated use of language considered homophobic in his recent single "Rap God". The song mentions the word faggot and gay numerous times. As long as the words are used in a non-homophobic manor, than there is no problem with the use of the words at all. (3)
It is not just Eminem. Music artist Tyler, the Creator, argued that the word "faggot" is just a word and no longer strictly homophobic. (3) He has a point. The meanings of words change. The word bully, in the sixteenth century, effectively meant "good fellow". In the seventeenth century, it changed to one who showed off his good deeds, and in the eighteenth century, one who is an intimidating tyrant of the weak. (1) Words like gay and faggot are undergoing the same change. Just as with the n-word, it starts to slowly become socially acceptable to say within reason.
As long as one is not using the words offensively towards another person, than I consider it alright to call something gay. My roommate and myself are both gay, and yet sometimes we call each other faggots. That is because it is socially acceptable to us, we are not using it offensively.
I am not saying that I support people going around and calling every other person gay and faggot. What I am saying is that people need to stop being sensitive and crying discrimination every time an incident like that occurs. In no way am I promoting the use of the word gay to describe things, but for people to understand that the use of gay is not always used negatively. The word gay only recently started to mean homosexual in popular culture. As I said before, words and their meanings change overtime. Some people need to understand this change.
I am not saying that I support people going around and calling every other person gay and faggot. What I am saying is that people need to stop being sensitive and crying discrimination every time an incident like that occurs. In no way am I promoting the use of the word gay to describe things, but for people to understand that the use of gay is not always used negatively. The word gay only recently started to mean homosexual in popular culture. As I said before, words and their meanings change overtime. Some people need to understand this change.
It is all about context. Would I feel offended if a stranger called me a faggot for the way I was acting, yes. Just the same way that an African American would feel if I called him the n-word with the "hard R". One case is homophobic, one is racist. Like how girls can call each other the b-word, which can be positive or negative depending on the context. As long as it isn't used offensively, it's okay to say gay or faggot, and it doesn't demean the gay community in any way.
1. Dent, Susie. "What is the strangest change in meaning that any word has undergone?." OxfordWords. http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2012/10/change-in-word-meanings/ (accessed January 21, 2014).
2. Hawking, Tom. "Azealia Banks and the Other “F” Word in 2013." Flavorwire. http://flavorwire.com/371397/azealia-banks-and-the-other-f-word-in-2013/ (accessed January 21, 2014).
3. Hawking, Tom. "Why Is It So Important for Eminem to Keep Using the Word “Faggot”?." Flavorwire. http://flavorwire.com/423709/why-is-it-so-important-for-eminem-to-keep-using-the-word-faggot/ (accessed January 21, 2014).
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