There are some words that are inherently offensive. Some that used to be offensive and still can be with the wrong tone and right meaning behind it and some that aren’t offensive any more.
Queer isn’t offensive to me, unless you’re yelling it. And to be honest, I’m gonna be more pissed off about the yelling than the word. Cause I am queer. In both senses of the word. That’s what makes language so interesting, the duality of it. If I can insult you and describe you with the same word, I think that’s bloody great. Though, lets not forget all the other words out there. We don’t need the same word to do both jobs. We’ve got a whole dictionary of words just desperate to be used. The OED has 600,000 words in it.
People tend to forget or not realise that some words have changed. The meaning, the tone, social acceptance of a word.
Lesbian is a good one.
It’s just a word.
But it means something. And while it was something whispered around like a dirty secret or thrown around like an insult – here in Britain at least – it’s just come to settle as a word to describe women who are attracted to other women. It’s not a dirty word. It’s not even a sexually charged word any more. Just a few letters, but together to describe women like my wife.
It’s not a word you need to stop yourself saying in front of kids.
Fuck. That’s a word you shouldn’t say in front a bunch of kids. Lesbian not so much.
Especially considering my kids, when I have them (it’s a work in progress) are going to be aware of what a lesbian is from the beginning. Why would you tell her not to say the word that describes her mother?
I like the word queer because I like the way it sounds, the way it’s spelt. It’s a wonderful word. Lesbian isn’t a good. I like bisexual because it has sex in it (I like the sound of the word sex too) and the bi sound. I could go on about words I like all day.
Words are meaningful, powerful but words can mean anything and everything. Careful with them.