For some time now it's been popular among members of Generation Y to declare that something is "so gay" to indicate that it's dumb, silly, bad, ugly, unattractive, geeky, embarrassing, tasteless or even just plain dull. That’s so gay. That’s so gay.
That’s so gay. It's the dull that hurts the most.
"That's so gay" is most definitely not the modern equivalent of "that's so camp". Although it could be. It's not hard to come up with a list of things that would fit the bill: the
Village People, for pity's sake; chrome coffee tables; tight lycra shorts; Freedom rainbow things of all descriptions; Bananarama; chandeliers in tiny apartments; Desperate Housewives... and those don't even scratch the surface.
I'm not as bothered by "that's so gay" as most folk I know. I suspect I would have been once, but these days I'm feeling almost post-gay. Almost. It just doesn't get under my skin. I'm much more inclined to cringe at
gay men refering to each other using female pronouns than Gen Ys describing something a bit daggy as gay.
"That's so gay" is just one of those fads, and fads, after all, come and go
with monotonous regularity. Remember when "mint" was the adjective du jour for something good, or when "fully" became the essential catch-all for "completely" before "totally" wiped it off the map. Hula hoops, Rubik's cubes, Cabbage Dolls... fads, fads, fads. Who knows, perhaps one day spending your days and nights sending inane SMS and MSN messages could become, like, totally gay.
In the meantime, lots of people are not happy about the fact that untold millions of schoolkids are running around saying "that's so gay". And as Americans take these sorts of things very earnestly, there's now a campaign to try and stop it, and a website, ThinkBeforeYouSpeak.com. A number of ads have been made, one of them featuring Hilary Duff. I know you're expecting a "that's so gay" joke about Hilary now, and I'd just like to point out that it was you that thought of it.
Chris Crocker is actually feeling a tad bitter about it all on Youtube, but at least it's distracted him from his Britney campaign. Then again, he does make rather a good point when he starts on about using the term "straight" to describe bad things, suggesting that his country might actually benefit from being a little bit gay.
Way back in March the BBC was wondering aloud how "gay" came to be the most common insult among school kids, a phenomenon that has spread to the furthest reaches of the English speaking world. It may have even infiltrated the non-English speaking world but I haven't as yet heard any Italians chortling "quello è così finnochio".
According to the compiler of the Dictionary of
Contemporary Slang, the meaning of gay in this context isn't necessarily about homosexual people at all. "I have interviewed scores of school kids about this and they are
always emphatic that it has nothing at all to do with hostility to
homosexuals," he tells the BBC. "It is nearly always used in contexts where sexual
orientation and sexuality are completely irrelevant."
Others disagree, however, and it is rather telling that eight of the top 11 insults reported by teachers were related to sexuality (none of them hetero for some mysterious reason) and the other three to gender (none of them male for some mysterious reason). Perhaps Chris Crocker is onto something here.
Black Americans call each
other nigger these days, gay men refer to their friends as queens, lesbians are dykes to one another. In the late Eighties, when gay
liberation metamorphosed into radical queer rage, the elder statesmen and women
of the community were positively apoplectic at the popularisation of “queer”. Reclaimed?
They wanted it sunk beyond retrieval. But the old adage about sticks
and stones is true. Words can only hurt us if we imbue them with the power to
do so.
Me, I’m not waiting for the
next fad to come along. Instead I’m going to start my own. As often as possible in the coming weeks I'm going to drop “that’s
so lesbian” into conversations with members of Generation Y and see if it doesn’t catch on. There's nothing like deflecting the attention elsewhere if all else fails, and if it turns up in American high schools in six month's time, I reckon I'll qualify for a Wikipedia entry.
Comments (2)
"thats so lesbian" written by guy go, October 24, 2008 - 1:45:36 pm CDT
How about
"thats so MSM" (men who have sex with men"
or
"thats so same sex attracted"
heres a good one
"thats SOooooo BI"
................................
Remember a time pre Western Australian Lesbian and Gay PRIDE
and for those who care and remember
pre Bill to decriminalise homosexual acts ....SEE PETER FOSS.....
people in ye olde time saying
"thats so straight"
to describe something that wasn't hip cool exciting etc...
think it was invented in the 70's used in the 80's
think it disappeared around the time of the GULF WAR in the 90's lol
here is a few others
"thats so faggy" "thats so david beckham" "thats so glbt" "thats so TODAY TONIGHT" "thats so lgbtiq & ssa" "thats so OPRAH"
: )
3rd generation gay written by Collin Mullane, October 25, 2008 - 12:36:27 pm CDT
It is easy to forget that 'gay' is NOT "gay".
It has taken two or three generations to change the term from meaining "happy" to being "homosexual" much to the ire and chagrin of our elder heterosexists.
Now, we have a new generation playing around with redefining it again.
To describe an event like 9/11 as "awesome" would be insulting, though it would be the correct usage of the word (to cause awe or terror). These days it is more commonly used to describe excellence or excitement.
Language changes ... its the intent and context that is important.
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The 2008 Pride Parade may have been among the smallest, and certainly
the fastest in Pride's 19 years, but it remains a relevant and
important event according to this year's convenor, Charles Denham.
Gay favourite Rachel Berger is among the headliners this year as the Wild West Comedy Fest returns
to Perth for 26 days of hilarity and hijinks. Other Australian comedy
stars on the bill include Bob Franklin, Tom Gleeson, Fiona O’Loughlin
and Scared Little Weird
Guys.
Rebuilding trust was the key to the success of this year's Pride events
according to festival convenor, Kieran Bycroft. While some events did
less well than expected, many attracted good crowds and some film and
theatre sessions were sold out.
African-American and Latino voters were a powerful force in electing Barack Obama and also in passing Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage. Exit polls
showed 70 percent of black voters, and a majority of Latino
voters, voted yes to the ban. More here.
Three US states ban marriage
Three US states passed amendments banning same-sex marriage in the historic vote that also saw the election of the nation's first black president. Voters in California, Arizona and Florida approved proposals to outlaw same-sex
marriage. More here (free registration retired)and here.
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Having failed to save same-sex marriage, GLBT Californians are taking their fight to court. City attorneys from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Clara will seek to invalidate Proposition 8 on the grounds that it conflicts with the equal
protection pillars of the state Constitution. More here, here, here and here.
Caught with their pants down in Malaysia
Malaysian police raided four gay "parties" on the weekend and arrested some 70 people after finding DVDs, gay magazines, lubricants and boxes of condom. A small reminder to be cautious in Malaysia and Singapore, where the aptly named Straits Times gleefully prints your photo. Details here.
Burning in hell on Earth
God Hates Fags! posters have become one of the symbols of the great divide in America. Now the son of
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the response from his delightful sister, Shirley.
Circumcision HIV benefits in doubt
US analysis of data on 53,567 men who have sex with other men has
found that circumcision is ineffective in reducing HIV rates.
African trials have shown circumcision cuts the likelihood of male to female HIV transmission by up to 60 per cent. More here and here.
Only gay in the village proud but sad
Australian Olympic gold medalist, Matthew Mitcham, is proud but also sad to have been the only gay in the village at Beijing. The champion diver says his decision to come out before the games was a vital part of the gold medal performance that denied China a clean sweep. More here.
Lover cooked and served with herbs
A plague of gay cannibals threatens to overrun the planet, with the latest outbreak reported in Leeds, where a former Mr Gay UK is on trial for killing a former lover and attempting to eat part of his thigh. Anthony Morley, 36, is accused of murdering Damian Oldfield and cooking parts of his flesh. More here.
Big HIV rise among China's gay men
HIV infections have increased alarmingly among gay and bisexual men in parts of
China according to new data. There were an estimated 700,000 HIV/AIDS cases in China as of
October 2007, up 8 percent from 2006. Cases among gay and bisexual men jumped to 3.3 percent in 2007 from 0.4 percent in 2005. More here.
Dancing in a circle with your friends, it's quickly becoming the
perfect night out. However amid the fifth round of drinks and
renditions of I Kissed a Girl, you can't help but feel a rift over the
dance floor.
From the Pride theatre and film seasons through to the Great Gay &
Lesbian Debate, Parade and Party, I thoroughly enjoyed this year's
Pride Festival. View footage from the debate and Parade and read about my festival highlights and the challenges I think Pride faces next year.
In winning today’s Presidential election, Barack Obama has provided the
world with the opportunity for a new beginning and his country with the
opportunity to put the disastrous Bush years behind it.
For some time now it's been popular among members of Generation Y to
declare that something is "so gay" to indicate that it's dumb, silly,
bad, ugly, unattractive, geeky, embarrassing, gaudy or even just plain
dull. That’s so gay. That’s so gay.
That’s so gay. It's the dull that hurts the most.
While I may not be the first person to go out on a limb and declare
that Barack Obama will win this year's Presidential election, I may be
among the first to declare that Sarah Palin will win the Republican
nomination and challenge him in 2012. That is, if she hasn't
bankrupted the Republicans with her wardrobe expenses first.
The global financial meltdown and impending economic Armageddon may
have an unexpected upside. For the first time in half a generation,
there may finally be a pool of people with the time on their
hands necessary to build exciting Parade floats.
Love All will return in 2009, with organisers bringing the event
forward to February to take advantage of the guaranteed summer weather.
The 2008 Pride Parade may have been among the smallest, and certainly
the fastest in Pride's 19 years, but it remains a relevant and
important event according to this year's convenor, Charles Denham.
Gay favourite Rachel Berger is among the headliners this year as the Wild West Comedy Fest returns
to Perth for 26 days of hilarity and hijinks. Other Australian comedy
stars on the bill include Bob Franklin, Tom Gleeson, Fiona O’Loughlin
and Scared Little Weird
Guys.
Rebuilding trust was the key to the success of this year's Pride events
according to festival convenor, Kieran Bycroft. While some events did
less well than expected, many attracted good crowds and some film and
theatre sessions were sold out.
African-American and Latino voters were a powerful force in electing Barack Obama and also in passing Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage. Exit polls
showed 70 percent of black voters, and a majority of Latino
voters, voted yes to the ban. More 
Three US states passed amendments banning same-sex marriage in the historic vote that also saw the election of the nation's first black president. Voters in California, Arizona and Florida approved proposals to outlaw same-sex
marriage. More 
Having failed to save same-sex marriage, GLBT Californians are taking their fight to court. City attorneys from San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Clara will seek to invalidate Proposition 8 on the grounds that it conflicts with the equal
protection pillars of the state Constitution. More 
Malaysian police raided four gay "parties" on the weekend and arrested some 70 people after finding DVDs, gay magazines, lubricants and boxes of condom. A small reminder to be cautious in Malaysia and Singapore, where the aptly named Straits Times gleefully prints your photo. Details 
God Hates Fags! posters have become one of the symbols of the great divide in America. Now the son of
vile and crazy Rev Fred Phelps speaks out for the first time about the violent abuse he
suffered at the hands of his father. Read it 
US analysis of data on 53,567 men who have sex with other men has
found that circumcision is ineffective in reducing HIV rates.
African trials have shown circumcision cuts the likelihood of male to female HIV transmission by up to 60 per cent. More 
Australian Olympic gold medalist, Matthew Mitcham, is proud but also sad to have been the only gay in the village at Beijing. The champion diver says his decision to come out before the games was a vital part of the gold medal performance that denied China a clean sweep. More 
A plague of gay cannibals threatens to overrun the planet, with the latest outbreak reported in Leeds, where a former Mr Gay UK is on trial for killing a former lover and attempting to eat part of his thigh. Anthony Morley, 36, is accused of murdering Damian Oldfield and cooking parts of his flesh. More 
HIV infections have increased alarmingly among gay and bisexual men in parts of
China according to new data. There were an estimated 700,000 HIV/AIDS cases in China as of
October 2007, up 8 percent from 2006. Cases among gay and bisexual men jumped to 3.3 percent in 2007 from 0.4 percent in 2005. More 
Dancing in a circle with your friends, it's quickly becoming the
perfect night out. However amid the fifth round of drinks and
renditions of I Kissed a Girl, you can't help but feel a rift over the
dance floor.
From the Pride theatre and film seasons through to the Great Gay &
Lesbian Debate, Parade and Party, I thoroughly enjoyed this year's
Pride Festival. View footage from the debate and Parade and read about my festival highlights and the challenges I think Pride faces next year.
In winning today’s Presidential election, Barack Obama has provided the
world with the opportunity for a new beginning and his country with the
opportunity to put the disastrous Bush years behind it.
For some time now it's been popular among members of Generation Y to
declare that something is "so gay" to indicate that it's dumb, silly,
bad, ugly, unattractive, geeky, embarrassing, gaudy or even just plain
dull. That’s so gay. That’s so gay.
That’s so gay. It's the dull that hurts the most.
While I may not be the first person to go out on a limb and declare
that Barack Obama will win this year's Presidential election, I may be
among the first to declare that Sarah Palin will win the Republican
nomination and challenge him in 2012. That is, if she hasn't
bankrupted the Republicans with her wardrobe expenses first.
The global financial meltdown and impending economic Armageddon may
have an unexpected upside. For the first time in half a generation,
there may finally be a pool of people with the time on their
hands necessary to build exciting Parade floats.
written by guy go, October 24, 2008 - 1:45:36 pm CDT
How about
"thats so MSM"
(men who have sex with men"
or
"thats so same sex attracted"
heres a good one
"thats SOooooo BI"
................................
Remember a time pre
Western Australian Lesbian and Gay PRIDE
and for those who care and remember
pre
Bill to decriminalise homosexual acts ....SEE PETER FOSS.....
people in ye olde time saying
"thats so straight"
to describe something that wasn't hip cool exciting etc...
think it was invented in the 70's used in the 80's
think it disappeared around the time of the GULF WAR in the 90's
lol
here is a few others
"thats so faggy"
"thats so david beckham"
"thats so glbt"
"thats so TODAY TONIGHT"
"thats so lgbtiq & ssa"
"thats so OPRAH"
: )
written by Collin Mullane, October 25, 2008 - 12:36:27 pm CDT
It is easy to forget that 'gay' is NOT "gay".
It has taken two or three generations to change the term from meaining "happy" to being "homosexual" much to the ire and chagrin of our elder heterosexists.
Now, we have a new generation playing around with redefining it again.
To describe an event like 9/11 as "awesome" would be insulting, though it would be the correct usage of the word (to cause awe or terror). These days it is more commonly used to describe excellence or excitement.
Language changes ... its the intent and context that is important.