Do you think homosexuals would be less discriminated if the word "gay" were never used to describe us?

It feels like that word just sounds like a way of saying someone sucks. Even if the word "gay" isn't necessarily used to discriminate, it really sounds like it. Do you think just the way that word sounds and the way it's connected to homosexuals 99% of the time is actually causing a lot of the judging and hatred towards homosexuals? Shouldn't we try to bring back who we really are? Homosexuals. We're not a word that was supposed to mean happy till it got twisted around and still constantly being used to describe something stupid at the same time.Do you think homosexuals would be less discriminated if the word "gay" were never used to describe us?
Nope.

I like the word "gay".



..I don't give a damn what kind of negative stigma is associated with it. Let's reclaim it, instead of letting THEM define who WE are! Actually, I personally self-identify as "queer", which arguably has even MORE stigma associated with it than the word "gay" does. But the stigma does not bother me. If there are misconceptions, what better way to eradicate them than by explaining what the word "gay" and the word "queer" actually mean to US?



Also: the cat is already out of the bag, so to speak.

Almost EVERYBODY knows of the correlation between the word "gay" and the word "homosexual". You can't take that back, no matter how much you want to.
No, I don't think so...



Gay was a really common term a few years ago to express someone's happiness. It had a completly different meaning.



There is nothing wrong with that word.



I don't think that Gay is derogatory.



I once introduced one of my gay friend to my girlfriend saying : "This is Martin, he works on the service department. He is totally gay, that's why he looks that good" and Martin answered: "Yep, totally gay!" lolDo you think homosexuals would be less discriminated if the word "gay" were never used to describe us?
It's not so much the word so much as the emotions behind the word. There are certain words that can be used in certain contexts that embody hateful emotions. "Gay" can be one of those words as can the "N word" for blacks. Abolishing the word does not abolish the emotions.
Its not the word that created hate it started with children in schools using it as a bad term to things they don't understand , from that school yard ignorance evolved this hated word that is now taken to offense and used as a insult,,,, i just watched a documentary on this the other day it was very interesting, i believe no matter what the word is it will eventually get used as a insult because having a word which should be bringing us together .... in all separates us an leaves us up for discrimination by the greater population.Do you think homosexuals would be less discriminated if the word "gay" were never used to describe us?
Words have nothing to do with hate, in a sense. I mean just because the word "gay" is out there doesn't mean there will be less hate. That makes no sense. People would create a new word then. Or they'd say "homo" which can be used in a discriminatory way. And there's always the word "fag*get".
Actually I think we would have been better off if the word homosexuals was never used to describe us! Remember doctors created this word to recognize, diagnose and treat us back when they thought being gay was a mental illness!



EDIT:

To get a better understanding of my point read this:

http://prop8trialtracker.com/2010/02/12/…
you can be a douche and be politically correct at the same time



i find that the intent of the message is much more important than the wording, personally.



EDIT: your examples really don't count in favor of your argument. the change of perspective in regards to people of different color is not that the word '******' was suddenly deemed racist, it was more that people realized that it was wrong to discriminate people in basis of their color. great african american and other minority leaders demonstrated that they were just as capable of being successful and beneficial to society as any other man. In other words, the people were 'educated', and realized that hey, these groups of people really are just like me.



understanding and being knowledgeable of different cultures/races/etc goes much further than banning a particular offensive slang term when it comes to accepting them and seeing them as your equals.
I am 100% lesbian and I don't feel offended when someone uses the word gay in a negative way. Gay people just need to get over it!
Where I live people often use the word 'queer'. Not much of an improvement, is it?



Bigots are going to hate us no matter what word is used to describe us.
I don't think it makes a difference what the word is. There will always be people who are not willing to accept others the way they are. Changing the word won't change their minds.
It would just be some other word.
Which word would you suggest ? "Sad"?
no, every century or so the homosexuals find a new euphemism for what they do, but what they do does not change and people are grossed out by the behavior, not the word.This is best shown by the fact that , after all the pushing of the " celebration" of homosexuality in schools and " anti-homophobic" conditioning forced on students that they still have rebelled against it by using the word " gay" to mean " wrong, lame, or stupid"



what is wrong stays wrong no matter what word you call it.

Kids know right from wrong and have reacted to the attempts to condition them by using the word as a slur and an insult.