<p>I'm involved in a (rather demented) on-line discussion with some (IMO excessively touchy) folks over how appropriate it is to use several controversial terms in conversations. I'm interested in getting to know what the majority of fellow Cal students feel. Please state your race (only if you're comfortable with that though) and responses to any or all of the following four questions:</p>
<p>1) Is occasional colloquial usage of "nigga" in a purely non-racist manner OK, or is it racist?</p>
<p>2) Is occasional colloquial usage of "gay" in a purely non-nonhomophobic manner OK, or is it homophobic?</p>
<p>3) Is occasional colloquial usage of "*****" in a purely non-sexist manner OK, or is it sexist?</p>
<p>4) What about in print media (especially "independent" / indy, informal, etc, media)?</p>
<p>e.g. THE</a> EXILE - Americas Pathetic Putin-Envy - By Mark Ames - Feature Story</p>
<p>"Folks, we have truly gone from the world's *<strong><em>-slappers to the world's *</em></strong>-niggaz. And it all happened so quickly. If you google your way back in time a few years, to that Golden Age between early 2002 and the summer of 2003, you'd find a slew of insane articles describing America as, in the words of Newsweek, "the most powerful country in the history of the world." Or as best-selling historian Niall Ferguson argued, "The most powerful empire the world has ever seen." One winces when reading an article in the Washington Post from a couple of years ago, quoting neocon uberfag William Kristol boasting, "What's the point of being the greatest, most powerful nation in the world and not having an imperial role?" And no one around to smack him with a wet fish. Or a cold tire iron..."</p>
<p>Is that first sentence appropriate in this context? Is it funny and ironic, or would usage of words like "***** niggaz" be seriously off-putting?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Sorry, word automatically censored.</p>
<p>***** = b 1 t c h</p>
<p>I find it crude and tasteless. Wouldn’t be screaming racist or sexist, I just find it low-class.</p>
<p>For all, I wouldn’t consider it racist/sexist/etc but it does look poorly upon the speaker and undermines their credibility nonetheless.</p>
<p>i second leftist on all three points.</p>
<p>i really can’t stand the use of the word gay in that manner. anyone happen to know when it began being used as such? just curious.</p>
<p>when being homosexual was seen as disgusting.</p>
<p>much like how feminazi, courtesy of Limbaugh I believe, originated when the feminist movement was at its peak.</p>
<p>well homosexuality has been seen as disgusting for a long time, but the current use of the word gay in a derogatory way is more of a modern thing isn’t it?</p>
<p>started with being gay was generally looked down upon.</p>
<p>nowadays, the term is used to mean anything that sucks. like gays back in the day.</p>
<p>and before anyone asks, i’m straight.</p>
<p>wait, what is the significance in stating that you’re straight? why does that matter?</p>
<p>^ LOL seems as if fiesta is very insecure about his own sexuality. 
jk.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I don’t think it’s ever okay to use that word, even if you are African American. It’s like undermining your own race and making the dark past that goes with the word seem acceptable and okay. </p></li>
<li><p>I’m with anon5524485 on this. </p></li>
<li><p>I feel it is really offensive to call a girl this. I’m not a hardcore feminist but I’d much rather not to be referred to as a female dog. It’s dehumanizing.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Wait, are you making a pun, fiesta?</p>
<p>Kitkatz, are you making a pun, as well? WHY IS EVERYONE MAKING PUNS?</p>
<p>Also, there’s no male equivalent to that word that can be used. At least I don’t know about one. And there’s that other four letter word that I’m not going to mention that is pertinent to females.</p>
<p>^ Exactly. Therefore it’s very sexist. </p>
<p>Taylor: puns?</p>
<p>1) I hate the use of this word. My school is very diverse and we have some people that use this word like evry other word when speaking. I just don’t understand how it went from a derogatory word to a term of endearment.
2) I do use it in this manner sometimes, but I do realize that it is a wrong way to use it and I have tried to go away from that.
3) I’ll call my friends this when I’m kidding around, but I have never called a girl this ever because it would be a derogatory remark in that case.</p>
<p>^ 1. Yeah, I find that baffling too! I think it’s a way of diluting the derogatory connotation by reversing it into something positive. Almost like erasing the past or try to change it completely. But it’s still wrong. :(</p>
<p>^That seems to happen in many groups of people. For example, some in the LGBTQ community will sometimes use gay, ■■■, dyke, etc. as terms of endearment.</p>
<p>I noticed that too! I’m in GSA and people in there does seem to use it a lot (sometimes). They have this kind of mentality–if we can’t stop people from using the word, we might as well as change the meaning of the word altogether so it wouldn’t be offensive anymore…</p>
<p>yeah. it’s pretty interesting. I would be offended if someone used those words outside of the community, but if it’s within, it just seems fine.</p>
<p>OK, I must say I’m quite surprised by how negative the responses are, especially since I hear them used so much (informally and jocularly, that is). Either I mix with the wrong people or many people are hypocrites.</p>
<p>I for one am cool with it and don’t mind, though I realize as a white dude my opinion isn’t worth much. ;)</p>
<p>That said, instead of feeding the culture of victimization (be it racism, homophobia or sexism), surely it is the braver and better thing to take these worlds away from the bigots, and in doing so redefine them? Impose your own values on them, etc, which is the purpose of history a la Nietzsche?</p>
<p>There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with them as I see it.</p>
<p>“■■■■■” just comes from Latinic origins meaning “black”, and AFAIK the word “Negroe” is used to no offense in several Caribbean nations. We use “black” to describe black folks. The excessively politically correct insist on “African-American”, which reminds me of a funny story about white South African students raising a scandal when they applied for a prize only “African-Americans” were entitled to!</p>
<p>Gay? That was originally happy and carefree. Nothing wrong with that unless you’re emo.</p>
<p>B i t c h ? That’s a bit more controversial, agreed (though why are female dogs necessarily bad?). Ironically it’s also the most accepted of any of these.</p>