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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Homo This Letter Is So Gay

Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 10:13 AM

Just in:

Dear Editor, Mr. Holden, and Mr. Spangenthal-Lee:

I work really hard to turn youth (and some adults) around in their use of the word "gay" as a derogatory term for anything that does not meet standards of hip, cool, or acceptable. "Gay" refers to sexuality and sexuality refers to human beings - many human beings who suffer oppression because they are Gay.

Could you please exercise your editorial and authorship rights (and skills) and display some level of responsibility for making this world a better place by NOT allowing articles to include the word "gay" unless it is referring to someone's sexuality, or it's original meaning (the "merry" and "lively" vein, etc.)?

The Stranger! Editor, Holden, S-L, shame on all of you. The article printed in the June 11-17 issue entitled "Seven Things We Learned While Riding Light Rail for the First Time..." stated that referring to the new light rail system as "the stellar" "is a little gay." IRRESPONSIBLE and destructive. Get it together.

Sincerely,
William Borden, MSW

Dear Fellow Human Being: I empathize strongly with the oppressed homosexuals of the world. Like 104 percent of our staff, I'm one of them. However, while I respect your vigilance to curb the drift of the English language (and protect human beings), I believe these additional meanings of gay—as in, Jesus, douchebaggy letters like this are so gay—make the language more robust. Here's the funny thing, though: I wasn't trying to use "gay" in the pejorative, but trying to say that the term sounds homosexual. Really, announcing plans to ride to "ride the stellar" sounds like a euphemism for doing a sandbag of meth at the bathhouse while getting gang banged by the Village People.

Comments (31) RSS

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William Borden sounds kind of gay.

Posted by Frank Rizzo on June 23, 2009 at 10:15 AM

How do you pronounce his last name? Misoow?

Posted by Gurldoggie

on June 23, 2009 at 10:23 AM

not only is that letter totally gay but it is fucking retarded too

Posted by Fagmo Retard Gaywad on June 23, 2009 at 10:24 AM

Thin skin pc bs Borden sound better. At least that's not something that can be said about Slog editors even those who are gay. When we as a society start policing terms that are widely use in our day to day vernacular just because someone doesn't like it, then we start going the way the UK and europe in general has gone, penalizing free speech, accommodating bs and even criminals. One just needs to look at how screwed up they are over there right now. That' a recipe for self destruction.

Posted by Loveschild

on June 23, 2009 at 10:26 AM

gay.

Posted by Max Solomon on June 23, 2009 at 10:28 AM

104% of the staff is gay? Does that mean that some of you have so much gayness you are enough gay for multiple people, or are the straights just considered doubly gay?

Posted by Dexter on June 23, 2009 at 10:31 AM

"I believe these additional meanings of gay—as in, Jesus, douchebaggy letters like this are so gay—make the language more robust."

Really?

Posted by cgd on June 23, 2009 at 10:34 AM

"Dear Fellow Human Being?" Good thing I haven't had lunch yet.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on June 23, 2009 at 10:34 AM

@ 4, does that mean we can start using the "n" word again? After all, that was widely used in the vernacular until recently. Or is it wrong if it affects you but not if it affects the people you hate?

Posted by Matt from Denver on June 23, 2009 at 10:48 AM

That letter is so merry and lively.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on June 23, 2009 at 10:49 AM

Just playing devil's advocate here, but the article in question uses the gayness of STLLR as a reason to not use that as a nickname for light rail.

But this human being is totally picking the wrong fight, since The Stranger staff is, as previously noted, 104% gay and the majority of the audience is either gay or gay-friendly. Now if this were the Times or a Judd Apatow movie, the complaint would be justified.

Posted by T on June 23, 2009 at 10:50 AM

I think you meant fey.

Posted by Vince on June 23, 2009 at 10:52 AM

Just call it the SLvT - Seattle Light velocity Train - or SLUT.

And then print up a batch of t-shirts that we can buy to give to our relatives, saying "I Rode the Real SLvT!"

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 23, 2009 at 11:05 AM

I heart William Borden.

Posted by elm+1character on June 23, 2009 at 11:09 AM

@ 13, isn't SLUT the nickname for the South Lake Union Transit? Or did they rename that since I moved away?

Posted by Matt from Denver on June 23, 2009 at 11:11 AM

I think everytime I use the word gay I mean gay.
I don't like the young people's use of the word because it degrades it when some of use really mean to say something is gay.
When I say an event is gay some people laugh because they cannot help but think I mean lame.
So just like the gays ruined the "happy" meaning of the word, the kids have ruined it for the gays.
I also don't like it when little kids use the word "tight", while it is intended to mean cool it comes from the reference to a women's viginal area:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.ph…

Posted by Bill W.

on June 23, 2009 at 11:14 AM

Matt from Denver, please do not attempt to engage the Will in Seattle in dialog. It's not equipped for it, as its confused post might suggest, and it ultimately just makes it angry.

Posted by Fnarf

on June 23, 2009 at 11:18 AM

"...doing a sandbag of meth at the bathhouse while getting gang banged by the Village People." That sounds gay indeed.

Posted by Matt Hickey

on June 23, 2009 at 11:29 AM

The term "ride the Stellar" should be reserved for people who are taking the train to Capitol Hill to score coke.

Posted by Greg on June 23, 2009 at 11:42 AM

But Fnarf, he just agreed with me on another thread. Oi, the confusion...

Posted by Matt from Denver on June 23, 2009 at 11:44 AM

The letter writer chose a very poor example. But I do object to a large number of teens' rampant use of gay to describe pretty much anything they find repugnant or lame. So I don't agree that "these additional meanings of gay...make the language more robust." Rather, they reinforce the widespread attitude that anything described as "gay" is decidedly negative.

Posted by bigyaz on June 23, 2009 at 11:46 AM

#16

FLUID IS SO GAY

CREAMY FLUID WORDS, LIKE GAY

STICKY STREAMING WORDS LIKE GAY

Agree, should never be used as a negative, ever. Period.

Posted by Ace on June 23, 2009 at 11:49 AM

I prefer to use 'faggy' to talk about things that are actually homo, and reserve the use of 'gay' for things that are, like, totally retarded.

Posted by murray chatauqua on June 23, 2009 at 11:55 AM

Is taking the word "gay" away from teh gays (who've fucking earned it) and letting it turn into an adjective that ultimately means "pathetic" another form of gay liberation?

Posted by E on June 23, 2009 at 12:08 PM

@15 - yeah, they renamed it. Sadly.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 23, 2009 at 12:25 PM

Ka-ching! I heart Dominic.

Posted by MichaelPgh

on June 23, 2009 at 12:48 PM

Dear Mr. Borden:

You should be pleased to learn that ever since its inception Seattle Men's Chorus has followed your dictum and has refrained from using the word "gay" in its title - well, because that would be so "gay".

It's like when you see Tonto, you know he is an Indian. He doesn't have to say, "Me, Indian!" The same way the Chorus doesn't have to say, "We, gay!" I hope this buttresses your argument.

Posted by Rhett Oracle on June 23, 2009 at 12:51 PM

@9, No! You can't start using the N-word! You should never use that word!! The proper word to use is "President". Make a note of it.

Posted by treacle on June 23, 2009 at 1:57 PM

The closest I've ever been to the Pres is like, 10 feet, actually.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 23, 2009 at 2:04 PM

Peeps, really. It's the responsibility of enlightened society to set the word standard - dude has a point. While it's easier to be ha-ha-funny when criticizing, how 'bout a little support for someone who's trying to make the world a better place, including for 104% of the stranger staff.

Posted by talisman67 on June 23, 2009 at 3:19 PM

Ironically using the word 'gay' to mean 'pathetic' is no more cool or smart or acceptable than using the name of any other marginalized group to indicate something negative. In fact, I would argue that when the postmodern, literate, ironic, and 104% gay staff of the Stranger use 'gay' in that way it seems to give everyone else license to use it that way, as well.

I love the Stranger, but I'm behind William on this one. If you know what I mean. Ahem.

Posted by jptoews on June 23, 2009 at 5:00 PM