Wait. That's not what you think.
I'm not supporting Richardson in anyway but as a hispanic I can tell you he wasn't using it as a gay slur.
It does mean faggot if you go by it's original meaning but it's used as a playful insult between friends and has all but lost it's original meaning.
It's like similiar in the english language to what son of a bitch has become. If you take it literally the meaning is clear but it has evolved.
You scared me you sonavabitch! is not the same as
saying Your mother is a bitch. People get that.
I don't know if you guys understand what I'm saying here.
People who want to understand will and those who don't won't.
I'm just trying to explain that between friends it's not offensive if used in jest. Gays don't get offended anymore than straights.
the son of a bitch comparison is the closest I can get.
I hope that those that want to understand a bit will.
I'm not saying it's not crass or vulgar but I am trying to explain that used in the context and tone he did it's not that bad.
Kinda hard to explain this one.
Doesn't translate well at all.
Depends in the way it is used it can be maricon (as in faggot) or
maricon no jodas! (dude stop playing around!)
I understand where you're coming from, but its such a loaded word for a politician of all people to use. I don't know much spanish but I know I've heard the word before used quasi-insultingly like you said - but wow, foot in mouth, big time.
I don't know if I like your response.
The word "gay" or even "faggot" in english is often a playful insult tossed around between friends but I don't think it loses it's offensive meaning just because of that, because it's still an insult and it still notates something being deragatory about homosexuals. Like the teenagers in high school who say their best friend is "gay" when they are goofing around. Obviously they don't think he's gay; so it does lose some of it's meaning, but it's still offensive.
And even if that's the case, at least here in Phoenix (perhaps the slur is regionalized), it's recognized as the Spanish word for faggot, at least by all the GLBT Latinos I've met.
I really think its a generational thing - and its going to take another one to completely wipe it out. I've had to break myself of the habit of saying something was "gay" when I was growing up - you're right that its often used as a casual goofing around insult with no malice behind it, but once you're past a certain age (or actually get to know someone from the GLBT community) you should really know better than to just sling it around. Hell, my best friend is gay and even when he says "boy that's gay" I still can't bring myself to use it casually.
exactly! that's gay dude.
You don't even know what it means when you are a kid and in your head it has a completly different meaning.
kudos upstate girl for understanding what I typed even though I can't tell how it's coming off at all.
It IS recognized as faggot.
Never said it wasn't.
But it can be used in a different context.
I'm not trying to get everybody to understand.
For a politician it's not a good move but he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
It's nowhere near as offensive as faggot is between friends.
Let's see.
Say this little kid pops a wheelie on his bike and he's like 8.
It would not be uncommon to hear somebody say...
"Tu viste lo que hizo ese mariconcito?"
"Did you see what that little fucker just do?"
It's crass and vulgar and wrong. Not everybody uses the term but it isn't a slam on gays or seen an insult.
The latino upbringing is way macho and alot of these derogatory words found themselves into normal language.
I'm trying here guys! lol!
I'm not defending what he said but it's not clear as one might think.
Everyone fucks, so "little fucker" doesn't pick on one demographic group. Where as "faggot" among friends should only be used by gay people between each other.
Richardson isn't gay, is he? Is Don Imus? I've got gay friends who call each other "faggot." Hell, I've got black friends who call each other "nigger." That is between friends, IF you are of the group. It is NOT between friends if it's Richardson and Imus.
I understand about the macho Latino upbringing, but "nigger" was normal usage at one time in our history and that did not make it all right. I also hate the word "bitch" used about women.
Another point - I've lived years in San Diego and know many gay Latinos. In macho Mexican culture, I have been given to understand, lots of family men also have clandestine sex with young men. They don't think it makes them gay. It's one of those weird and quite hypocritical things that human beings sometimes do.
Whatever man. It's closer to what upstate girl said in the term gay. As for the rest of your comment, it is pathetic.
Believe what you wan't to believe but I don't think you are
any position to tell me what it means or what it doesn't mean.
I never said it was right to use the term. I just said it has various uses and it has nothing to do with calling anybody a faggot.
The thing is, I don't think you are the person to give me a lectureon what anything in the mexican community means because you have mexican neighbors.
This "lots of family men have sex with kids" line is totally out of line and a downright smear.
I have no idea how you go off judging by hearsay and how you would type such an insulting statement like this.
In mexican culture men do not have sex with young boys.
Pedophiles have sex with young boys, it's not a culture thing.
Weak dude. Very weak.
I didn't say young boys. I said men.
Pedophilia can be cultural. Incest was cultural in ancient Egypt, after all. But I was not by any means saying that ALL Mexican family men do that. Jeebus. Ease up.
My comment is not a smear - it was told to me by several gay Latino men of my acquaintance, one of whom sadly died of AIDS-related illness before he could become an American citizen, which was his dream.
"In macho Mexican culture, I have been given to understand, lots of family men also have clandestine sex with young men. "
-Montague
You are a troll.
Good night.
I'd like to say other things to you but I will refrain from doing it because it might lead to a ban.
Just so you know, I have lost ALL respect for you and will not take anything you write seriously again.
Mexican men have sex with little boys? It's a culture thing?
Troll.
Say whatever you like. I didn't know you before, but you haven't instilled any respect in me.
Plenty of white American family men ALSO have clandestine sex with men. The point was that the Mexican culture is based on machismo, which makes it odd that members of that culture can still have homosexual relations but deny that they are anything but straight.
I hate it when some kid uses "gay" in a derogatory sense. They say it doesn't mean gay, it just means bad. I tell them to stop using it that way because it's homophobic, regardless of what they want to think.
Shut up please.
You said your piece.
Wow. You are really weirded out.
And please stay in your own conversation line, troll.
Sorry, but it's highly offensive. Your explanation is off the wall.
It's an offensive word and there's no excusing it. Period.
