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Should we accept that the meaning of the word 'gay' has changed, or continue to insist it only means 'homosexual'?

GayGuevara [Edit] [Delete] 12:28, 19 November '13

This follows the launch of a campaign by Stonewall to preserve the meaning of the word.

Here's an interesting take on it: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100246515/gay-now-means-rubbish-get-over-it/

It's by Brendan O'Neill so I have no doubt many of you will dismiss it out of hand (or better, not even click the link).

Ironically of course, the use of the word of the 'gay' to mean homosexual was itself appropriated from a previous meaning, so why can't it be appropriated again to mean something else? Youth culture has always done this, appropriating words with both positive and negative connotations for their own ends - should 'gay' be singled out for special treatment?

I'm relatively dispassionate about the whole thing, but tying to halt the evolution of language and meaning seems like a war of attrition that's unlikely to be won.

What do you think?

Hmmm, interesting...


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