"Yes, i'm offended! I'm an 8th grade student and I hear "that's so gay" nearly every 2 minutes and it drives me crazy. The bad thing is, though, is everyone at school knows it hurts me but they don't care. Alright, if you want to say something is stupid, say "That's so stupid!" Don't freakin' make other feel bad when it isn't towards them. I have one teacher who gets angry when it's said in her classroom. She doesn't like it. Another teacher who subbed for us, he's been me teacher before and likes me, gave us the "No hate speech" he knew because the kid next to me had said it and I got quite. I don't understand why it's "in". I think kid at school should be punshished because it's hateful. But yes bottom line, I get offended."

"Every generation is more progressive than the one before. For every completely liberated gay in previous generations, there was one being murdered. And I'm not saying we're the most progressive generation there will be, but we're more progressive than the previous one. I don't know where you live, either, but to give you an example, the church down the road was one two Episcopal churches to convert to Anglicanism after the Episcopals elected a gay bishop. That's the only reason. Because a gay guy hundreds of miles away was elected into office. No, I don't feel comfortable being gay. But when people say, "that's so gay," it doesn't bother me. It's when they say, "you're going to hell, you goddamn dyke," that I get uncomfortable. But I would not take away their right to say that.

Freedom of speech will be used to hurt people all the time. But it's the same thing that allows us to even have this conversation. But it's not the words killing the kids. It's the actions. Words can't repress a person, action can. That's why I don't get offended when people say that. I'm not just sitting by when they tell me to go to hell and say, "It's your right to say that." Because it's my right to say something right back.

Those kids there probably do have it harder. That's why I'm saying, there's much worse to worry about than "that's so gay." You have to learn how to pick your battles ("you" in a general manner). And if that was my goal, I wouldn't waste resources on that phrase, or on inter-group disputes when there are much worse injustices to conquer.

I am responsible for my own actions just like everyone else."

"Hitler use words spread ignorance, resulting in a devastating war and the murder of 60 million. Mugabe presently uses words to subjugate and control a nation. Bush/Cheney used words to incite a country into sending their children to be killed in Iraq. LDS used words to get Prop 8 through. Extreme examples perhaps, but to my eye, proof of the power of words.

Why do you choose to choose to be offended by some saying that you'll go to hell for being a lesbian but not be offended when someone uses a "that's so gay".

There's a real difference between respecting freedom of speech and the freedom to incite hate and violence.

I agree that with every generation some become more progressive. But, to be perfectly honest, gay of every age continue to be murdered in this country for being gay or perceived as gay. Yes even people of your generation are victims and perpetrators.

There are huge battles for us to fight, it doesn't mean we close down discussion that address problems within our community. I think that's a problem. Just because we have a common goal, does not mean we're all the same. We need to be able to fix our own shortcomings, faults and false beliefs in order to excel.
"

"You see it the way you want to.

You've made my point exactly. Only the "feeble minded" would lump having the experience of dealing with a "BROKEN FAX MACHINE" to that of being a gay person. Don't you get the inference? I am not "BROKEN" because I am gay.

In addition, many very intelligent people followed the words of Hitler. Many intelligent people followed Bush/Cheney into war (Hillary Clinton). My point, although admittedly an extreme one, is that no one can diminish the power of words. It's very simple. "

"I only have to be told once, and that person who speaks up with their feeling of offense will never hear that phrase leave my lips again (ok, I may slip up, but it will be an error I'll immediately apologize for.)

I repeat ... I personally don't think there's anything offensive in the phrase, but I acknowledge its potential to offend. So if you don't tell me, I'll assume you are cool with the phrase that, I believe, has nothing to do with homosexuality ... and if you DO tell me it understandably bugs you, I won't say it around you anymore.

That simple."

"Those two points were completely unattached, even in separate paragraphs. Please do not piece-meal my words together into a totally different claim. This inst Fox news, and your not Bill O'reilly.

As I said, there were two kinds of people who followed words of Hitler, those without intelligence, and those with that simply hated Jews.

Your right one can never diminish the power of words on a simpleton. It doesn't affect someone who already hated them in the first place. Both of these points are moot in that Hitler attacked that group, whereas you fail to convince me that calling something "gay" is an attack in any logical manner against the homosexual community. You will not because it is not possible to construct an argument proving so.

Gay or strait, if someone broke down into tears next to me when I called the fax machine gay, id tell them to get a grip. Even if they for a brief moment believed that I was in any way referring to them or their group."

"So your telling me its okay to analogize a situation to a simpleton/retard but not you? While I will agree hearing the word "gay" come out like a machine gun is annoying, it should be far from offending. There is no reason to be that sensitive."