Pretty much exactly what’s in the video, aggressively and condescendingly calling someone ‘boy’ to degrade them. It goes way back in the US and is tied in to both Jim Crow and chattel slavery based racism, which revolved around the concept of black people not being equals to white people due to inherent characteristics of being black (BS, obviously). This led to racist white people referring to grown black men only as boys, not men. Yelling it in someone’s face while ordering them around is invoking that history and is basically just short of shouting the N-word to a lot of people.
Because it is, or are you of the impression that calling someone a bitch isn’t an insult? Seems to me it’s still a pejorative, same with all the other ‘reappropriated’ words except for the n-word (contextually, I’ve heard black people use it as an insult too so go ahead and figure that one out for me).
There’s not much to figure out. If I use a certain tone, the word “queer” will still be used as pejorative, even if it’s mostly not these days. It sounds like you don’t really understand what you are complaining about, unless you have more to say to make your point?
Then you haven’t been paying attention for the last 30+ years. “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” has been an activist chant since the 90s, started by a group called Queer Nation. The Q in LGBTQ+ stands for queer. If you were involved with the queer community, you would know that it is used as a self-identifier for any non-heteronormative person regularly these days.
Maybe you live somewhere rural or something, I literally never heard it said as a pejorative except in movies, and I hear it plenty. People quite literally identify as queer around me, it’s a shining example of reappropriation working. People not getting with the program doesn’t mean the program isn’t working. For example, a lot of people don’t understand basic logical reasoning despite having been to school for a long time. It doesn’t mean school is new age bullshit.
Also, the word “tone” is polysemous. Maybe you didn’t know, but it makes me think I’m taking the troll bait?
Look, I understand that there’s this mentality that taking words back is empowering. What I disagree with, entirely, is that the perception of the word has changed.
You call random men on the street queers or bitches, you better hope they aren’t a former inmate.
Listen, I understand that there’s this mentality that taking words back is somehow empowering. My counterpoint is that there’s a considerable number of men, at least where I live, who would take being called queer as an insult. They’d definitely take being called bitch as an insult, shit dude — maybe you’ve never met someone who went into prison but you do not call them a bitch. You’re likely to get the shit kicked out of you.
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Pretty much exactly what’s in the video, aggressively and condescendingly calling someone ‘boy’ to degrade them. It goes way back in the US and is tied in to both Jim Crow and chattel slavery based racism, which revolved around the concept of black people not being equals to white people due to inherent characteristics of being black (BS, obviously). This led to racist white people referring to grown black men only as boys, not men. Yelling it in someone’s face while ordering them around is invoking that history and is basically just short of shouting the N-word to a lot of people.
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Like a dog, you say ‘here boy’ to a dog — it’s like calling a woman a bitch. (And meaning it, not this new age ‘we’re taking the word back’ bullshit)
Why would reappropriation be bullshit? And how is it new age?
Because it is, or are you of the impression that calling someone a bitch isn’t an insult? Seems to me it’s still a pejorative, same with all the other ‘reappropriated’ words except for the n-word (contextually, I’ve heard black people use it as an insult too so go ahead and figure that one out for me).
There’s not much to figure out. If I use a certain tone, the word “queer” will still be used as pejorative, even if it’s mostly not these days. It sounds like you don’t really understand what you are complaining about, unless you have more to say to make your point?
The English language is not a tonal language, and it’s interesting that you bring it up — because I have only heard queer used as a pejorative.
Reappropriation does not work.
Never heard we’re here, we’re queer! Get used to it!
Never heard of Queer eye for the straight guy?
Never heard of Queer Nation?
Hmmm.
Dude, Idk what to tell you — call random men queer and see what happens.
Then you haven’t been paying attention for the last 30+ years. “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” has been an activist chant since the 90s, started by a group called Queer Nation. The Q in LGBTQ+ stands for queer. If you were involved with the queer community, you would know that it is used as a self-identifier for any non-heteronormative person regularly these days.
No I’ve heard the chant, what I disagree with is that it’s actually had an effect on how the word is perceived.
For example, call a former inmate a bitch or a queer. Hell, call random men bitches or queers. Examine the results.
Maybe you live somewhere rural or something, I literally never heard it said as a pejorative except in movies, and I hear it plenty. People quite literally identify as queer around me, it’s a shining example of reappropriation working. People not getting with the program doesn’t mean the program isn’t working. For example, a lot of people don’t understand basic logical reasoning despite having been to school for a long time. It doesn’t mean school is new age bullshit.
Also, the word “tone” is polysemous. Maybe you didn’t know, but it makes me think I’m taking the troll bait?
Look, I understand that there’s this mentality that taking words back is empowering. What I disagree with, entirely, is that the perception of the word has changed.
You call random men on the street queers or bitches, you better hope they aren’t a former inmate.
Bud, i’m Queer. Got some big ol’ history about taking weapons from those who would oppress us and turning them into windchimes my friend…
Listen, I understand that there’s this mentality that taking words back is somehow empowering. My counterpoint is that there’s a considerable number of men, at least where I live, who would take being called queer as an insult. They’d definitely take being called bitch as an insult, shit dude — maybe you’ve never met someone who went into prison but you do not call them a bitch. You’re likely to get the shit kicked out of you.
Mate. Buddy. Champ. These words will also get the shit kicked out of you.
Context.