I just think it’s pretty childish and unimaginative, when used in the context to describes something as being crap.

Chris Moyles used it.

Well, that sort of sums it up, really.

AdamW; fair play to you, for putting up with some of the moronic shit on here.

Adam w, congratulations for being the first gay man to come out of the bike shed,on this forum, sorry to hear of the torment your partner must have gone through each day in work and his fear.probably well founded.

A couple of my younger freinds where discussing what to wear to go out one night, and did their shirts look to Gay, or their jeans to tight as gays wear tight jeans, best not to wear after shave etc, and best to buy our own drinks, the list went on, when i asked them where they where going out to the answer was a gay club, as the music was better and drinks cheaper.

Sadly homophobia is all around, and the use of gay as a derogatory term is not acceptable in this day and age,though the word queer seems to be used more and more by people looking for a fight, how does one prove ones not queer or admits to it and gets a beating.

If someone says ‘This shirt is so gay..’ then I’d assume they meant it made them look effeminate. Fair enough, no issue with that per-se. I’ll laugh along with that. I’m not rubbish though. I’m really nice. Ask me mam, she’d tell you!

I am just a normal bloke. I like beer, mountain bikes, having a laugh and it just happens that I woudn’t throw Ben Browder out of bed if he really really really begged me.. 😀

One of the downsides of being in a relationship though that I am sure binds both gay and straight people: I have a rockhopper disc, a Cotic RoadRat (sooooo nice) and I’m hankering after a full-suss and maybe even trying the Dark Side on a road bike. Can I get the idea past He Who Must Be Obeyed? Can I hell as like! 😆

my understanding is that the word ‘gay’ as used by the homosexual community, or rather reclaim by them represent the notion of been as Good – As – You

The real issue is not so much the word, but the intention behind that word for example mother can be the bearer of children or a right mother…

So, come on, no one wants to face it because everyone likes to use it. What about the word Jey ?

Jey – as in sounding like ‘jay’ I couldn’t give a monkeys about. If, however, you mean ‘its gay but we won’t spell it that way, haha!’ then what is the point? Can’t you just say it is rubbish? Seems a bit soft to me…

The word jey(boy) is used to describe a style of xc riding. Its’ derivation is from a mispelling of the word gay(boy). It is obviously homophobic but it has become quite acceptable by everyone on this forum to use. It even featured in the mag with a full page reworking of the Tom Robinson song glad to be gay.
The point I’m trying to make is that the teenage use of the word is being demonised (quite rightly) for being homophobic, whilst at the same time, just about everyone on here is using a version of the word gay (jey), that is just as offensive. Or is it OK because we’re all adult and we’re being ironic 🙄

Its like me going into the local bike shop , and saying this is “acting queer because its bent”. eg rear derailier cage.

Normal words, used as describers, not as a derogatory term for something thats not right.

Adam as a mountain biker and being gay have you ever suffered homophobic language out on the trails.

Also if we met you could we legitamately say hes Gay.

My friends from school still say things are gay, it makes me cringe every time. I’ve told them I don’t feel comfortable about it, with only moderate effect, they don’t seem to understand the problem (sigh).

Adam as a mountain biker and being gay have you ever suffered homophobic language out on the trails.

I can’t wait for Adam’s reply to see what he does whilst out on the trails to suggest he is gay 😉

just about everyone on here is using a version of the word gay (jey),

I don’t. Speak for yourself…

I work with an awful lot of Interior Designers, some of the best (infact all the best) ones are gay, some are so camp that they make silk cushions look butch. I like em, they are hilarious, lewd and very talented. But they do mince, prance and tentatively faff.

I’ve always assumed that “Jey” referred to the similar characteristics displayed by some XC riders?

just about everyone on here is using a version of the word gay (jey),

I don’t. Speak for yourself…

Can’t say I can recall you ever challenging anyone that’s said it and it gets used all the time.
Not singleing you out, everyone uses it. Just thought it was about time the subject was raised.

Perhaps we can substitute jey with kweer.

Can’t say I can recall you ever challenging anyone that’s said it

I have done, once or twice, actually, ont’old forum. Can’t be bothered these days, as it was a waste of time, it seems.

Nukeproof, hell probably be dressed in lycra shorts, a designer helmet, clean bike, hard seat covered in some type of leather, possibly mirrored sunglasses, big boots or shoes, knee pads, large rucksack, and driveing an Audi, as well as talking to complete strangers simalarly dressed in the middle of a wood or out of the way place.

Well thats me then , only i havent got an audi.

Project:

No homophobic abuse mainly because while I am open and honest I don’t generally shout that much unless someone starts spouting off. At work I have had some and still get it but I give as good as I get.

And of course you can say that I’m gay if you met me on the trails! As long as it wasn’t followed by “Get him!” or running after me with big sticks…

I’d probably say it’s quite similar to the word ****.

Lots of people use it freely in a non-offensive way, but it’s a bit wrong.
Just don’t do it.

If your mate can’t do an endo, it’s not because of the brakes.

I’ve no idea why gay can’t be used to describe something as rubbish. Gay people don’t own the word do they? And I’m sure gay people are the furthest thing from the sayee’s mind when they describe something as gay.

You’re all welcome to use the word ‘straight’ to describe something as rubbish if you like, I won’t be offended at all.

Adam as a very good point, I think we should use londoner instead to mean rubbish ;D

Can I still say I have a gay (as in fashion/camp) wardrobe though :D…?

Can I still say I have a gay (as in fashion/camp) wardrobe though :D…?

Use the term ‘european’ instead. 😉

but I give as good as I get.

such a considerate lover too 😆

(sorry, could resist that one!)

Use the term ‘european’ instead. [;-)]

Yup fair enough British European then 😉

Adam, i have no intention of running after you with a big stick, and shouting get him, even if you run off shouting CHASE ME, CHASE ME.

Why not use the word BANKER, as a derogatory term , it doesnt half fit well.and rhymes with a nother well known word.

Why not use the word BANKER, as a derogatory term , it doesnt half fit well.and rhymes with a nother well known word.

Ranker.
Banter
Hooker
hum :p

Didn’t the use of GAY come in during the 70’s as a PC term to describe the homosexual community, as opposed to calling them, fag, arse bandit, or cock sucker. it seems by far the better of those four options.

But truth be told the bias we have is that ‘gays’ aren’t quite up to the task, effeminate, weak, girly, what have you, now this is the wrong bit. Cos what about all the butch dykes who’d smash yer face in, and all the bears who aren’t camp or effeminate.

So over the years the meaning comes to change, and now it comes full circle, a word that the gay community was happy to have used to describe them, has now come to be used to mean something else and no longer belongs to them.

You can argue about it until you are blue in the face, the kids won’t be told what to use it for, and in ten years it will common parlance across all social groups.

We’ll just replace it with something crap but much more apt and descriptive like ‘same sex’ which describes perfectly the difference between the hetro and homo communities.

(my ‘life partner’ is a social worker, so it’s PC all the fu@king way in our gaff).

To be honest I think that since language changes these days so rapidly this will all blow over (!) soon.

Each generation of ‘yoof’ has its own language. Within a couple of years the word ‘gay’ will go back to its sexuality meaning plus an insult as opposed to something being ‘rubbish’. These days if you call something ‘wicked!’ you get very strange looks from the kids, like you’re from Mars or something.

As the parent of a teenager I can report that it doesn’t really matter what the politics of it all are, the word has changed meaning (again) and it’s far too late to do anything about it.

In any case, I first heard the word used in the sense of ‘rubbish’ in 1991, so it wasn’t invented by Chris Moyles (as if that fat lump of mediocrity could invent anything).

I should imagine in the 70’s lots of very happy people were quite upset when everyone thought they were homosexual.

I’ve always said dont be such a gay etc. If I want to describe someone who likes the same sex ‘homosexual’ is the correct term.

Maybe some homosexuals like to use the term ‘gay’ as it implies that they are carefree and its not as harsh a term as ‘homosexual’. However ‘gay’ to me means naff/crap/not very good/abit soft.

I’ve not read all this. When I was young we used to refer to people who we didn’t like, or behaviour we didn’t like as “black” or “jew”. I have a hunch this was quite racist.

It’s odd that the kids have decided that a word for things that are “rubbish” is the same (and yet totally different!) to the word for people they bully because of their sexuality.

😐

I’ve always said dont be such a gay etc. If I want to describe someone who likes the same sex ‘homosexual’ is the correct term.

I’m sure you don’t realise how funny your sentence sounds….

“I’m sorry sir, that is not a ‘full-susser bike’, it is a bicycle made with a frame that contains a rear-suspension system usually used for traversing bicycle trails in a down hill direction.” 😀

‘heterosexual’ and ‘homosexual’ are more clinical. I rarely hear people say “I’m heterosexual.” or “I’m homosexual.”. They use ‘gay’ or ‘straight’.

But don’t let me stop you from insulting people as you see fit. Free country and all that…

I can remember using the word gay to describe something as rubbish when I was in year 6 back in 89/90. It was really common at my school.

The fact is that English is a constantly evolving modern language and far to many people get easily offended by the usage of particular words – in my opinion. I have several mates who are homosexual and they actually don’t like to be called gay at all, to their mind they’re just “guys who like guys.”

The fact is that people generally use words in a certain context amongst mates who actually know what they’re talking about. If you don’t like your mate using the term just tell them and come up with a better alternative.

The fact is that people generally use words in a certain context amongst mates who actually know what they’re talking about.

I agree to an extent, but that reasoning clearly does not apply to “****”, which appears always to be problematic except in certain contexts among black people. If me and my mates decided that from now on instead of calling rubbish things gay we were going to call them **** we’d get into a whole lot of trouble very quickly. I think this would probably be correct.

Couple of points – Moyles would’ve used the word to try to fit in with the kids – his listeners.
My 6 year old called something “Gay” meaning rubbish. We frowned. He hasn’t used it since.

I wish folk would stop saying that the English Language is evolving. Its not, its eroding.

Is this the nub of the matter? Generally, anything Chris Moyles does is probably not “OK”, although should not necessarily be made illegal? 😉

Who is chris moyles, the bloke they forgot to leave up a mountain.

I thought Gay means happy?

or a homosexual.

So by using the word gay for bad things is probably a homophobic thing.

I don’t use it and don’t tv to feed my mind.

So what about Gay and Straight, surely the opposite of straight is……

Storm in a teacup if you ask me, I’m much more interested in knowing who’s stealing our civil liberties.