We went through this a couple of months back and the response was a bit more reasoned.. We seem to have regressed..
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/is-it-ok-to-use-the-word-gay-to-mean-something-rubbish
Here is my highlight from that thread..
As someone with a bit of experience in this area – i.e. being gay myself:
Yes words change. In the gay ‘world’ (for want of a better phrase) terms like poof, queer, gay etc. all mean slightly different things. Queer is usually someone quite political (e.g. Tatchell), poof is more of a knockabout term meaning quite camp and ‘gay’ is a generic noun for people of my sexuality.
Now to start getting peoples hackles up. My partner (unfortunately now redundant) used to work in an office where *every*day* X would be ‘gay’, Y would be ‘gay’, Z would be ‘gay’. CONSTANTLY. He was scared *SH!TLESS* to come out as he thought he would lose his job. Yes I know it is now illegal but we know if a company wants you out, they’ll kick you out somehow. This is right for stupid people is it? “We can use the 19th century version of this if we like hahaha, it doesn’t matter.’ Grow up, you’re acting like Alf Garnett.
Secondly if you want to know if a word is offensive to anyone, choose another word in its place. Anything, for example, christian, muslim, black, indian, londoner, welsh, scots, irish, whatever. If you think that someone might get pissed off you comparing them to being rubbish all the while and would therefore consider you to have something against them perhaps they have a point.
But then again, people who say things like this wouldn’t like it to be used against them, would they?
Yes it is minor, yes Chris Moyles acted soft (but then again he is a complete idiot and totally unfunny) and I can’t be asked about that slip-up but if someone says “Hold on a sec, please don’t do that, it ain’t nice” and all someone can do is continue and use any old jaded arguments about what words used to mean then you’re not really a thoughtful decent person then, aren’t you?
And yes, if people start on the forums shouting that something is ‘so gay’ meaning rubbish, I’ll be around to challenge. I’m not rubbish. I’m <stereotypical> fabulous </stereotypical>