Genders and pronouns and rage

DevilRedeemed

teh
20 Year Member
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13,554
(high level conversation going on here, good to have such thoughtful people interacting around here. I may not completely agree with all of it - what is being discussed here is very much a theme amongst younger people locally as well - but I do welcome the stimulation. Cheers)
 
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100proof

Insert Something Clever Here
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I agree that we are becoming very sensitive to certain words and phrases but once again, context is key. The origin of many words now used as hate speech were banal, but we all know about the banality of evil. Once something has been co-opted as a tool of hate, it becomes harder to separate it from its origins.

It's a provable fact that several of the modern "racist"/"sexist" symbols like Pepe are just 4chan intentionally twisting pre-existing, harmless things because they think it's funny when overly sensitive people accuse mundane, innocent things of being super-secret white supremacist symbols. I'm not going to stop using the "okay" hand gesture because some stupid rube thinks it's a hate symbol. That's handing the power of language and communication over to morons and 1984-style "double plus un-good" level stupidity.

But the justice system does need to draw a line somewhere. I’m sure without googling, somewhere a lawyer used a picture of Pepe the frog to demonstrate how it was used to intimidate his client. It’s sad but true that racists, sexists, and other asshats seem to have to keep coming up with new symbols and terms to act as dog whistles for their hate. We have to evolve to stamp out this shit wherever we see it. I don’t have the answers but I agree that we can’t just completely make certain words have a completely Racist/sexist meaning.

The problem is the euphemism treadmill. We've gone through a half dozen different terms for mentally challenged people over the last 50 years (nimrod, idiot, retarded, special, etc.) and it keeps changing because a) people use the term to bully others/make fun of each other, friends and loved ones, b) people who have thin skin get mad about it, and c) come up with another name that they find less offensive which leads us back to a). There always needs to be a scientific/polite way to refer to the mentally handicapable or whatever the fuck we're calling them these days and those terms will always be used to make fun of people because there has to be a way to make fun of your friends when they do something stupid.
 

norton9478

So Many Posts
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For Games.
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Accting like a ***ist for LOL's is perpetuating ***ism.


*** can be whatever degenerate deplorable thing you want (trans/race/sex/white supremist etc)
 
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oliverclaude

General Morden's Aide
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Baby it's all right, whatever gets you through the night. But it can't stop at "they", can it?
 

SouthtownKid

There are four lights
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I find being told what not to say much less problematic than being told what TO say.
 

norton9478

So Many Posts
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For Games.
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Nobody is going to stop you from ranting at a cloud.
 

Heinz

Parteizeit
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Nobody is going to stop you from ranting at a cloud.

giphy.gif
 

100proof

Insert Something Clever Here
10 Year Member
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Accting like a ***ist for LOL's is perpetuating ***ism.


*** can be whatever degenerate deplorable thing you want (trans/race/sex/white supremist etc)

Being a humorless cunt will always perpetuate hate more than children giggling about bad words.
 

smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
15 Year Member
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That's abuse in my opinion. This is where extreme tolerance takes us, to places like this. No matter how good something is, there's always someone there to fuck it up.

I'm all for LGBT rights, I really am...but this is something completely different. Whenever the subject of young children being trans comes up, it bothers me. A child that age doesn't understand any of this, not a thing. As a parent of a 10 year old, I know what a child is and is not aware of. Most of my good friends have children in the 8-11 range...not a one of their kids have a grasp on sexuality.
 

fake

King of Spammers
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OK, so I made a thread about this a few months ago.

IMO, this whole pronoun thing is hypocritical. People who go by "they" are basically saying, "I don't fit all the stereotypes of my gender, therefore I am not a member of that gender." This stance only reinforces gender stereotypes, which are, IMO, irrelevant in today's society. I don't understand why people need to use a different pronoun rather than embrace the fact that a male having effeminate qualities (or vice versa) is completely normal and acceptable.

When it comes to trans people, it's different. Sylvie, for example, actually puts in some work into coming off as the opposite gender. I'd have no problem calling Sylvie "she." Someone who is clearly a member of their original gender, but insists on going by "they" or the opposite gendered pronoun, is looking for drama or trying to be part of some movement just for the sake of it.

Also, "they" is plural, end of story.
 
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