Why does the word GAY gain negative connotation?

Homophobes compared things they didn't like to homosexuality and used these discriminatory words to describe anything or anyone that they didn't like. Idiots who were too stupid to understand what these idiotic homophobes were doing joined in. It also has a lot to do with people being insecure about their own sexuality. It's extremely offensive. What's even more offensive is when people tell me that gay means stupid, which to me is making fun of my sexual orientation. I want to set all these idiots on fire.

Here is one of my posts from a while ago about this topic, in it's entirety:

How come people don't understand that it's not "just a word"?

I was getting a little fed up with a bunch of kids in my classes these past couple of days at school using the words: Gay, f*g, f*ggot, and homo to describe something they don't like. I'm about to pop some heads at this point. So I asked them nicely (almost the entire homophobic football team in one history class, ugh) to stop using that word to describe something they don't like because it's offensive to me and other people as well. I've asked them to do this twice before. Their response was the one I usually get from people, "I don't understand why it's so offensive. I mean, it's just a word."

The word f*g became associated with gay people during the times when it was still legal to burn somebody alive at the stake for being different than everybody else (Wiccan lifestyle, being gay, etc.). The word has been used to discriminate against an entire race of people that have a different sexual orientation. So, if it's okay to call someone a f*g, then doesn't that mean it's also socially acceptable to call something or someone you don't like a n*****, regardless of their skin tone? If saying one word that is meant to discriminate is okay to say, then doesn't that mean any other word that is meant to discriminate is okay to say as well? Think about it. In a country where racism is viewed with such distaste, how come homophobia is so widely accepted?

I was talking with someone else about these idiots, and he said, "It's not really used to discriminate against homosexuals anymore. Calling someone gay is just a synonym for stupid, these days. Same with retard." Here's the thing about that though. When you meet a stupid person (that doesn't do drugs), you wonder if they have a learning disability like ADHD or something, but instead of calling them a ritalin kid, you might call them a retard. But you would most-likely never say the word retard around someone who is actually mentally challenged. Why not? Because it's common courtesy. You know they're handicapped, and you wouldn't want to offend them by using that word, right? Well, it's not always common knowledge who is gay and who isn't, so wouldn't you use that same common courtesy so as not to offend someone who is in the LGBT community, and just might happen to be offended by the use of discriminating words.

Not only that, but it shows extremely bad grammer. Gay is a noun or a verb, yet people confuse it with an adjective. How in the hell can anyone who does that be taken seriously? Thank god none of the jocks are ever taken seriously. If these jocks had to spend a month in a gay person's shoes, and see the ridicule that some have to deal with on a daily basis, how some are treated by even their own parents (some of which disown their own children), they would think twice before ever saying that word again.

Today, when class started, every other word they were saying were those words. I finally got tired of it and snapped. I stood up and yelled, "Mother f*cker! Quit using that f*cking word! It's very, f*cking offensive!' The teacher looked over at me and calmly said, "Austin, you should really watch your mouth." I replied, "No! This is really starting to get old, and I'm f*cking sick of it!" From there I explained my reasoning (that I wrote above). My teacher told me that I shouldn't be using the f-word as much, but to my surprise, it was the jocks who got in trouble.

What are your thoughts? If it's socially acceptable to call someone a f*g without thinking twice, doesn't that also mean someone can say n***** without thinking twice, and call someone who is mentally handicapped a retard?

It does have negative connotations. However, only because an event in history was called "The Crusades" does it bear a negative feeling. Much like Jihad, it means something close, but it doesn't need to be violent. Crusade is defined as: Campaign: a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported populist campaigns" - Princeton Dictionary Never use when describing an evangelism event. Also, avoid campaign. Use meeting, series, or public evangelism outreach. Jihad is defined as: The essential meaning of jihad is the spiritual, psychological and physical effort exerted by Muslims to be closer to God and thus achieve a just and harmonious society. Jihad literally means "striving" or "struggle" and is shorthand for Jihad fi Sabeel Allah (struggle for God's cause). I think you are flawed in your belief that "crusader" should be banned as hate speech. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a "crusader" for black civil rights. Although the word has picked up some bad connotation, it should be used more often in its proper context (e.g. "Crusaders" for Women's rights was a popular name amongst feminists in the late 20's) Although the Crusaders were similar to Nazis (motivated more by money than by God?), its important to remember that the Turks weren't very "nice" either. Everybody back then was a complete ars*. Oh, well.

I don't have anything against gay people; just to say that before I make any offense to anyone.

Well back then being gay and liking the person of the same gender was "very abnormal". Everyone thought that you had to love and have sex with the person of the opposite gender. Everyday that atmosphere surrounds us. Such as your parents and the church; whether consiously or unconsciously applying that being gay is bad. So that's how it is so negative. Then I guess that the "negative" word started being used more and more and BAM! It's one of the most commonly used "negative" word today. And its too bad that the kids in our society say it brainlessly without thinking of what it actually means.

For years Being gay has been considered a mental Disorder, so there's your negative.

I'm bisexual

And I will admit for years before I Discovered who I really was, I use to say, That's Gay Your Gay used it as an insult.

Any person who says they have never said something that they realize now might be offensive, Is a liar, To criticize others of saying things like that isn't wrong but you will always be hypocritical, Retard, Cripple, Spaz, all of it, we do it with out even realizing.

The youth of today are just as rebellious as the youth of the last generation , so as a result of the attempts to force an acceptance of homosexuality in the schools, young people have taken the word gay and made it their own in a way that infuriates many homosexuals.

young people have coopted the word just as homosexuals coopted it years ago, for the young the word means ":wrong, stupid or lame"

Kids know whats right and whats wrong and coming into the schools and telling them that they are required to " celebrate" something that disgusts them will get a backlash every time.

Idk!

It's the people who are sensitive over using the term "gay" as a "negative connotation" who give it a negative connotation.

I tell my friends they're gay, because they are. I say that when they make a comment about a girl, and they do the same to me. It's not negative. We are gay and proud...

"That is SO gay!"

"Stop being so gay."

"This crap is gay as ****."

I hear it all.

It bugs the hell out of me.

I really want to yell at everybody who uses it as proxy for stupid.

But if they mean gay as in homosexual, I don't mind. If they use it as to mean happy, I don't mind.

But as stupid? That's not even the definition for it.

I'm just an extreme grammar Nazi I guess you could say...

I think it's because it's an alternative lifestyle that is often looked down upon.

IDK at this point people just use it without thinking about it.. I know gay people who use it..