Urban Warfare

[poliphilo]

There are kids out the back throwing stones at other kids- some of which land in our back yard- so Aliz and I go out and sort of stand there and quietly object (no shouting) and that defuses things. A small boy (reaching to my elbow, maybe a little higher) aims a final verbal insult at his foes- who happen to be girls, "I have only one thing to say to you:- YOU FAGGOTS!"

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Oh joy. Another homophobic, mysogynistic arsehole-in-training.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He was very proud of himself for knowing such a grown-up word- though the context suggests he had no idea what it meant.

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

It really disturbs me that so many kids use "gay" in a perjorative sense. Its consider an offence to use racist terms in this way - so why not homophobic?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I agree. But it's probably too late to do anything about it. A generation has grown up thinking "gay" means "lame".

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

It appalls me, frankly. I got really angry at a kid once and absolutely blasted him for calling someone "gay" in a negative sense. I pointed out that you wouldn't use racist terms in that manner, so why use homophobic?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think it rather depends on whether the kid knows what he/she is doing.

My parents once blasted me for saying "damn" (autre temps, autre moeurs) and it rankled with me for years. I hadn't known what a frightful word it was- I just thought I was being grown-up.

If an Americanism, it's unpleasant.

[wemyss.livejournal.com]

But it mayn't be, you know. It did after all long belong to the same class of word as besom, trout, baggage, and the rest, as in 'miserable old' whatever-it-was.

Re: If an Americanism, it's unpleasant.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Quite right. In the olden days (meaning when I was a kid) "faggot" was mild and even faintly endearing. It had no sexual overtones- in fact rather the reverse. A faggot was someone beyond sex.

Re: If an Americanism, it's unpleasant.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Or something you eat with peas and gravy. :)

Re: If an Americanism, it's unpleasant.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That too....:)

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Back in the dark ages, when I was 12 or so (1950's) kids called other kids "fags" when they did not conform to the rules of "cool" (only I think they called "cool" "hep" back then). I got the label when I was the first, but not the last, kid in the neighborhood to wear Bermuda shorts.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

In 1950s British usage(as Wemyss points out) a faggot was a silly, dried up old person and a fag (completely unrelated) was a cigarette. Actually, "fag" meaning cigarette is still current.

[jourdannex.livejournal.com]

it would have been awesome if one of the little girls retorted "actually we would be lesbians if you are going to be technical about it."

[faunhaert.livejournal.com]

they'd have to know what faggot meant

the kid might have thought it meant bits of knotty wood?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He knew it was rude, but that's all.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't it just!

[veronikos.livejournal.com]

Awesome story.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

At least he stopped throwing stones.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's the main thing. We were afraid for our windows.