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.