Gay and bi EoFF'ers please respond!

[Breine]

I'm straight, and I get pissed off when people throw those around.

Agreed. It's very disrespectful and unnecessary.

Yup. I always just say homosexual... or most of the time I do.

[Iceglow]

I don't fit any of the options up there. I do get offended when someone is using it to personally insult me, it's not a pleasant term but then there are times when the words are used joking about with friends and aimed at straight guys and girls which doesn't offend me half as much as it offends them. I don't fly off the handle though I'm too controlled for that I prefer to let the words slide right on by and ignore them.

[Alive-Cat]

I'm gay/bi and I don't find anything wrong with those words. I still use "gay" as a negative term to jokily insult someone sometimes, too. "That is so gay."

[fire_of_avalon]

I don't know, sometimes I feel like they're just words and sometimes I feel that they're terrible things. It bothers me more that some people who have been on the receiving end of degrading terminology feel it's okay for them to use it, but that's another conversation entirely.

I did recently start calling certain friends fagatronic, and they laugh pretty hard.

[Shlup]

I'm only offended by words when the use of them is offensive. Saying sexual, racial, or any other slur as a joke doesn't bother me. Why should it? It's just a joke. I feel being offended by them in that context only gives the words power.

Now if someone actually meant them as an insult I'd... well I wouldn't be terribly pissed, but I'd certainly think the person is a moron.

[Fate Fatale]

I bring it to others attention saing, "Don't say that, it's offensive to people." because I'm a sad, sad closet case and no one at my school knows I'm bi... (People are weird about that)

[BustaMo]

I am straight, but any form of prejudice annoys me.

Same here.

[Venom]

I'm straight, and I get pissed off when people throw those around.

[Lord Xehanort]

I came out at 14. Being closeted is hard, especially when I am a horrible gossip who can't keep a secret.

[ff7+ff10 gurl 100]

Im straight and whenever I hear that, it makes me sick. >.<

[Germ Hamee]

Wow, I've never heard "pole-smoker" before. Fudge-packer, yeah, but no smoking of poles yet.

I'm gay, and those terms really don't bother me. You'll even hear me say them from time to time around my close friends, if something particularly gay has occurred.

My sexuality doesn't define me, and I don't understand why so many people think it should. It's a part of me, yes, but it's not who I am, so why should it offend me? Should I also be offended any time I'm called a white boy, a silly nerd, or a stupid american?

There's weightier matters to get bent out of shape over. As long as people respect my space, we're all good. Dish out the insults all you like - I'll dish them right back and then take you out for lunch.

[Polaris]

How do you feel about these words?

Homosexual and bisexual are people I treat them as people, but I confessed that when I saw this thread I thought 'Oh no are they gonna ask us again if we are gay or bisexual or straight'? BUt now that I found out it's not about that and direct to the topic I know that sometimes homosexual or bisexual may feel offended by some names... I'm not gay or bisexual but I think I'd be pretty pissed if someone called me names just for my sex orientation! I get pissed for less than that!

[Shlup]

I bring it to others attention saing, "Don't say that, it's offensive to people." because I'm a sad, sad closet case and no one at my school knows I'm bi... (People are weird about that)

Everything is offensive to someone somewhere, so it's really a moot point.

[Vincent, Thunder God]

I am straight, but any form of prejudice annoys me.

Same here.

Thirded. I hate discrimination of all forms.

Of course, I guess those terms could be used by gay/bi people themselves to "take it back". Gay people call themselves queers sometimes, but just as a term, even though it could be used in an insulting way by homophobes. Just like black people call themselves niggers, while if I white guy using the term would be insulting.

[I Am Stoner]

I am straight, but any form of prejudice annoys me.