FAG again

[Grant Barrett]

On jeudi 8 mars 2001 19:50, Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU> wrote:

>for what it's worth, i agree entirely with ron.  QUEER has been
>significantly ameliorated, DYKE somewhat so, but FAG(GOT) not at
>all, so far as i can tell; it's used for in-group reference, in
>ways that ron talked about, and for highly in-your-face talk
>to outsiders, and that's it (at least for the way queers use
>FAG).

This is purely anecdotal and I don't know enough to really take a side, but *I* use
fag in an ameliorated, non-pejorative sense. Safer, to me, than queer. I'm straight,
but from New York City, friend to a few fags, and on this list. Those last three
might influence my comfort with the word. However, I would agree we are clearly on the
cusp of a changeover: I get looks from some people because they think it's forbidden,
others don't flinch, particularly gay men who, if anything, seem a little deflated
that the usage has spread outside their coterie.

Deep in the for what it's worth minefield,

Grant