FYI: "Gay" is a bad "wurd"

[James C. Stalker]

I'm not surprised.  When particular words are demonized, no one can say
them.  They lose denotative content and become entirely connotative
content.  "Gay" is hate speak, therefore unallowable under any
circumstances.  I'm sure the poor teacher has been admonished, quite
strictly, not to allow anything that sounds like hate speech.  I would
bet that she heard no context, only the word.  My sympathies for both
her and the child, caught in a linguistic battle beyond their ken.
Where is Frodo when we really need him?  A bit melodramatic perhaps, but
I think appropriate to the situation.

Jim Stalker

"Kathleen E. Miller" wrote:

> Did anybody read this? My mouth is still open in shock...
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29820-2003Dec2.html
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/03/national/03GAY.html
>
> Kathleen E. Miller
> Research Assistant to William Safire
> The New York Times