Are you offended by the usage of "gay" as a synonym for "stupid"?

[Gustaf]

I never heard it used non-ironically. Too stupid to be really offensive.

[Gustaf]

Yes, a lot. I'm surprised so much people still find it cool to talk that way.

Though it's norwhere as bas as refering to heterosexuals as "straight". This is outright unacceptable.

Really? I hear gay people use the word straight all the time.

[Gustaf]

Yes, a lot. I'm surprised so much people still find it cool to talk that way.

Though it's norwhere as bas as refering to heterosexuals as "straight". This is outright unacceptable.

Really? I hear gay people use the word straight all the time.

Still, the idea behind such a word is pretty clear.

I'm actually really confused by this. I use 'straight' all the time. It actually has a negative connotation?

I guess the non-straights are crooked or twisted or something? I don't think etymology is all that important in determining whether words are offensive or not.

[Gustaf]

Yes, a lot. I'm surprised so much people still find it cool to talk that way.

Though it's norwhere as bas as refering to heterosexuals as "straight". This is outright unacceptable.

Really? I hear gay people use the word straight all the time.

Still, the idea behind such a word is pretty clear.

I'm actually really confused by this. I use 'straight' all the time. It actually has a negative connotation?

I guess the non-straights are crooked or twisted or something? I don't think etymology is all that important in determining whether words are offensive or not.

Yeah, that was the point. But no, it's not an etymological issue considering the word straight is AFAIK still used in english with its original meaning.

No, it's not. It's used to mean heterosexual, not implying that gay people are weird. Otherwise, gay people obviously wouldn't use it.

A word can change meaning even when referring to the same thing - that's how slurs usually work. A word like negroe is offensive not because of its etymological roots but because of how it ended up being used.

[Gustaf]

Yes, a lot. I'm surprised so much people still find it cool to talk that way.

Though it's norwhere as bas as refering to heterosexuals as "straight". This is outright unacceptable.

Really? I hear gay people use the word straight all the time.

Still, the idea behind such a word is pretty clear.

I'm actually really confused by this. I use 'straight' all the time. It actually has a negative connotation?

I guess the non-straights are crooked or twisted or something? I don't think etymology is all that important in determining whether words are offensive or not.

Yeah, that was the point. But no, it's not an etymological issue considering the word straight is AFAIK still used in english with its original meaning.

No, it's not. It's used to mean heterosexual, not implying that gay people are weird. Otherwise, gay people obviously wouldn't use it.

A word can change meaning even when referring to the same thing - that's how slurs usually work. A word like negroe is offensive not because of its etymological roots but because of how it ended up being used.

Can "straight" not be used anymore in contemporary English to mean what it's supposed to mean ?

There isn't really such a thing as "supposed to mean" in language. But many words have more than one meaning. That doesn't really say much.

Ernest, then that's a difference between Swedish and English. The basic point still stands. You could apply it to the n-word as far as I know as well.