Is saying "Sexual Preference" Offensive?

[lfromnj]

Just wanted to see because I can't catch up with the new n word.

[Horus]

No, not by itself (gay man)

The idea that gay and lesbian people "choose" their sexuality is offensive, but sexual preference isn't usually used to mean that. It just means "are you gay or straight?"

Of course maybe I'm behind on the times and it is now offensive under any circumstance.

[Reaganfan Democrat]

I've only ever heard "sexual preference" come out from right-wingers' mouths, so presumably yes.

[dead0man]

It depends....is the person saying it someone that needs to be canceled?  Then yes, of course, they're worse than Hitler.  It's not a preference you condescending jerk.  It's not a choice gay people make, it's an orientation.  Something they're born with.  Ya know, like a political orientation isn't a choice people make, it's something they're born with.


If it's Biden saying it, well that's different.....somehow.




I'm sure the language police can explain why it's different.

[Cassius]

It’s a more accurate term than ‘orientation’ anyway so, no, it shouldn’t be.

[Trans Rights Are Human Rights]

No, not by itself (gay man trans lesbian)

The idea that gay and lesbian people "choose" their sexuality is offensive, but sexual preference isn't usually used to mean that. It just means "are you gay or straight?"

Of course maybe I'm behind on the times and it is now offensive under any circumstance.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

It's dated, but I wouldn't say it's ipso facto offensive absent other evidence that the person using it is homophobic.

[Ljube]

I don't like the term "sexual preference".

[Sirius_]

No (LGBT) because preference does not imply choice. We don't have a choice in many of our preferences. If you prefer red to blue, did you just decide that one day? If you prefer certain foods to others, did you choose which foods you like? You really don't choose those things. If you're a gay man, you sexually prefer men to women. That's a fact as far as I know. It doesn't mean you chose that.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

It’s a more accurate term than ‘orientation’ anyway so, no, it shouldn’t be.

Sexual preference is who you'd like to have sex with.  Sexual orientation is which direction you face when you do it.

[Reaganfan Democrat]

It’s a more accurate term than ‘orientation’ anyway so, no, it shouldn’t be.

Sexual preference is who you'd like to have sex with.  Sexual orientation is which direction you face when you do it.

So political orientation is the direction you face when you're in the voting booth? Come on man...

[Omega21]

I've only ever heard "sexual preference" come out from right-wingers' mouths, so presumably yes.

Let me fix that for you.

"Our society has come to respect people, whatever their sexual preference"

-RBG, 2017

[lfromnj]

www.newsweek.com/amy-coney-barrett-preference-definition-1539088%3famp=1

Well the dictionary now changed its mind.

[HisGrace]

No, this is a stupid made up controversy. The Advocate neutrally used the phrase in a headline just last month in fact.

Calling something a "preference" does not imply it is a choice. A person can have latent preferences that are not voluntary. You'd think people who work for a dictionary would be able to grasp a linguistic distinction like that.

[afleitch]

It depends on who said it and why they picked it.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

It’s a more accurate term than ‘orientation’ anyway so, no, it shouldn’t be.

Sexual preference is who you'd like to have sex with.  Sexual orientation is which direction you face when you do it.

So political orientation is the direction you face when you're in the voting booth? Come on man...

Think about the use of orientation as a metaphor here.  What is it that "political orientation" expresses that "political preference" doesn't?

[afleitch]

Well preferences are more 'chicken or fish?'

I don't 'preference' men. I only like men.

[Sirius_]

Well preferences are more 'chicken or fish?'

I don't 'preference' men. I only like men.

That is not mutually exclusive?

[Ferguson97]

It's somewhat dated, and if an LGBT person asked me to stop using it I would.

That said, Barrett obviously holds anti-LGBT extremist views and may think it's a choice, but I don't think her word choice here is necessarily a reflection of that.

[MarkD]

I'm gay and I don't find that term offensive, just outdated.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

It makes you sound old and goofy, but it's definitely not offensive.

[Attorney General & LGC Deputy Dwarven Dragon]

No it's not. I didn't even pay attention to the fact that Barrett used it until Hirono brought it up lol.

[Common Sense Atlantan]

Of course not. Sexual preference doesn't even imply a choice.

[redjohn]

Yes, if someone told me they didn't agree with my sexual preference (or agreed with it) it would insinuate I made an active decision to be sexually attracted to my preferred gender, which delegitimizes my sexuality. Heterosexuality is never referred to as a sexual preference.