Slur for gay people
The "F-Slur": Where It Comes From & How Some Are Reclaiming It
Content warning (CW): The text below contains the use of slurs.
The reality is depressed but true: "Faggot” is, and has often been, used to describe LGBTQ2S+ people negatively, particularly the feminine ones.
It doesn't matter if you're:
- a 14-year-old male child with an effeminate walk
- a 50-year-old man who likes to paint his nails
- or somebody who just likes dressing however the hell they want
"Faggot” is a cruel catchall used to describe, typically, any male who is gay, soft-spoken, or who doesn't fit the stereotypically (toxic) definition of masculinity.
"Real men" rest with women, curse, yell, play sports, never tear, are always ready for a fight, and don't wear nail polish, makeup, lots of jewelry, or anything that calls into question their masculinity, right?
Books can, and have, been written about the genesis of this narrow-minded view of manhood. Its operate in the American English language can actually be traced back to the early 1900s, but as with so many other words, its true origins are a bit of a mystery.
Thankfully, the resiliency of LGBTQ2S+
Ativo: The partner who penetrates in a male homosexual encounter.
Bicha: Fairy, faggot. Coined in the 1930s and widespread by the 1960s, the term remains the most common way to speak pejoratively about gay men. Not quite as offensive as viado, the word is sometimes used among gay men as a term of endearment.
Bofe: A masculine-acting man who assumed the active role in homoerotic relations. Was considered a “real” man who only turned bonecas due to the sexual unavailability of Brazilian women, who were expected to maintain their virginity until marriage. Designation popular from the 1950s-1970s.
Boneca: Literally “doll.” The boneca desired to be penetrated by bofes and strongly ascribed to the notion of a rigid active/passive construct of homosexuality. Term popular from the 1950s-1970s.
Cantada: Words or gestures indicating sexual interest.
Conto de suor: Literally “the story of one who sweats,” refers to a situation in which a bicha lures a “real man” to a boardinghouse. While the two have sex, the bicha’s friends stealthily steal the contents of the man’s wallet.
Entendido: Literally “the one in the know.” Initially used as a coded express
LGBTQIA+ Slurs and Slang
bog queen
Synonyms: Bathsheba (composition between bathroom and Sheba to create a name reminiscent of the Queen of Sheba), Ghost (50s, ghost, because they wander the corridors of the bathroom).
Why Straight People Shouldn't Throw Around the F-Word
Because it isn’t for you
If 2019 taught us anything it’s that people *really* don’t like creature policed around what they can or can’t say. You’ll hear the identical arguments - “freedom of speech!” - as mere excuses for why they want to tell societally naughty things. Of course, they forget that ‘freedom of speech’ was enshrined into rule to protect individuals (namely, the press) from state intervention (namely, punishment and death).
Nowadays, you also get straight allies throwing around “fag” as an apparent act of solidarity! Support! Gay rights! Thank you, Hilary!
And in 2020 you’ll also find a number of self-identifying faggots, who’ve very actively decided to strip away the word’s power and reclaim the slur all for themselves. This is very understandable given the politics and history of the synonyms. But it’s also important to be respectful to those in the people who just can’t see it this way… who’ve been far too burned by that very same politics and history.
To some, the word will always carry too much pain.
So, it’s life-giving we continue to come back and check up on our own privi