"that's gay"

This phrase came about, I'm assuming, because straight people don't want to be called gay, so for many straight men out there it's a fair enough insult. It's not so much saying that being gay is a bad thing, as it is straight men don't like being perceived to be gay.


<<In USA being gay, catholic, a woman or black is not good. >>

With all due respect, you're an idiot. We've had a Catholic president (Kennedy), a black president (Obama), two women who were serious contenders for VP (Palin and Ferraro), and one woman who's received a vote in the electoral college (Nathan, 1972).

And Catholics may not like being referred to as a "denomination," a term which is typically reserved for sects (or groups, or whatever) of Protestantism. Protestants make up 52% of Americans while Catholics make up 24% (Mormon and 'other' make up almost all the rest of the 82% of Americans considering themselves Christians).

And in our last national election, one of the candidates was black and one of the VP candidates was a woman.

the last 2 secretary of states are women, and 2 of the last 3 were black. The Speaker of the House is a Catholic woman. Also the highest ranking House member in charge of finances is gay and Jewish. The VP is Catholic (as is 30%+ of the legislative branch). Obama aside, I would say black is still a disadcantage because of stereotypes and just the large percentage that grow up in poverty, but there is plenty of cases of black people rising to the very top strata of American society. Even the Republican poster boy de jure is a Catholic convert of Indian ancestory.


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That said, "thats gay" is a stupid and kind of annoying expression. Of course, I mainly only hear it from teenagers who as a group tend to act stupid and be kind of annoying.

<<To most Europeans America will always be perceived as a land of puzzling contrasts, a wee bit of an enigma in fact. It may well have the "best" in some ways, but it sure as hell has the very "worst" at the same time. At least that's how it seems to us on this side of the puddle. >>

Well, it's a big place; you're gonna find a little bit of everything here. Not that puzzling, as Cowboy points out.

This thread is so gay.

no doubt

Viva Sarah Palin.

¡No viva Nanny Doriega!

Uriel....physical size in this connection, and in reference to what I said, means diddly squat really.... it really doesn't. Anyway...let's call the whole thing of.....it's not worth falling out over...is it? ;-)

As I type this I have BBC radio 4 going - midday on a Sunday - I have just had breakfast of half a melon and half a bowlful of purple berries Special K and a couple of black coffees.....the "Just a Minute" program has just started - the "talk for a whole minute on a given topic without any hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject".

Right now one of the panel members - David Mitchell - is talking about "Cinderella"....a favourite British pantomime character. Already he has been buzzed by another pannellist for "hesitation" - after just 5 seconds. How bizarre is that? The challenge was allowed - even more bizarre. It seems to be desending into good natured mayhem.....but it's an excellent skills exercise in the use and command of the English Language.

Now Clement Freud is now talking about "Beefeaters" - those guardians of the peace and the Crown Jewels and overall security at the Tower of London.