The ‘Faggot’ Debate: How Do You Feel About the Word?

The English language. It’s a bloody beautiful thing, isn’t it? Did you know there are 1,025,109 words in the English language alone? I know you didn’t ask, but there you go. The number isn’t entirely accurate, as it’s damn near impossible to sensibly gather every single word that we use, especially seeing as new words are not only being invented but are taking on new meanings as time goes back. Who can remember a time without ‘reem’ and ‘yolo’? Those were the days.

So really, it’s still pretty surprising in this day and age that people still feel the need to use certain words, even when it’s abundantly clear that they’re a) not appropriate and b) they are extremely upsetting and using them take us back about fifty years. Faggot. Nigger. Retard. Dyke. Using the word ‘gay’ to describe something. We should be past all of this, yet how many times do we see hear on the news about a famous actor using the word ‘faggot’ as an insult? How often do we see memes with ‘nigga’ as a word that’s used to describe someone? I’m going to focus on the word ‘faggot’, because there’s a lot to it, and it’s the one that’s the most relevant.

It’s a word that’s landed a lot of people in trouble. Last year, Jonah Hill was forced to make a very public comedown and apology. While promoting 22 Jump Street, he was caught on camera saying ‘Suck my dick, faggot!’ to paparazzi.

It shocked the entertainment industry to its core; Hill was a staunch supporter of the LGBT community and was very open in his views for gay rights. He spent most of the next month going on every talk show he could and apologising for his use of the word. The cynical side of me thinks that the apology was done not necessarily because he was sorry, but not to lose an audience that would go to watch his film solely to see Channing Tatum without his top on, but who am I to say?

A year earlier, Eminem was under fire for a similar incident. His song ‘Rap God’ was unveiled, and on it were some pretty nasty slurs – ‘Little gay looking boy/so gay I can barely say it with a straight face looking boy’ along with another blatant use of ‘faggot’. The rapper defended the slurs, saying that he had been using ‘faggot’ since his rap battle days: “It was more like calling someone a bitch or a punk or an asshole”.

He went on to say that he had no problem with the LGBT community, and people should know his stance. To me, that’s shit. More than shit. It’s not even a defence. I actually find quite a lot of Eminem’s raps to be very well thought and brilliantly done. So why would a man so intelligent and so clued-up still use a term that is people are so obviously rattled by? Eminem likes to be controversial, he likes to stir people up, but this can’t be used as an excuse any more.

There is an interesting video that is currently making the rounds entitled ’30 Gay Men React To The Word ‘Faggot”. It’s fascinating viewing, if only to see the reactions. The majority react with anger, pity or distress. A middle aged gentleman said he saw it as ‘abusive’ and ‘an assault’. The one that got me the most was from a younger member of the group. ‘I can use it – I’m a faggot, there you go! Because once I use it, it no longer has power.’ Is this really true?

Do we have the privilege to use a derogative word just because we’re the minority group that is being attacked? People will bring up the ‘nigger’ argument at this point – ‘If black people can use it, why can’t we?’ – which many have tried to explain away, but it doesn’t wash with me. Not even nearly. If it’s a derogative term, you’re not ‘taking back power’ by using it. You’re making it normal. You’re making it acceptable to use. For everyone.

This argument could quite easily continue for days, and there are many different conclusions that we could come to. It all boils down to one persons viewpoint against another’s. But to me, if there are 1,025,109 words in the English language, and you’re choosing to use that one, I think it’s probably time for you to re-educate yourself.