It's a quick and easy question: why is it acceptable for players to throw around homophobic slurs, but not racist ones?

I think both should be discouraged/banned. I realize the internet as a whole is quite homophobic, that it's part of the culture to go around calling things gay as if it's an insult, and calling people faggots and whatnot, but not discouraging such things just perpetuates the ignorance. It's also a matter of eliminating a double standard. Racism is rightly frowned upon but homophobia isn't, and I'm rather disappointed by that.

I'm sure there's a better way to word this, but I think the message gets across: derogatory remarks that marginalize a group of people should be treated the same whether it's racism, homophobia, sexism, or the like.

That's a noble statement but it's a wish that will probably not be granted. Besides the fact that toribash pretty much revolves around homosexuality and homosexual humor, it's pretty much already been accepted. Besides it is punishable if it's used harshly as it depends on the context of the statements in cases that classify as flaming.

Why does it have to marginalize a group to be a problem? Why isn't the fact that you're marginalizing an individual more important than the wide-reaching effects of social influence on modern vocabulary? Would it be more acceptable if I called somebody stupid rather than retarded because I'm now no longer marginalizing the mentally handicapped, ignoring the fact that I'm still insulting the individual?

The real question is not why one form of insults are more acceptable than another, but why any form of insult is acceptable. That's the real double standard.

That's probably my favorite post I've ever read on the forums, but yes I agree any insult being used is going to affect someone.

Well it's good to know that the more egregious incidents are looked at, but the double standard is still obvious. The other day I reported someone for /shouting "n*ggers" and he was banned, but had he /shouted "faggots" I doubt he'd have been banned. What I'm saying is, you don't need to flame with racist remarks to be banned for racism, but what you're saying and I agree with you, is that because homophobia runs rampant it's not given the same treatment. I think treating homophobia differently from racism contributes to the issue.

Edit: I agree Oracle, but that's a different argument. I never said it has to marginalize a group to be an issue, it's just the issue I'm looking to discuss right now.

this pretty much sums up my opinion on the word "faggot"

It's not that you shouldn't call someone a fag because it's offensive to homosexuals, you shouldn't call someone a fag because it's rude.

No slurs, insults or derogatory comments are allowed.



That said, staff don't care and throw them around more than most people, so really just do what you want unless it would get you reported.

I personnaly put homophobia and racism on the same level, and I despise them. They're the fruits of the same ignorance and middle-aged prejudices. But, I'm not shocked by someone saying "nigger" or "nigga" or calling someone "a fag" on the internet because they lost their original meaning through time [well it depends how it's used of course, someone being obviously racist or homophobic won't use those words with the same intention/context].
Languages evolve and minds evolve with it. We're at some point we can call a white dude "nigga", because yes, even white dudes listen to gangsta rap ; and, in people's mind, homosexual dudes and straight dudes are equally prone to be called "fag". That doesn't make them racist nor homophobic. Hell even "nigger" and "nigga", which are supposed to be the same word, aren't used in the same context at all.
That doesn't justify the first meaning of those words and their idelogy, but people got to realize things change, and sometimes it's not a bad thing to forget the original meaning of a word to make it a thing of the past that we can freely laugh about.

Most insults, if not all, had different meaning at first.

bostaff : Thanks for the Louis C.K.'s quote, he's the man xD

I'm not arguing the semantics of the words, but the intentions behind them. I guess this goes to what Orcale said, that when someone uses a derogatory term it's usually as an insult. The reason I care to talk about derogatory terms specifically, and not just insults in general, is that derogatory terms are sometimes used in a derogatory fashion. Calling someone a faggot may not imply their homosexuality, but due to the origins of the word it does spread the notion that homosexuality is something to be ridiculed.

Basically, you're right that insults don't carry the meanings they once had, but I think insults like "faggot" or "you're gay" still carry enough of their homophobic meaning.

So, if I call someone a "pussy", does that mean I convey misogyniste ideas and all the women should feel offended. Even tho I generally like vaginas ? ;o

I like to think homosexuality is subject to ridicul as much as being straight, white, black, asian, fat, skinny, christian, muslim, jewish, a man, a woman, hippy or fascist. Laughing about homophobia or racism, meaning taking away the "serious" of those ideology, is most of the time a good thing for the evolution of our perception of those, laughing about it makes the very reason of the discrimination absurd.
When we're calling someone "fag", we're making as much fun of homosexuals as we're making fun of homophobic people, in a sense. That's how I percieve it anyway.