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Can we get a moratorium on transgendered slurs? (other recommendations welcomed ITT)

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R

RiskyChris

Banned
Is it or is it not OK to spout gross transgendered slurs like "tranny," "shemale," "he/she," "it" on this forum? Should it be or not? Let's talk, maybe share the others that might be out there?

I wanted to quote some stats, but I'm not ultra-educated on the topic and I'm not sure how to pick out what stats are legitimate and what are not, at least in the short time frame I was prompted to make this thread. Let's just say that transgendered people face lots of discrimination and potential hate crimes, not the least of which would be straight up murder just for someone discovering their gender identity doesn't match their birth sex. Maybe some of the TG community here can help with that.

NeoGAF's faq states: "4. Tranny jokes or remarks. For people who are transgender this is just as hateful as any of teh words above."

I'm not sure the extent this rule goes? We don't accept plenty of other bigoted language on this forum. I don't see why this courtesy shouldn't be extended to other groups.

I think most important of all is that we need to learn to accept that yes, words have weight. Telling people to chill out or stop being so sensitive is a very naive attitude to have. For instance, I can say that hearing "fag, queer, homo, poof" or hell even "girl" directed towards me don't really phase me. But it would be silly for me to say that is the same for all individuals, particularly young queer youth.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I have no problem with banning the word.

It is pretty damn early in the word's history for our awareness that the word is offensive.. A couple years ago we used the trannysurprise meme with no remorse.. I didnt even think it was offensive to anyone back then.

I am curious how this word evolved into a slur... It's origin is kind of harmless... Just a "cute" variation on "trans". Was it just used with too much sneering and laughter for long enough that it started to sound ugly?
 
A

Atramental

Banned
No more tranny-surprise? :(

Edit: The transsexual community and transsexual-gaf is alright in my book.
And I can see how those slurs are offensive to you all.
 
M

Mistouze

user-friendly man-cashews
This is going to end well...

I get what you want to say but I haven't seen much slurs towards transgendered persons. But I'm not TG so stuff like this could have easily went over my head. And finally, even if it's a dickish things to say : If you get hurt by what someone else's words, you basically hurt yourself. Words have the power the receiver puts into them.

But TG people have my support, it's pretty cool to be able to act on those "feelings" (for the lack of a better word) despite society's regard on this.
 
B

Byakuya769

Member
diunxx said:
Trannie is a slur now? fuck you.
Click to expand...

Wow...

Eh, if it feels disparaging to most trans-sexual/trans-gendered people, I say get it out of here. It would help get rid of that stupid meme as a bonus, too.
 
R

ronito

Member
Tranny is a slur now?

oh come on, that's so hetero.

Besides Riskychris, some of us don't have a choice. We had rough childhoods.
 
H

harSon

Banned
I personally had no clue that "tranny" and "shemale" were derogative terms, but then again, I can't really recall a time where I've used them.
 
T

TurboLibre

Member
I can get behind your cause, but I draw the line with that ciswoman/man stuff I saw in that other thread.

DeathNote said:
I think some are obviously indisputable like "trap", "dickgirl", "tranny-surprise" and should be banned.
Click to expand...

Why "trap"? Seems pretty legitimate considering the context it would be used.

Serenade said:
Are you kidding me? Shemale is a slur, too?
wow
Click to expand...

I'm pretty surprised too.
 
R

RiskyChris

Banned
harSon said:
I personally had no clue that "tranny" and "shemale" were derogative terms, but then again, I can't really recall a time where I've used them.
Click to expand...

That's totally normal. Part of the reason the words have such ubiquity is the lack of education on the subject or lack of experience with TG people for a lot of people.

diunxx said:
Trannie is a slur now? fuck you.
Click to expand...

Yes it is. Thanks for the civil discussion.

ntropy said:
Snipes is an anagram for penisssssss.
Click to expand...

Like clockwork.

BocoDragon said:
I have no problem with banning the word.

It is pretty damn early in the word's history for our awareness that the word is offensive.. A couple years ago we used the trannysurprise meme with no remorse.. I didnt even think it was offensive to anyone back then.

I am curious how this word evolved into a slur... It's origin is kind of harmless... Just a "cute" variation on "trans". Was it just used with too much sneering and laughter for long enough that it started to sound ugly?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure the precise etymology, but I imagine it's a lot like how queer and fag came about. A group was the target of persecution and hate, and certain words were naturally used in derogatory fashion.
 
A

Alfarif

This picture? uhh I can explain really!
I didn't think you were going to make a thread, Chris. :lol But bravo.

I kind of feel that it should have been done a long time ago, myself.
 
V

viciouskillersquirrel

Member
The word "trannie" is electrical industry lingo for transformer. Transformers allow you to transform high voltage transmission power to low voltage distribution power and vice versa.

I really don't have much else to add other than to say that I wasn't even aware that anybody found the word offensive.
 
Burger

Burger

Member
I do not agree at all. I find any sort of censorship to be abhorrent. Maybe you feel the someone using the word 'Tranny' is offensive, but I feel that censoring the word (or any word) is offensive.

I'm usually quite vocal on this board about banning websites or words. It's like putting a blanket over a problem.

Also, I wouldn't consider Tranny or Shemale to be slurs, but slang instead. Perhaps you disagree, but I don't see any hate behind them, unlike say Faggot, or Chink.
 
R

RiskyChris

Banned
Serenade said:
Are you kidding me? Shemale is a slur, too?
wow
Click to expand...

Yes it's a slur? It's a fucking mishmash of two sexes. It is particularly if you consider the fetishist community that literally preys on transwomen solely for their preop status. They completely reduce the women to the status of their transition.

Tkawsome said:
Why "trap"? Seems pretty legitimate considering the context it would be used.
Click to expand...

The idea that transgendered people can "trap" people is pretty derogatory itself.
 
G

grumble

Member
I don't think that trannie is a slur. Neither is shemale, in my books.

RiskyChris, is you really want to go PC (as you clearly are very passionate about), then find a quick way of saying 'transgendered person'. You aren't going to get it being a non-topic, as transexualism is a very unusual thing and people are defined as groups and individuals by differentiating traits.
 
A

Atrus

Gold Member
He/She is a pejorative?

What's supposed to be the correct pronoun? Wouldn't it be presumptuous to simply assign one specific gender pronoun to someone that could want either?

Do we make one up? Shim? Shem?
 
R

Rickard

Member
While I agree that "Tranny" is not a word that can be used in good taste, I do not feel it should be banned.

At least not in a zero tolerance manner.

If someone were to use it in an indisputably negative and intentionally hurtful manner, yes, I suppose that could warrant punishment.

Also: This, is the right way to do things Chris. Try to remember that.
 
S

Shurs

Member
Unrelated to this topic, but seeing as we're talking about moratoriums: Can we also stop the making fun of people who engage in incestuous relations?

I'm also on board with not using the term Tranny.
 
G

GillianSeed79

Member
I'm all for sensitivity to members of the LGBTA community, but for those of us who are less educated on the finer points of the subject could you possibly list what is deemed okay and what's a no-no. Like for example is trans-gendered more PC than trans-sexual and what's the difference? Also what does one call someone who has already made the switch physically so to speak? I'm not being ignorant, I'm generally curious as my experience with such groups of people is limited and I don't want to offend anyone of said group or groups.
 
S

SnakeswithLasers

Member
Tkawsome said:
Why "trap"? Seems pretty legitimate considering the context it would be used.
Click to expand...
Now you're opening up the thread to the floodgates of whether someone should be required to tell their sexual partner whether they're "really" a girl. Classic debates on that one in the past.
 
C

Cipherr

Member
RiskyChris said:
Is it or is it not OK to spout gross transgendered slurs like "tranny," "shemale," "he/she," "it" on this forum? Should it be or not? Let's talk, maybe share the others that might be out there?

I wanted to quote some stats, but I'm not ultra-educated on the topic and I'm not sure how to pick out what stats are legitimate and what are not, at least in the short time frame I was prompted to make this thread. Let's just say that transgendered people face lots of discrimination and potential hate crimes, not the least of which would be straight up murder just for someone discovering their gender identity doesn't match their birth sex. Maybe some of the TG community here can help with that.

NeoGAF's faq states: "4. Tranny jokes or remarks. For people who are transgender this is just as hateful as any of teh words above."

I'm not sure the extent this rule goes? We don't accept plenty of other bigoted language on this forum. I don't see why this courtesy shouldn't be extended to other groups.

I think most important of all is that we need to learn to accept that yes, words have weight. Telling people to chill out or stop being so sensitive is a very naive attitude to have. For instance, I can say that hearing "fag, queer, homo, poof" or hell even "girl" directed towards me don't really phase me. But it would be silly for me to say that is the same for all individuals, particularly young queer youth.
Click to expand...

How about you and the guy who ruined that thread just take the shit to PM's next time instead. Seriously. PM the mods, keep this nonsense off the freaking board.
 
C

C.Dark.DN

Banned
Dead said:
Trap?

Really?
Click to expand...
In certain context. Someone in the pics thread called a transexual a trap when someone thought she was attractive and didn't know. It was like combination of a warning and disgust. Very hurtful.
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
Ackbar does not support this thread one bit...
LBvGN.jpg
 
B

Byakuya769

Member
My initial reaction to RiskyChris bringing this up in another thread was, "what?? come on, lighten up." Looking a little outside myself, I saw that it didn't strike me as immediately offensive because it was about a very small and marginalized group. I'm not in association with any transgender people (that I know of), so I didn't really put it into their perspective.

After reflecting on it, I don't see how it could not be offensive.
 
S

Souldriver

Member
I'm all for it, and I never use the slurs either.

But as stupid as it sounds, you better give gaf a list of the words that are allowed, because I'm sure many people use the word tranny or shemale because they honestly don't know any better, as in that they don't know it's a slur and therefore never intended it as a slur in the first place.

What is the correct word? Transsexual, right? Something tells me you're gonna categorize it under "slur" to, because you seem to be using "gender" instead of "sex"...
 
P

PolarDoc22

Neo Member
The way I see it, tranny is just shorthand for a transsexual person. No offense meant by the word itself, it's the people saying shit like "Trannies are dicks" or "Trannies are pussies" who are the certifiable jackoffs.
I view the word "homo" in the same light. Short for homosexual, just a word.

In 100 years we could be calling trannies (or any group of people) Gbluuk or Sploibidii, and it could be taken as offensively as the word cunt is today. The sounds change, we need to put the weight on the intent behind the words. Not a new argument at all, but it's true as ever IMO.
 
scotcheggz

scotcheggz

Member
I'm not trying to be a bellend, but irl I often say "he, she.. It, err...". It has no meaning, it's just that I don't run in the circles and I don't have the vocabulary to deal with the situation in an acceptable manner and end up stumbling around trying not to offend. I guess in a forum though, you have more time to consider your language.

For the record, I was also unaware that shemale and ladyboy were derogatory. There is a show that comes here every year called ladyboys of Bangkok, so that wasn't helping.

I think the problem with banning outright is that people like me might be unaware that what they are saying is harsh. I don't mean obviously crude shit, but until awareness is better, I think banning without warning for shemale, tranny etc might be a bit strong. I'll do my part and use transgender from now on, because I'm not a prick, but I think a little bit of tolerance and understanding from both sides will go a long way.
 
F

Fusebox

Banned
DeathNote said:
In certain context. Someone in the pics thread called a transexual a trap when someone thought she was attractive and didn't know. It was like combination of a warning and disgust. Very hurtful.
Click to expand...

The word 'trap' as a warning is entirely valid, however I don't see how you can make the leap from that to 'disgusting'.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Burger said:
I do not agree at all. I find any sort of censorship to be abhorrent. Maybe you feel the someone using the word 'Tranny' is offensive, but I feel that censoring the word (or any word) is offensive.

I'm usually quite vocal on this board about banning websites or words. It's like putting a blanket over a problem.

Also, I wouldn't consider Tranny or Shemale to be slurs, but slang instead. Perhaps you disagree, but I don't see any hate behind them, unlike say Faggot, or Chink.
Click to expand...
In a kind of "philosophy major" way, I think banning language is dumb.

But even more than that... I think offending people over a tiny liberty is a useless battle to wage. It's not like saying "tranny" is as fun as smoking or pornography or anything (don't say anything RiskyChris). You might as well let it go, if it serves the very real purpose of restoring dignity to a subgroup.
 
S

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
RiskyChris said:
The idea that transgendered people can "trap" people is pretty derogatory itself.
Click to expand...

Sorry dude. I support your right to be whoever you want.

But as a straight guy, I have no interest in dating a biological male that is living as a female, pre-op or post-op. So yes, the idea that transgendered people can "trap" people is very real and my mind, and I suspect I'm not alone.

I know I just opened a shit storm, but your sexual identity doesn't get to dictate how I feel about my own sexual identity.
 
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