Jamey Rodemeyer

[Bous]

Stories like this break my heart http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8779672/Boy-14-found-dead-over-gay-bullying.html

I know words like "gay" etc., are often bandied about, particularly by teenage guys, and I've even seen it in this forum. Now, I've no doubt that they are similarly aged people to young Jamey using these forums, playing GW, and hearing that term used casually as a derogatory term is unnecessary. And I know many of you don't mean to be cruel or homophobic when you use it. But, given the often tender nature of the subject, I would appreciate if forum users would bear in mind their use of language - it impacts on people.

Sometimes tragically so.

[Juliette]

Tragic, but no reason to abide by anything other than the forum rules.

[Z E R O]

It's sad.. but very little can be done. There's no reason we should all have to adapt our way of talking to suit certain individuals. I know that the homosexual slurs are immature and discriminatory, however, there are already rules against that on this forum. Usually if you see someone making gay jokes on these forums they are either directed at self, or in an entirely joking manner.. and i'm sure everyone on these forums can differentiate that. Trying to grow our already expansive filter is just putting a bit too much censorship on us, I think.

As for those bullies in the real world.. Hope they feel for what they've done. I myself have been a target of bullying in my life and I know how tough it can be (Gay insults being the most common form). The best we can do is try to teach people a better way to be, and hopefully eventually they'll realize that some things are best left unsaid.

[Bous]

Hmmm. I understand what both of you are saying but, essentially, it seems as if homosexual slurs are treated less seriously than racial ones. It would not be acceptable at all to call someone a derogatory racial terms ('n' word springs to mind) even in a 'jokey' way.

So, am I to understand, most people think that because homosexual slurs are more often used, they are more acceptable (people can tell the difference)? I'm sure that's how many an unsavoury situation has been justified in the past. Shame.