What is gay?

[Supermumz]

DS aged 8 asked me the meaning of gay. Picked it from school I think.. What do I tell him? Do your kids know?

I think it's a bit early to say that same-sex marriage will be legal 'shortly'. As I understand it it's still at the consultation stage?

Anyhoo, men can not marry other men, so the teacher was right to back up the other children.

Just how bored are you BJ? (May I be the first to use your most tittersome of initials)

Actually Mackerel, yes it is. My daugher is six and she knows the difference. We have homo friends so she's maybe a little bit ahead of the curve in that respect, but she understands the difference.

Pretty bored HG! Sadly you're not the first to make the 'BJ' connection, although not many people remember BJ and the Bear any more!

She knows they can - she has two homo Godfathers FFS! It is as unremarkable to her as Sunday following Saturday.

But, men can't marry men, so why tell them they can?

Lenin - are you absolutely sure you can be bothered with this?

SIL (so dd's aunt obv) is gay and has been in a relationship since dd was born (she is 3). She piped up at the Christmas dinner table 'must be nice having no willies in your house'.

Quite.

Hully, you're doing a good job of pissing into the wind today. Bravo.

Show, doesn't that mean I'm all covered in wee weee?

And futility.

There are several countries and states where same-sex couples can marry, so clearly it isn't 'impossible'

Ok, so perhaps I was wrong to say "married". I suppose it was because it is a term that implies a desire for connection in a relationship that is easier for my dd to understand than using the term civil partnership.

I am pleased to say that the CP ceremonies I have been to have had happy demonstrations of love - and that's what i see as important.

It is utter, utter bullshit to say that this is natural evolution of language.

It is using the generally used descriptor for a minority group as an insult.

I repeat, if your child came home using the word "black" or "disabled" to describe something defective, would you be happy to call this "natural evolution of language?

That would be a black day indeed...

It is so depressing when people don't take serious things seriously. Says more about the person concerned than anything else.

No, what's more depressing is when they fail so hopelessly at being funny.

A far graver crime.

Actually the gravest of modern crimes is the Tourettes style flinging of vile insults at people who have different opinions to you, all from the anonymous comfort of your keyboard.

Isn't it, HG?

At that age it was probably in the context like.

Boy 1: I have maths homework tonight
Boy 2: Thats so gay

BJ - you reported me?

Fantastic!

How marvellous that homophobia is more acceptable than using someone's own terms against them to make a point.

It has quite made my day.

Actually no. I wanted to check what you had called me but found we'd both had posts deleted!

Let's call it a draw, eh?