Reply #16

Being from the south I am of course going to include a story or two

I too have used an ethnic slur not even knowing it was a slur. I won't use the word but I used it for almost 30 years before I heard someone say they hated that term. I never made the connection. I was just glad i wasn't the person which caused her to say she hated it. Now that I have made the connection I have never used the term again.

I am gay. And, had a friend who often use the term gay out of the context of happy, or my sexual orientation but as a general term for anything odd. "That is so ___". Rather than getting mad or offended I took the persons intent to heart and the fact that he never did anything which would make me think he was homophobic. He like me wasn't making the connection. Once someone brought it to his attention he came to me and apologized.

As to posting, I used the better safe than sorry policy. I use ____ and a safe descriptor. If that isn't possible I find a way to say my point without the comment.