Sunday 13 February 2011

No Homo: Dear BBC...

Dear BBC,

Throughout today on BBC Radio 4 News - in the items about civil partnerships and same-sex marriage - you have used the word homosexual or homosexuals.
Why doesn't someone in the BBC newsroom ask some of their colleagues or friends who are lesbian or gay how they feel about being called "homosexual"?
It is at best outdated, at worst highly offensive.
Of the British newspapers only the Daily Telegraph still regularly uses it as the preferred term for lesbians and gay men.
When did you last hear "homosexual" being used by anyone in conversation?

yours

Fagburn

I've complained to the BBC about this before, and got nowhere - I think I may be on some BBC list; "Serial complainer, nutter..."
I'll let you know how I get on this time...
Posted by Fagburn at 18:15:00
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13 comments:

  1. Fagburn14 February 2011 at 03:06

    See the footnote to the post beneath this for more on The Daily Telegraph and "homosexuals".

    http://www.fagburn.com/2011/02/gay-marriage-too-good-to-be-true.html

    It may seem daft pointing out it's in a post just below it, but it's not if you land on this post through an internet search - thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The BEF14 February 2011 at 10:13

    I have and still do use the word homosexual in conversation. I like it myself, could you clarify why this is highly offensive? Or is it a clever joke?

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  3. Fagburn14 February 2011 at 10:17

    Can you give me a few examples of sentences, please The BEF?

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  4. The BEF14 February 2011 at 10:36

    'I once saw a homosexual'

    'Who's that homosexual over there'

    'Do they have homosexuals where you come from?'

    'Are you a homosexual?'

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  5. Fagburn14 February 2011 at 10:40

    You are most bizarre.

    Congratulations!

    x

    ReplyDelete
  6. The BEF14 February 2011 at 10:52

    None of those are real quotes......

    Returning to my question.....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fagburn14 February 2011 at 11:02

    I think it's more outdated than offensive - again give me a non-ironic example of a conversational sentence.

    The offence would mainly be in the medicalisation it implies, and that only people who don't like "homosexuals" much still use that word, such as The Daily Telegraph, and the Christian Right...

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  8. The BEF14 February 2011 at 11:16

    I see your point it is a bit outdated and yes it is used primarily by homophobes however i personally think of it as quite a warm, proud word but to each his own.

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  9. Fagburn14 February 2011 at 11:27

    But do you use it partly because it sounds a bit odd and quaint?

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  10. Darren14 February 2011 at 11:56

    I've only ever heard it used by gay men in an ironic way. It is insulting because it sounds like we're still curious medical cases. A "social problem".

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  11. The BEF14 February 2011 at 12:42

    No i'm not the type, being a fall fan and whatnot, i use it because it is the official word for the phenomena that is gayness, plus it's phonetically pleasing. :)

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  12. The BEF14 February 2011 at 12:59

    I realise my previous post is contradictory, what i meant to say was it has positive connotations, heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual no better or worse than the others all just equal, whereas ''gay' 'queer' are normally used in a negative context which has tainted them for me slightly.

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  13. Fagburn14 February 2011 at 13:08

    Good point.

    ReplyDelete

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