Are you gay?

[Tako]

Same here, I always get called HOMO but I'm very sure I'm not Gay,

maybe it has something to do whit me always hanging out whit girls......... nah thats just for fun

[Terror]

heh, now THAT'S what i meant.

[Vanguard3000]

The way I see it, if it offends those who don't deserve offence, it's not much of a joke.

[Dante]

I didn't say it was offensive, although I'm sure if I was in a worse mood I would have done

[number6]

Let's lighten up everyone shall we? This is a popular joke amongst techies. The joke is that you have no choice in the answer, which GUI developers find very humorous and is not meant to attack anyone intentionally. If you provided a homosexual a question with other homosexuals asking "are you straight?" and only allowed the answer "yes" would that be offensive? It's meant to make you laugh because you have no real choice to make. That's all it is.

[Inoculator9]

I get the joke, but it's still offensive. If calling someone gay as an insult is fine, than what's wrong with calling someone a Jew as an insult? There is little difference in my opinion.

[Atomic Mitten]

Let's lighten up everyone shall we? This is a popular joke amongst techies. The joke is that you have no choice in the answer, which GUI developers find very humorous and is not meant to attack anyone intentionally. If you provided a homosexual a question with other homosexuals asking "are you straight?" and only allowed the answer "yes" would that be offensive? It's meant to make you laugh because you have no real choice to make. That's all it is.

I couldn't agree more.

[Dante]

I get the joke, but it's still offensive. If calling someone gay as an insult is fine, than what's wrong with calling someone a Jew as an insult? There is little difference in my opinion.

I couldn't agree more.

[number6]

I did not realize saying "Ha ha, your gay." is offensive? I thought gay people were all about "coming out"? If you are gay you answer yes proudly and shrug off the "Ha Ha" as being immature. If you are straight you smirk at being suckered into clicking yes (or close the browser and don't answer).

So now we should restrict a persons' right to free expression? I am all for being respectful of other people's lifestyle, but this is not meant to hurt anyone and if it does bother you then I think you may be a little too sensitive. Let's pick and choose are battles on this kind of stuff shall we?

[Inoculator9]

Than Jews should do the same, when some redneck says "hey Jew"? Because the situation is almost exactly the same. I'm sorry number6, but just because our culture and media promotes the idea that gay people are all happy go lucky, want to be called gay, and aren't offended when called it in a derogatory sense, doesn't make it right.

[Andrew]

I say we get back on topic to the original post, and leave this sort of arguing to PRP board ;)

That's what it is for afterall, talking about controversial topics.

( Just to add some spice to it, what if it was the Yes button that moved and not the no button, would that make a difference in the situation? [and it said haha you're a heterosexual ] Would it be considered funny then or just lame? )

[number6]

I would submit that "Hey Jew" is derogatory and "ha ha you are gay" is not. The difference is when you say "Hey Jew" you are more than likely directing that at an individual and classifying them. When you make a blanket statement to everyone saying "ha ha you are gay" that is making fun of everyone and therefore not singling anyone out, or in my opinion not offensive. I will bring up the Gay parade in San Francisco from last year as an example of what I consider "offensive" as you put it.  Do you remember that incident? It was a public display of gay people doing all kinds of perverse acts in front of the general public to enhance "gay awareness". There was a thread about this topic and I remember reading a gay member here saying that it was funny. Here is the article that was funny:

http://www.theonion.com/onion3715/gay_pride_parade.html

Here is the thread that had the link above:

http://www.dune2k.com/forum/index.php?topic=11191.90

OK, I can deal with that even though I thought that was truly in bad taste. In this thread we have a simple joke with no disgusting sexual behaviour and now gay people are outraged? That is called hypocracy I believe.

I belive what we have here is a case of overreacting.

[Apollyon]

"I would submit that "Hey Jew" is derogatory and "ha ha you are gay" is not. "

Err... lol. You're serious? Laughing at someone for being gay is not derogatory and saying "Hey, Jew" is? Crazy.

EDIT: Oh, to everyone? But where is that specified?

[number6]

I can't imagine someone making a joke like "hey Jew" into a question so you are probably right it would still be derogatory, but it isn't a fair comparison. That's what I was trying to say.

As far as the "ha ha you are gay" I stand by what I said about it not being derogatory.

EDIT

I reread your post apollyon. To everyone is implied when we talk about the internet isn't it? The internet does not discriminate who is viewing what page. Unless you have filters setup of course.  The question is "Are you gay" not "hey gay person" which would be directed at someone. Innoc's example of "hey jew" is not a fair comparison is it?

[Seal89999]

I did not realize saying "Ha ha, your gay." is offensive? I thought gay people were all about "coming out"? If you are gay you answer yes proudly and shrug off the "Ha Ha" as being immature. If you are straight you smirk at being suckered into clicking yes (or close the browser and don't answer).

So now we should restrict a persons' right to free expression? I am all for being respectful of other people's lifestyle, but this is not meant to hurt anyone and if it does bother you then I think you may be a little too sensitive. Let's pick and choose are battles on this kind of stuff shall we?

I was thinking the exact same thing and I feel EXACTALLY the same way....

Lets not turn this simple joke into a huge full fledged battle that belongs in PRP.......

[Vanguard3000]

Err... by saying "ha ha, you're gay" you're laughing at someone for who they are/something they believe in.

How about if someone said "ha ha, you're Jewish" rather than the earlier example of "hey Jew".  If someone were to say that, they'd be making fun of someone for their religion.  I can't see how someone could not take offence to that.

[number6]

We will have to agree to disagree on this one because there is no way anyone here is going to change my mind on the subject. I think it is getting ridiculous how PC our culture has become that's all. I could care less if people are actually offended by this obviously harmless joke. I have said all that I will say on this subject.

[Inoculator9]

Okey dokey. It just aggravates me that people who watch "Will and Grace" a few times, think they know anything about gay people. I knew a gay person that got jokingly made fun of, and ended up getting linched.

[SurlyPIG]

I would submit that "Hey Jew" is derogatory and "ha ha you are gay" is not. The difference is when you say "Hey Jew" you are more than likely directing that at an individual and classifying them. When you make a blanket statement to everyone saying "ha ha you are gay" that is making fun of everyone and therefore not singling anyone out, or in my opinion not offensive. I will bring up the Gay parade in San Francisco from last year as an example of what I consider "offensive" as you put it.  Do you remember that incident? It was a public display of gay people doing all kinds of perverse acts in front of the general public to enhance "gay awareness". There was a thread about this topic and I remember reading a gay member here saying that it was funny.

OK, I can deal with that even though I thought that was truly in bad taste. In this thread we have a simple joke with no disgusting sexual behaviour and now gay people are outraged? That is called hypocracy I believe.

First, you can't categorically define any group of random people as hypocrits.  Second, I think you're reading WAY too much into the joke:

Let's lighten up everyone shall we? This is a popular joke amongst techies. The joke is that you have no choice in the answer, which GUI developers find very humorous and is not meant to attack anyone intentionally. If you provided a homosexual a question with other homosexuals asking "are you straight?" and only allowed the answer "yes" would that be offensive? It's meant to make you laugh because you have no real choice to make. That's all it is.

Do you really think the author put that much thought into the theme of joke?  I'd bet that what we have here is either an extremely immature jokester or more likely a pre-teen brat that ripped off a Flash editor and gets kicks out of sending this to his friends.

And about the gay parade, if it was really that vulgar there's no way you could have come across it by ordinary means.  I'd even venture to guess that the most vulgar thing you saw of the parade was the very article that was criticizing it.

Keep in mind that San Francisco is without a doubt the most flaboyant, open city in all of the Americas, so it is natural that anything from San Fancisco is just so.  Also, consider that the population of gays in SF totals a determined 40% of the city, as opposed to an (over)estimated 10% average in other parts of your country.  Thus it is natural to find more flamboyant gays to organize and attend such a parade, as there are at least four times more of them.

And don't make the mistake of assuming that the people who organized the SF gay parade are necessarily the same ones that would be offended by a this juvenile joke.  In fact, if you think about it, it would more likely be the opposite.  The kind of person involved in the SF gay parade would very likely be completely comfortable with their identity, and if they saw the joke in question they'd probably say "hell YEAH" and move on.

Judging a group by their most extreme members is a poor measure of reality.  It would be like if I were to judge what most Americans thought of guns based on the testaments of Charlton Heston or Michael Moore.

Also, while it's arguable what the intent of the joke is, do you really think the intent of the organizers of the SF gay parade was to offend people such as yourself?

[Kyle]

I thought it was pretty funny myself ;D...but i do see how it could be taken offensively

[thomas]

First, you can't categorically define any group of random people as hypocrits.

[number6]

Like I said I am done talking about this. I would point out though that I don't think I am reading too much into this joke, but others are by being offended by it.  The gay pride thing certainly seems to be made to offend normal people if you ask me and it was a public exhibition which is documented in that link that was provided. Oh and I only meant to apply the word hypocracy to one person, the member who thought the gay pride thing was funny, not the whole gay community. I think you will find a lot of hypocracy in the gay community though. 

[Warskum]

Dam didnt know this would offend some1, anyways i thought it was kinda funny but if ppl are offended then i would like a mod to remove this threadd to the dungon. Sry if u are offended with this thread.

(guys stop taking simple things to serious)

[SurlyPIG]

Scytale, if I have the #s wrong I'm sorry.  40% is what I've heard.  And I was responding to a post that named the parade in SF, and even if the event in question was held elsewhere, I would be very surprised if SF has never had a gay parade.  And yes, I've been there.

number6, if you really think that's the reason the joke is supposed to be funny (which does make sense), wouldn't the purpose of a techie joke centered on the idea of having no choice be better serverd with a different question?

Have you ever been sent the .exe joke that pops up a window that says, "Are you sure you want to format drive c:?" and whenever you click down on no it moves your mouse to the yes side?  And then your screen turns blank and it says something like "formating c: ... (just kidding)"

The author made the question what it was for a reason.  While it's debatable on whether or not it was meant to be offensive, it certainly wasn't meant to be positive...

[Sneakgab]

''Do you really think the author put that much thought into the theme of joke?  I'd bet that what we have here is either an extremely immature jokester or more likely a pre-teen brat that ripped off a Flash editor and gets kicks out of sending this to his friends.

''

Or maybe just some guy who thought it was funny and thought that it would not be taken seriously. As you said you'reself, it it unlikely that the person who made the joke put that much thought into it

''Also, while it's arguable what the intent of the joke is, do you really think the intent of the organizers of the SF gay parade was to offend people such as ''

Do you really think that the intent of the creator of such a simple joke was to offend people? I'd say the chances of the creator of the joke's intent being offensive are about as high as the chances of the intent of the organzer of the parade to be offensive. Perhaps his prime intent was to show his pride, but people often do this by insulting others

I don't really care much about this, but I can say that when you start caring as much about insults/jokes that are aimed at majorities (Ie: the usual homophobe jokes, male/female jokes,e.t.c) , I will start caring as much about insults/jokes that are aimed are homosexuals