The first time I heard the word “Fag” being used was probably when I was in middle school. I knew what the word meant. Fag, a shorter word for the word faggot, an informal, and offensive word for a male homosexual. What I did not understand was why it was being used towards a boy who was not homosexual.
Offensive words often end up being used as insults or casual slang, with no intention of actually insulting the members associated with the word. When I heard the word fag, it was said between two non-homosexual boys, that appeared to be having a casual conversation. After hearing the word used more often, I realized that it was a way to insult other boys. The word faggot is associated with homosexual men. And homosexual men are typically seen as non-masculine. So being called a fag was essentially saying a boy was not manly. Whether he could not play a sport well, or did not want to involve himself in a particular activity that all the other boys were participating in, he was not a man. That is what the…show more content… So many of them think that it is ok just because they are not addressing a homosexual or mentally challenged individual. But an offensive word is just that, an offensive word. Whenever the word fag is used, not only is it insulting to the person it is being said to, but it is still insulting to homosexuals. The fact that the word is used to describe a not so masculine boy, is also saying that homosexuals are not masculine. That is an insult to both the boy and all homosexual men. I did not hear the word dike used often, but when I did it was used in the same way the word fag was used. As an insult. An insult to homosexual women. Calling a girl a dike, was the opposite of calling a boy a fag. A fag is a non-masculine man. And a dike is a non-feminine woman, someone who acts or dresses in a not so feminine way. Again an insult to both women and homosexual