BBC defends DJ's 'gay' jibe

BBC defends DJ's 'gay' jibe
(Filed: 06/06/2006)

The BBC's Board of Governors has ruled that the word "gay" now means "lame" or "rubbish" among young people and may be used in a pejorative sense without insulting homosexuals.

The Boad rejected a complaint against Radio 1 presenter Chris Moyles after he dismissed a ring tone by saying "I don't want that one, it's gay".

The word "gay", in addition to being used to mean "homosexual" or "carefree", was often now used to mean "lame" or "rubbish", the committee said.

This is widespread current usage of the word among young people, they said.

In broadcasting on Radio 1's flagship Breakfast Show, the committee said, the presenter would have been using expressions or words which the listeners used themselves.

"The committee acknowledged that this use of the word 'gay' could cause offence to some listeners," it said.

"However, the committee believed that Chris Moyles, when using the word, had meant no offence to gay people.

"He was not being homophobic in his use of the word."

But the committee added that it would be "advisable" to think more carefully about using the word "gay" in its derogatory sense in the future, given the multiple meanings of the word in modern usage and the potential to cause "unintended offence".

Last month, the actress Halle Berry accused Moyles of "racism" live on air, after he impersonated a "big, fat black guy".

Moyles said: "Put your hands up in the air! I'm a black American guy. A big, fat black guy. Put you hands up in the air. I don't wanna be shooting yo ass!"

Berry replied, "Are we having a racist moment here?"

The DJ denied that his remark was racist.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/06/ugay.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/06/06/ixnews.html

OK, well now we know, thanks for telling us, shall we ask permission before getting offended next time? :eyes:

I understand the notion of multiple meanings, if somebody were to talk about faggots in the context of discussing food it would make perfect sense - but this use of the term gay among the young is obviously because of the connotations of homosexuality.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/djs/djpics.shtml

Click on his name on this page to go to another page that will direct e-mail to him and you can tell him what a FAT FUCKING ASSHOLE he is. Not that that's negative speech.

You can also tell other DJs how totally uncool and uncred they now look being associated with a helpless racist like him.

Stick any other demographic term in there and he would have been fired. Yet it's okay to use "gay" to mean something bad.

I've been hearing 'so gay' since I was in college (mid-80's)...

hmmmm, this might be like trying to get the British to stop calling cigarettes 'fags'.

He probably is an asshole, but I've got better things to do.

Go Halle Berry, though, that rocks.

That is a genuine part of the English language - nobody over here thinks of gay people when one says "fag", and the origin of the term is unrelated to homosexuality.

Do you honestly think for a moment that calling something "gay" has nothing to do with sexuality?

because I have heard it so much.

You are probably right. It's just very common, that 'so gay' thing. I'm conflicted. One that I absolutely loathe/hate/despise is when gay men refer to women as 'fish'. I had an arguement with a friend of mine about that and he actually got out of my car in the middle of the street and walked. LOL. So most of the time I just let that one go as well, because they don't get it and it's not worth it for me to make a stink about it. So if hearing something is 'so gay' happens to me at the right time, I might fight the person about it. On another day, I might not. I don't know.

But it certainly is offensive to me. It perpetuates the notion that gay=bad, and it makes certain situations much more hostile towards gays in real life.

So, he probably should not be fired, but he should apologize.