Can gay men ever really reclaim the word ‘f*ggot’?
By Will Stroude
When it comes to the LGBT community, there few words with as emotionally charged – or as divisive – as the word ‘faggot’.
A new video from Cut Video asks 30 gay men what the word means to them: whether they use it themselves, what they think of people that do, and ultimately how it makes them feel.
The clip sheds light on our complicated relationship with gay slurs and derogatory language, and whether such terms can ever really be ‘reclaimed’.
“I’ve heard ‘faggot’ a lot in my life, and it never gets easier to hear,” says one man.
Another adds: “It’s definitely been a word that I’ve reacted to very negatively in my life, but it’s also a word I’ve used amongst my friends”.
One says: “I have a hard time with that word, because I use it. I wouldn’t be surprised if people thought I was a hypocrite if I used it with them or if it made them uncomfortable. But at the same time, it’s a word that I’m not ready to let go of yet.”
Watch the video below:
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