Just have a question for people on the board. I saw a news clip today Of Dyke march in Toronto. Dyke is not a word I use and I thought it was not supposed to be used anymore. So my question is do you guys and girls use it and in what context. I know as a society especially these days words can easily offend so curious on this.
Ignore if you're looking for a fight.
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I asked a group of my lesbian friends who I know don't use the term about this.
How lesbians got this word applied to them is a big part of the problematic nature of this word. That's pretty well-documented (as is "fag"). Burning women isn't cool. Words that remind the community of the past practice of how lesbians were treated by society isn't much cooler.
Basically, because of historical and contemporary (primarily) negative connotations that come when that term is applied by a member outside of the lesbian community, to a member inside the community, it's a term that can/should be avoided.
To confuse matters, if you're a member of community yourself it can be used as a term of empowerment, in-particular when used amongst other lesbians.
The examples they gave:
"There were a lot of dykes at the lesbian march." = Not appropriate.
"There were a lot of dykes at the Dyke March." = Not appropriate.
"There were a lot of lesbians at the Dyke March." = More appropriate.
Within the community there isn't consensus on whether there is ever an appropriate way/time to use the term, and therefore some don't use it at all. As to why it's still called the Dyke March, despite it being a problematic term, I was basically told "Lesbian Community Politics."
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So, just as I'm sure you'd never use the n-word, I imagine you understand (but not necessarily agree) that this term CAN be used as a term of endearment within the community it initially was designed to offend.
Contemporary usage is entirely "owned" by the group the word historically oppressed.
As a straight, white-male, I can live a relatively normal life by accepting the above while not using this term. I'm OK with avoiding it now that I understand the harm it causes.
Not being a lesbian myself, I don't feel I should really have a say on how/when it can and cannot be used.