NLGJA’s Stylebook Supplement on LGBT Terminology is intended to complement the prose stylebooks of individual publications, as well as the Associated Press stylebook, the leading stylebook in U.S. newsrooms.
It reflects the association’s mission of inclusive coverage of LGBT people and includes entries on words and phrases that have become common. The Stylebook Supplement was translated into Spanish in 2005.
Periodically, we’ll be spotlighting some of the major entries.
Here’s our “faggot” entry:
fag, faggot: Originally a pejorative term for a gay male, it is now being reclaimed by some gay men. Caution: still extremely offensive when used as an epithet.
We look forward to your comments!
Filed under: NLGJA Updates Tagged: | epithets, NLGJA
Interesting. Perhaps putting it in context with the “n-word” (and/or “queer”) would be helpful.
I’ve been known on occasion to call myself a faggot; never had occasion to use the term for others, however.
Reclaiming a word isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though the reclamation of “nigger,” for example, hasn’t been all that well received.
I had another thought, almost immediately…
I dislike using “the ‘n’ word” or “the ‘f’ word” to describe what’s being said. I prefer using the word itself in that context – I think it’s more honest.
Now I know there’ll be plenty of disagreement, but conversations are needed on all these topics, n’est-ce pas?