Were You Considered Cool Or Were You Bullied Growing Up (your stories)

[kashell]

I thought that calling things gay as a pejorative really took off after that one scene from Community

Not sure. But  I distinctly remember it as common slang on the school yard through out the 90s and early 2000s.

That time sounds about right, although it might vary from region to region as Telly pointed out.

I cringe whenever I hear someone say that in passing. If it's with someone I'm in conversation with, I'm quick to correct them. Luckily, I haven't heard or chatted with anyone about that in years.

[telly]

this movie is gay

this video game is gay

this song is gay

this book is gay

i can assure you that in 2017-2020 for teens saying everything is gay is still highly popular. that's definitely not something from the past only since in the past few years calling everything gay is pretty popular among teens and kids.

I don't hang out much around teens or kids these days so you could very well be right 

[dharmajones93]

Does anyone remember when the kids of the 1990's used to consider anything and everything they disliked the word Gay? regardless of what anyone even knew what that meant? kids used would say stupid things like

this movie is gay

this video game is gay

this song is gay

this book is gay

I grew up in American suburbs, so, yeah I mean I might have gotten picked on or beat up a few times by older kids in elementary school, but I dished it out too. I was way more afraid and oppressed by a shit kicking father (he's quite reformed now and I love the guy but my childhood was not always fun). It's all relative though. It sounds like from your experience (OP) that my experience wasn't so bad, and I'm empathetic to that.

To your other point though, I do feel some shame over the way I talked, but really can only admit that I was mimicking what I heard. I'm sorry that the things I said probably hurt people. I can't do much about that now except recognize the effect my choice of words has on people and to act with kindness and compassion whenever I can.

I remember saying "gay" in particular really becoming popular once South Park came on the scene, as well as many, many other ridiculous things...

[Warmsignal]

this movie is gay

this video game is gay

this song is gay

this book is gay

i can assure you that in 2017-2020 for teens saying everything is gay is still highly popular. that's definitely not something from the past only since in the past few years calling everything gay is pretty popular among teens and kids.

I don't hang out much around teens or kids these days so you could very well be right 

LOL

[wartoy]

Ok so yes I was cool at least most people thought so. And yes I've been bullied before there are always pepole who think that thay are better than you or stronger or smarter than you but I never let it get to me. In my teens I hung out with a pretty rough crowd there was alot of drinking and fighting I got tired of the same bullshit every day.So I stoped hanging around with them and found a new smaller group of friends that didn't feel the need to kick the shit out of each other every day.Supposedly They weren't as cool as my other friends but I didn't care. Their the best friends I've ever had and even though we all have families of our own now we still keep in touch. 

[kamikazekeeg]

I got picked on a bit at a point, but really wasn't bullied.  I never really fit into any grouping, like I had older friends in high school who were the geeky goth types, but I had a friend or two who could be considered cool, but I was still hanging in geeky groupings to talk about anime and games, I did football for two years, I hung out with troublemakers, and I played in a band that played some classic rock and older metal.  Then at some point in high school, I was basically 6 foot and 200 pounds, so while I was never intimidating, I wasn't exactly a pushover.  Plus I had a good grouping of friends who would back me up if anyone tried to serious bully me, at least one or two I know of who would throw themselves into a fight lol

I got fortunate that high school wasn't terrible for me as it was for others.

[oldgamerz]

Face

I do thank my lucky stars that social media wasn't a think when I was a kid, though. That crap is poison for the most part.

Yeah I was in High School when social media was getting big and it defiantly messed up a decent amount of people.

From what I believe most of the Facebook audience is people in the ages of their 20's and 30's and older today. but I don't hang out with teens and children either. So I am not 100% sure. Yes there seems to be a lot of negative stuff on some of Facebook still but I don't go to those groups or pages. or profiles.

Facebook is for older people. Not sure if Twitter or Instagram is better or worse.

My Space was around when I was in high school but social media was not around when I was bullied either.

[undertakerprime]

Up until 4th grade, I did all right socially since I started school with many of the kids. There was an older kid who would verbally bully me, but it stopped after I told the teachers.

During 4th grade we moved to Germany and I attended an international school there (meaning English was the primary language and most students were from other countries). I had a few friends but for the most part I was very unpopular. Always last to be picked for sports, usually spent recess alone. My friends tended to be fellow outcasts. I did run into a few kids who were verbally abusive but nothing horrible.

Moved back to the US in 8th grade, and the Connecticut school I attended was known for being very hard to make friends. Most students there were stuck up dicks. I rarely spoke or interacted with any of them. Forget being picked last, once the 2 kids picking teams for a recess stickball game just flat-out ignored that I was there. There was a big jackass student who would put his hands on me and make obscene phone calls to our house. This was 30 years ago, but nowadays he could get in big trouble for sexual harassment. Fortunately we only lived there for a year.

Finished high school in Georgia, which was overall much friendlier, though throughout high school I was basically invisible. There was one guy who kept messing with me, but one day I told him off and he never bugged me again.

[turf]

I played basketball all through high school. So, yes and no. It was kind of a right of passage to get picked on by the older kids. I got thumped in the head and hit with class rings on the daily.
Then, when I got bigger, I did the picking. It’s just the natural order of things.

[oldgamerz]

in 4th grade the teacher didn't do anything about it, one time my 4th grade teacher got up and left the class and I got into a big fight, I got beat and suspended for 1 week and the bully got suspended for 3 days, luckily my parents knew what happened so they got mad at the school, and didn't punish me.

I am lucky to have had school in the 1990's because if this was earlier in time the school principal would have beaten me, because no matter who I told, at school nobody believed me. Or the teachers didn't want to acknowledge it

my parents saw all the bruises, and there was proof of neglect and abuse, but the school didn't do anything, and as for the cyber bullying? yea I tried to take my own life, because of that, I could not even play a video game without it crashing, or the CD being overwritten and corrupted, the people that were doing this stayed hidden and once again nobody believed me until years later when I was able to get proper connections in my community.

[oldgamerz]

I thought that calling things gay as a pejorative really took off after that one scene from Community

Not sure. But  I distinctly remember it as common slang on the school yard through out the 90s and early 2000s.

That time sounds about right, although it might vary from region to region as Telly pointed out.

I cringe whenever I hear someone say that in passing. If it's with someone I'm in conversation with, I'm quick to correct them. Luckily, I haven't heard or chatted with anyone about that in years.

Yea in my high school the teachers started to correct the students who would call everything Gay. one day someone called a class movie gay and the teacher quoted that a movie does not have a sexuality. And it pretty much made everyone be quiet and enjoy the movie

the word gay originally meant "happy" but in some cases teens and children use the term gay as another term for uncool.

Back in the day some adults used to say probably before most of us were even born and especially in different parts of the world.

 in quote "Today is a vary Gay day" in which used to mean in quote "Today is a vary happy day"

[betelgeuse]

I just hope nobody tries to bring back “gaytarded”. It’s probably been over 10 years since I heard that one used. But like others here, I don’t hang out with kids either. Hard to say what’s being said these days.

[kashell]

Egads. That was a thing?! I'm thankful I hadn't heard that one until now.

[oldgamerz]

I just hope nobody tries to bring back “gaytarded”. It’s probably been over 10 years since I heard that one used. But like others here, I don’t hang out with kids either. Hard to say what’s being said these days.

Egads. That was a thing?! I'm thankful I hadn't heard that one until now.

yes, but but they didn't use the term "gaytarded" as much in my school, probably because that made the person who said that think of how stupid it was to say that word.

[Cartagia]

Hey how about we don’t just list hate speech and insults on the forum?