Is ‘Twink’ a slur to gay people?
Not really. Twink is slang for a very slender, young, “delicate-looking” gay man. It’s a body type. The twink here is second from the right. Twinks are very “high in demand” in the gay community. Not every gay man is a twink, though many want to be — which opens up a lot of body image problems.
The term “twink” is a slang term that has been used within the gay community to describe a specific body type or appearance, typically referring to young, slim, and often effeminate-looking gay men. While some individuals may use this term playfully or affectionately, it can also be used in a derogatory or demeaning way, depending on the context and the intent behind its use.
Like many slang terms, whether “twink” is considered offensive or a slur can vary from person to person. It’s essential to be aware that some people may find it offensive or objectifying, while others may not.
When discussing or addressing individuals within the LGBTQ+ community or any other group, it’s generally best to use terminology that is respectful and considerate of their preferences and identities. If you are unsure how someone feels about a particular term, it’s always a good practice to ask and use language they are comfortable with.
The term “twink” is a slang term within the gay community used to describe a specific body type, often referring to young, slim, and effeminate-looking gay men. Its usage can vary, with some using it playfully while others might employ it in a derogatory manner.
Whether considered offensive depends on individual perspectives, and it’s crucial to be mindful of its potential impact.
When addressing individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, using respectful and considerate language is recommended, and asking about preferred terms is a good practice to ensure sensitivity to diverse perspectives.
Can I (straight male) say the F slur when my best friend is gay?
Yo, my hetero dirtbag, mind dropping your bitches for a second and stop dating the whore and maybe make a man out of yourself, you filthy bigot, you degraded white piece of shit.
It’s not pleasant when slurs are thrown at you, period; just because you’re straight doesn’t mean I insult you as such, do I? Go back to your cave.
Is the word “twink” a slur?
No.
For Christ’s sake, if Twink is a slur, skinhead might as well be, too. Twink is a word that describes someone’s appearance. Suppose you will, a “type,” but in real life rather than fiction. A twink is a slim, near-hairless young man who is usually feminine and gay. It’s not a slur, just like a bear, otter, or any other word used in gay communities.
They are just words like skinhead or jock. They describe the appearance of a person who behaves a certain way, like how a jock is usually a sports guy who is reasonably fit, handsome, and kind of an ass, a twink is usually a gay guy who is slim built, “Pretty” (if you will) and type of feminine.
I’ve never heard of anyone taking offense at that term or any of the other reductionist terms in everyday use among the bar, club, hookup crowd. Which should never be confused with the “gay community.”
Strictly speaking, it’s just that tiny but noticeable subset of gay (usually white) urban men 20–35 who go to bars and live on hookup apps. They love these terms like Twink because they view ALL men through a lens of sexual usefulness. So, Twink, bear, otter, Daddy, etc., are great words for this crowd. But that’s not all of us or even a majority of us.
Is “alphabet people” a slur for the LGBT?
No, it’s a slur for those who make their sexuality/gender identity their whole existence and demand others do the same or who use such as a banner under which to require preferential treatment to the detriment of others.
These people are the enemies of the LGBT movement. Their antics stand to undo all the progress made in terms of rights for homosexuals and tolerance in society at large.
The average homosexual or trans person is embarrassed and shamed by the actions of their wannabe activist contemporaries and wants nothing to do with them or their causes. Most people are just trying to get by with the hands they’ve been dealt; they aren’t trying to convert people to their cause, get laws changed, seek preferential treatment, or anything like that.
Don’t confuse the everyday gay or bisexual with these nutjobs trying to get breastfeeding banned as “transphobic” or to have dictionaries altered to suit their delusions; that’s a small handful of reactionary maniacs who cannot cope with reality and so have to try to create an imaginary world to live in where everything is precisely as they want it.
And don’t mistake the pedophile element trying to infiltrate the LGBT as being part of it; they aren’t. They are wicked, deviant people trying to get their vile attraction to children normalized so that abuse of children can be legalized. This is not the remit of the LGBT, and most are as repulsed by such maneuvers as the rest of us.
The “alphabet people” are not good. They are selfish, entitled, deluded, and, in some cases, evil whack-a-doodles who feel that they have a right to your thoughts and the education of your children. I have no problems with referring to such persons in a derogatory way; they deserve it. But your average gay, lesbian, and trans person does not.
Can WLW use the F slur? There seems to be a considerable debate on who can say it.Some people only think gay men can say it, and some people believe we should be able to say it, too. What are your all thoughts on this
Define ‘can’.
Can the word physically come out of their mouths? Yes.
Can they say it without risk of representation? No.
Do they have my permission to say it? Yes.
Did they need it? No.
Can they usually say it without offending reasonable people? Yes.
Can they say it with the intent of offense, still holding the moral high ground? No.
Here, there isn’t a considerable debate; many individual debates are intersecting. The first question is whether anyone at all should say it; someone who believes it’s wrong for any gay man at any time to say it will further think it’s terrible for gay women to say it. The next is whether anyone other than specifically homosexual men can say it; someone who believes it’s out of bounds for bisexual or pansexual men to say it will probably apply the same logic to women. The next is what context it can be displayed in, and so on.
Generally speaking, most people will find it much more acceptable for a queer woman to say the word ‘faggot’ than a straight person; queer women do sometimes find the word being used against them, they share much of the same experience with queer men, and it’s easier to assume they mean no offense when they say it. If someone uses faggot to describe themselves, it’s rather unfair to try to take that label away from them, especially as they are likely doing so because they have found themselves on the receiving end of the term.
The only use of the term I can think of that we generally accept gay men doing that we wouldn’t take gay women doing the same is, in general, insults. If a gay man called another gay man something like a ‘bitchy faggot’ or an ‘ugly queen,’ that would be considered more acceptable than if a gay woman called a gay man the same terms. I think this particular case needs more discussion: how much of this difference is the result of the term being more associated with gay men versus our view of gay men being ‘sassy’ and, therefore, able to say insulting things without consequence versus perhaps plain old sexism whereby men saying offensive things is viewed as more acceptable than a woman using similar language.
A woman using the term risks offending, but that’s true of any word; you could offend someone by saying, ‘would you like a cup of tea and some of my grandmother’s cookies?’ in the wrong context.
As for my personal view, I generally encourage slurs to be reclaimed. For this to indeed happen, we must take the sting out of it entirely. If we queer men are going to use the term, we should not be upset when others use it. If we take the word ‘queer,’ it’s been reclaimed to such a point that in most contexts, it’s acceptable even for straight people to say; this is the route I’d ideally like to take ‘faggot’ down, and it won’t go there if we try half-reclaiming it half-gatekeeping it. I don’t want it to become our n-word, whereby it can never be reclaimed because no matter how much we say it to each other, no straight person who doesn’t mean offense will ever say it; therefore when we hear a straight person say it, we automatically become offended. That’s less like reclaiming a slur and more like just calling each other one.
I doubt we will be able to do what I say quickly since so many people have lived with the term for so long they will never be comfortable around it, and that deserves respect.
Is “Twink” an offensive word to straight guys? English is not my first language. I’m gay. Can I say “twink” to a handsome straight guy? Does “twink” mean a beautiful young boy?
Oof, I would not. Straight guys are pressured from a young age about the criteria for masculinity, with the threat of being “kicked out of straight club” looming over them.
Silly, perhaps, but constantly keeping their guard up must be exhausting.
While “twink” might be a positive classification, it emphasizes youth and prettiness; in the same way, I would not call a woman handsome.
Some straight guys handle this pressure poorly, and the result is homophobia, not because they fear us but because they fear being mistreated like us.
If you managed to find a decent straight boy, take care of him. They tend to wander off into trouble, and girls these days, I’m beginning to notice, are becoming a lot more…predatorial.
Gay men can be referred to as twinks, bears, otters, etc. Does every gay man associate with one of these terms, or are the terms considered derogatory?
I don’t consider them derogatory, but I also don’t consider them relevant. Those reductionist terms are almost exclusively used by the bar and club crowd, and the compulsive hookup crowd on apps such as Grindr or scruff. And while that crowd may be more visible than the rest of us, numerically they are a tiny minority against the much larger and more diverse population of gay men.
Neither I, my husband, nor any man we have ever dated or befriended has identified or adopted one of those terms. It’s just never been on our radar. None of us go to clubs or haunt hookup apps, so when we meet or befriend another guy, he’s just a guy. We don’t reduce him to his sexual usefulness.
Does the term “twink” refer only to cute young gay boys?
Twink is more of a body type. Thin, hairless. A Twunk is a twink who works out. They have some muscles but nothing dramatic. Ive met 20 yo twinks and 65 yo twinks!
I used to want to be a twink but I was too tall and built. One of the first gay porns I remember watching was twinks.
Why do some people insist on calling the lgbt community by the q slur?
Because we do so ourselves, and the rest of the world has accepted it and respects us in this. I am quite active in the LGBTQ community, and I am Q but not L, B or T. *shrug* Come to our clubs and you’ll see some seriously queer stuff.
As a part of the LGBTQA+ community, what slurs can I use?
Why do you feel the need to demean yourself and others with the use of slurs at all? It doesn’t matter which “community” you’re part of, all such language does is degrade both you and those at whom it’s aimed. Practice treating others how you would like to be treated instead.
Why is cis not considered a slur when LGBTQA+ people use it as one constantly?
You know it’s interesting to me how this works. I call myself heterosexual. That’s how I identify myself. That’s the word I’ve always used. It’s the one I’ve known. It’s the one I’m comfortable with. No tension. Not a big deal. Just what I go by.
But somehow that’s not good enough. I have to be called “cis”. Even though that’s not my word.
Not how I identify myself. It actually sounds awful to me. It’s quite a silly choice of word. I mean it’s fine if someone wants to be called “cis”. But I don’t. I sometimes call my sister “sis”. But I’d stop if she ever asked me to call her something else. I certainly wouldn’t call my brother “sis”.
I think it would upset him if I did. He doesn’t like being called “cis” any more than I do. He says it’s what we both call our little sister. The last possible association he’d want to have in a word that describes his sexual orientation.
Then I notice – hey, wait a minute. Who keeps calling me cis? The people who are most outraged if I don’t call them their preferred word or words.
For example, growing up when I did, I know the word “transexual”. And I know the word “transvestite”. So I thought the right word to use for someone who actually had an operation was “transexual”. I used that word for quite a while because I thought it was the word.
Well, one day someone “corrected” me. And I, being a nice person with no ideological axe to grind, said ok. No problem. If that’s your word, then that’s what I’ll call you. And I have since then.
If I use the wrong pronouns people also got upset. So, even though it feels really odd to me, because it isn’t the language I know or how I think of it in my own head, I said ok. If that’s what you want me to use then I’ll use it.
Why should I argue? But for a group of people who are really demanding about the language I use to refer to them, it strikes me that they should be more sensitive to using language that I and many people like me would prefer than the entire rest of the population put together that isn’t making such a big thing about being called exactly what they want to be called.
And in my experience there are many trans people who actually are a bit hostile to heterosexual people. Maybe you’ll say it’s understandable. Or that they have a right to be. Ok, maybe you’re right. I haven’t dealt with much of this and my inclination is to respect people. That’s what I start from.
But how come they get to make up a word for me, one I don’t like at all, one that I think does contain some of the negative feeling they have about having been marginalized by so-called “cis” people, and I’m stuck with it? The word they made up without asking me?
Yes, I get it. It’s Latin. They didn’t literally make it up. But they chose a Latin word based on an ideological perspective I don’t share. I respect each person’s right to be called what they want to be called. Why can’t my choice be respected as well?
And why do they keep using it to describe me even when I ask them to stop?
I don’t think it’s fair and I don’t think it makes sense. they’re the ones who have such an issue with words and names and respect. But they picked out a really ugly one for me and they won’t stop using it.
Gay men can be referred to as twinks, bears, otters, etc. Does every gay man associate with one of these terms, or are the terms considered derogatory?
Like everything else…it depends. No, not every gay man considers themselves some specific label. That does for any subculture of a larger culture. Do all straight men consider themselves metrosexual or some other thing? No, obviously.
Is it homophobia if my son is called F slur and told he is not supposed to be gay? Guidance counselor said that they have other gay kids at the school who don’t get picked on because they fit in and that the gay slurs are just part of their language?
So the guidance counselor is basically saying that your son is being picked on and being called gay because he doesn’t fit in … that doesn’t sound like any kind of solution to your son’s problem. I’d suggest you talk to the guidance counselor and if they can’t/won’t speak to those using slurs and convince them to stop bullying your son, then contact the principal or school board about the situation.
I’m a supporter of gay rights, but I also think the word “faggot” is funny. Does that make me a bad person or a hypocrite?
Originally Answered: I’m a supporter of gay rights, but also think the word faggot is funny. Does that make me a bad person? A hypocrite?
If you’ve never been called a faggot by someone who was intentionally trying to hurt you, then sure, I could see how you could find it funny.
I’ve never been called that particular one, not to my face, but I’ve been called a bitch a handful of times in recent memory. When words are used against you, they suddenly turn from amusing things you use to tease your friends or to bother your teammates in some online game to weapons.
People use words like faggot and bitch and dyke as weapons to hurt people they deem are vulnerable, who they want to threaten or make feel worthless. And it actually works. It’s easy to say “words can’t hurt me, I’ll just brush them off” but wait until it’s you sitting there, with 5 kids jeering down at you, calling you a bitch because of your haircut and what you’re wearing.
Maybe that’ll never happen to you. If it doesn’t count yourself really fucking lucky, because it happens to a lot of us, and it hurts.
Does a twink have to be gay?
I encountered this question because I was trying to explain the term “twink” to a Korean friend. Given the Korean obsession with beauty, including male beauty, he was understandably confused because when you look at most K-pop stars (male), the vast majority have the typical twink look. Still, most are straight or presumed to be straight.
So, my thoughts on this. The term “twink” is a gay slang term. It can be somewhat pejorative, too, because beyond physical appearance, many people presume twinks are vapid and not too intelligent. When I was twink-aged, I very much detested being called one because of that, no more than most young blonde girls would appreciate being called a “bimbo” or “dumb blonde” simply per their looks.
But are Twinks always gay? No. And here is why: the term is commonly used as a denotative descriptive term. That means whoever is applying the term is making the call; if someone says, “oh that twink over there is kinda cute,” and he’s talking about some random dude across the mall’s foodcourt he doesn’t even know, he has applied the term “twink” per physical appearance.
And it seems far more common for others to denote people as twinks than for people to represent themselves as such. Thus, people may get called a twink regardless of sexual orientation or anything else.
I’ve been called a twink myself, even into my thirties, because I guess people thought I looked like one. When a term is based on stereotypes, you can say there are specific parameters (age, sexuality, whatever) to it. However, if the person visually meets the stereotype, they will still get called the term. Hence, in fact, stereotypes are dangerous.
Why do people who are LGBTQ+ use the term queer? Wasn’t that a slur against homosexuals back then?
To be blunt, there has never been a term used in reference to the LGBT+ community that hasn’t been used as a slur at one point or another. Where I grew up, “gay” was the big insult people threw around at anything or anyone they didn’t like.
Similarly, terms like “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and “asexual,” among others, have also been used offensively. We cannot come up with any terms to describe ourselves without some people using it as a slur; that is an unfortunate fact of life for us, the fact that no amount of sprucing up our language will change that.
Queer has been reclaimed for a very long time. People using it to describe themselves is not a particularly recent phenomenon, as phrases like “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it!” have been a thing since the 1990s.
Some people don’t like using it because the use of it as a slur is more common where they’re from; some don’t like it because it’s generally considered more inclusive than calling the entire community “gay.” It’s a highly complex issue but largely a matter of personal experience.
Gay men can be referred to as twinks, bears, otters, etc. Does every gay man associate with one of these terms, or are the terms considered derogatory?
It’s interesting to ponder why gay men have so many subgroups and their names. While these names are not universally adopted by all gay men, they are by enough gay men. The rest will usually know about them and generally find them harmless, even amusing. This suggests they are a comfortable part of gay culture.
Male sexuality has a very physical focus. Usually, it’s the physicality of another man that draws us in first. If it gets to it, an interest in his mind and soul will follow. Having subgroup names ( which usually connect with physical features ) hones our taste, shortens the search, and increases the likelihood of success. They can also create supportive sub-communities, which are valuable in difficult times.
There can be an element of exclusivity. It’s not common for straight people to know much about this. Where there has been such an adversarial history, a minority group is empowered by withholding aspects of their lives and culture from the oppressors.
Can I say the F slur if I am a part of the LGBTQ community?
The “N word” appears acceptable, provided one is black. I’d argue that justifying using the “F word” by claiming membership in the LGBTQ community is a little different. Are you L? B? T? If so, being “a member of the community” doesn’t give you the right to use slurs against gay members.
If a gay man wants to jokingly refer to himself as a faggot, that’s his choice. Otherwise, it’s best to keep such slurs to yourself. So…why are you keen to call people bad names, anyway? Not very “community” minded of you.
Is ‘Twink’ a slur to gay people?