Reclaiming the F word in stories and wider gay culture

[W_L]

I've noticed an interesting trend in some published gay fiction, especially among male gay authors. While the words "fag" and "faggot" are perjorative usually used in stories to denigrate, alienate, and "other" homosexual desires and people with same sex relations, several gay male authors appear to express an interest in changing the connotation through its uses in regards to power dynamic relationships.

In past stories, the term is used to describe males with homosexual desires by seemingly heterosexual (or likely bisexual based on the content) male as a term to demean gay male activity. Anyone who grew up in the era of the early internet gay culture and story sites knows those types of stories. However from the late 2010's to present, published and more mainstream stories appear to have taken the term on with a different meaning, more resembling what consider as "sub" roles BDSM culture. Additionally there are authors, who actually exalt the word as something to be "proud of" in expressing identity rather than shame. If the meaning of the term is no longer shameful, it loses its power over us.

It wouldn't be the first time a derogative term has been reclaimed, the most famous being the N word that was used against people of African descent, which is now commonly used in spoken language and song. 

If I hear that word being used to describe me or someone I am with, I'd usually take a defensive stance and be vigilant of negative actions. It's an inherent fear response that still exist to hear someone using that term. 

Maybe the change has already happened and I am just too old-fashioned to keep up with modern trends of current cultural norms that exalt the use of "fag" as something more than a pejorative, but I do wonder what others feel about this trend. Is this term reclaimed and made to be something worth exalting or endearing?

 

[Mancunian]

This is an interesting piece on the use of the terms fag and faggot and their use as primarily derogative terms towards gay men. These terms were mainly used in North America and have now become commonly used in many English-speaking countries.

But if you look at the words and their history you will see that their use was very different. Fag in UK English was used as a slang term for a cigarette, and although to a lesser extent, it is still used in that context by many today in the UK. It also can refer to underclassmen in public schools who are used to perform menial duties for upperclassmen. Those duties may include cleaning, running errands etc. This leads to the term fagging, a word used to broadly describe the duties the fag performs. Faggot is a bunch of sticks used to help light a fire, you could use a full or half faggot to achieve this. Faggot is also a popular food item made from pork and various organs from a pig, they are usually served in an onion gravy and are quite tasty but may be considered an acquired taste due to their ingredients.

The American usage and meaning appear to have taken over from the original usage of the words. Many authors tend to shy away from their usage for this reason. I think that its usage in stories should be considered in context to the story, its setting in time and location have a great bearing on this. When writing any story it should be told as authentically as possible and any words or phrasing should be used as accurately as possible and used in context. As an author from the UK if I use the phrase 'smoking a fag' I'm probably not referring to killing a gay man, in the UK it would mean smoking a cigarette.

Used in their correct way the words fag, faggot, and fagging have different meanings and should be used to provide authenticity to a story regardless of the context or meaning. The authenticity of a story and how well it is written will attract the readers, not its use or lack of profanity.

[Zombie]

On 9/10/2023 at 4:54 PM, W_L said:

It wouldn't be the first time a derogative term has been reclaimed, the most famous being the N word that was used against people of African descent, which is now commonly used in spoken language and song. . .

Maybe the change has already happened and I am just too old-fashioned to keep up with modern trends of current cultural norms that exalt the use of "fag" as something more than a pejorative, but I do wonder what others feel about this trend. Is this term reclaimed and made to be something worth exalting or endearing?

The “N” word would never be “commonly used” in UK MSM or by those of non African heritage but it may well be in African heritage British cultures who, as you say, have “reclaimed” the word. It’s a bit like Jewish jokes - only Jewish comedians now tell them because there’s an unwritten rule that they are “allowed” to and likewise with Irish jokes.

 

6 hours ago, Mancunian said:

These terms were mainly used in North America and have now become commonly used in many English-speaking countries.

My own experience is that “queer” is the prime word that has been reclaimed in the UK because that has been the default pejorative term eg “You f*cking queers!” or, a decade or so earlier, “poofters”. “Fag”, as an American import, has less resonance in British English and writers for a British audience need to understand this. Of course, both sides of the pond continue to adopt each others words +phrases but this can be transient and stories can quickly become very dated by the author’s choices in written dialogue

[JamesSavik]

I suppose it’s a bit like reclaiming the word queer. Some people will be all for it, but use it in front of the wrong people and you’ll be spitting teeth.

[W_L]

The Advocate had an article on this from 2017:

https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2017/8/02/21-words-queer-community-has-reclaimed-and-some-we-havent#rebelltitem25

21 Words that were reclaimed (and haven't) with Pro/Cons on whether they're salvageable.