I used to claim that as a practicing equal-opportunity dater I was allowed to use the term "fag." After all, my male gay friends used the tag! I had a very butch girlfriend! It's like how black people can use the term...well...yeah I'm not even comfortable typing out that term.

Just, don't. Your male gay friends might use it. But, even as one bisexual calling another bisexual a fag (a very old dear friend who I happened to date a long time ago; one of the few exes I remain friends with) I've seen how hurtful it can be. I let the term slip once or twice drunk and while she tolerated it I know it hurt her and I could see how it hurt her.

I like throwing loaded words around. I like to drop the word "cunt" in conversation to see how new people react. I like to push boundaries and I like to challenge people on assumptions, their word uses, and their comfort levels. I still don't use the n-word - juvenile though it may feel to type that out. And BrainBurner , I would encourage you to rethink the use of the word "fag" if you're throwing it around in conversation. Gay and bisexual people experience a level of discrimination that you maybe can't imagine. I've been in my college town, which is north of the Mason-Dixon line (although just barely), walking around the streets with my afore-mentioned dear ex/friend. She's visibly dyke-y. And I've seen people mime throwing punches at her face. I've heard people yell "Dyke!" at her from their cars. This shit still happens. And every time you use the word "fag," you're reminding these people of all these prior instances of their life in which they've been discriminated against.

Edit: I now can use Chrome at work and OMG CHROME THANK YOU FOR RECOVERING MY TEXT I LOVE YOU.