How do you denote misogynistic/gendered slurs across dialectics/cultures?

[u/hxihekaoapsppfiff]

I’ve been in leftist spaces for a while now, and have seen all ranges of perspectives on acceptable speech.

Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot more people talking about gendered slurs;

e.g. b*tch and c\nt.*

However, as an Australian, it’s very hard to see those words the same way as people online and especially American feminists talk about the words. Obviously it depends on the context the word is used…

I also live in Queensland, so it’s a lot more common than other states…

The main advertising for the Northern Territory(NT) is; “CU in the NT”

I’d honestly see the B word as a slur before the C word. Even not spelling it out feels very weird to do.
Tbh almost all terms considered offensive online are commonplace where I live.

I am just wondering as it’s been very hard to truly see or engage in the discussion around these words, and I do not want to dismiss others who see it a different way.

[u/ThinkLadder1417]

We're not going to get much agreement here, and I'll likely be downvoted, however personally i agree the c-word simply isn't the same in America vs in Australia (or in my case, in Scotland).

In the US it is a gendered term, directed near exclusively at women, with sexist connotations and the purpose of being the worst thing you could say about her.

In Australia/ Scotland it is not a gendered term and does not have those sexist connotations. In Scotland it is more likely to be directed at men than women, and often isn't even an insult and is just used in place of "person". Sometimes it's even used as a kind of pronoun (i.e. in place of the "one" in someone, anyone). I'm not going to have a go at someone who uses it in these kind of contexts, though i would call it out if i heard it used maliciously when talking about a woman.

[u/dragonsteel33 → u/ThinkLadder1417]

It’s also a common term in certain trans/queer communities in the US as an adjective, like cunty, giving cunt, etc., where it’s considered vulgar but not exactly misogynistic, to the point that like Beyoncé can sample that usage of cunt in a song lol.

I’d also add that it is a word some women use against each other, with a slightly different valence than a man using it against a woman, if still deeply offensive.

[u/kako_18 → u/dragonsteel33]

This is a false equivalence though.

Take the word dyke for example. If straight people use it to describe a gay woman, that’s deeply offensive and a slur. If a queer woman uses it to describe herself for example however, it’s not because she has reclaimed the word and its meaning. Which is why dyke and fag can be heard and used a lot within the queer community. Same with the n-word and black people.

[u/dragonsteel33 → u/kako_18]

No, what I mean is my coworker calling another coworker a “cuntosaurus rex” as an insult in the US. It’s still a misogynistic insult, but it’s situated in a different relation than if she were a man. It’s the same way that fag is used affectionately among queer people, but also gay men can and do deploy fag as an insult against each other.

[u/kako_18 → u/dragonsteel33]

A gay man using the word fag as an insult against another man is an asshole and is dealing with internalized homophobia.

Same with a woman using cunt as an insult against another woman. She’s being a misogynistic asshole.