Do Gender Slurs Offend You?

It used to be that gender-specific slurs like “tramp” and “slut” were considered so offensive and sexually charged that we seldom heard them uttered in public. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to hear them used as terms of endearment among girlfriends. We might let out a “Hey, bitches!” when we meet with our BFFs or teasingly call our favorite gal pal a slut when she’s flirting shamelessly at the bar, forgetting that these terms hold sinister origins. And let’s be honest, it’s not unheard of for these terms to be used in a less-than-playful manner from time to time. In a society where gender slurs are tossed around like nicknames or used in casual conversation, do these words hold the same power as they used to? Or have we become desensitized to the misogyny that these words represent? Is it ever okay to drop the b-, c-, or s-word? Let us know what you think below.