#especially in the current political climate where stripping meager or perceived rights from queer and trans folks

[awkward-teabag]

I don't spend time in fandom spaces so can confirm it's not something I've ever heard used positively (as in before this post I didn't even know it was a thing let alone something some defend). It's always been used as a negative to imply murder, attempted murder, or as "Think of the children!" pearl-clutching homophobia where I am and who I talk to or have talked to.

Positives have always been "Gay awakening" or "Panics in gay", or some such usage of synonyms. Maybe the "Gaaaaaaay" seal meme from years back if it fits. "Gay panic" is only used when discussing serious topics or mid-late 21st century queer history.

I grew up hearing it used in regards to gaybashing and murder, it's still a valid defence for murder in multiple states and countries, and even if the specific law/defence has a different name locally "Gay panic" is still the colloquial term and understood to have a very specific meaning. A meaning never, ever taken as a positive and which is not uncommonly used to misgender victims.

And that's conversing with multiple people of varying ages across my country and the world so it's definitely not regional nor age-specific.

I'm all for reclamation and linguistic shifts but this... this is one of those things where not enough time has passed (what with it still being something to excuse murdering queer people, but hey! diversity win with "Trans panic" being split off from it despite being the same and used interchangeably to misgender victims?) and if you push it anyway, you have to expect and accept you'll be called out, kicked out, corrected, and/or excluded.

Seeing tumblr users tag their blorboposts with "gay panic" is making me insane. This term does not mean what you all think it means.