i need my non-jewish followers to know the following:

“goy” is not a slur or an insult when a Jew says it. it means non-Jew.

it can be said mockingly and it still isn’t a slur b/c the ONLY meaning it has is “non-Jew.”

“goyim” is the plural of “goy” and it also is not a slur.

“goyishe” is the adjectival form and it also is not a slur.

online nazis have appropriated a yiddish word and because there are so few Jews, and so many nazis, it can be hard for our voices to be heard over theirs.

but just because online nazis have tried to take a word Jews use and make it sound like it is a slur... it does not mean that Jews who use it are slurring you.

“gentile” is also not a slur. it means “non-Jew” and it is the word y’all preferred us to use for you.

You may be wondering, Why are y’all talking about us at all? Talking about goyim is essential to Jewish survival in the diaspora. But such discussions aren’t necessarily fearful or disrespectful.

Nevertheless, you will find a significant number of Jews who simply feel that the word goy has too much pejorative baggage and will always come across as a slur. And so they won’t use it, and basically...I’m one of them, lol? I don’t use it.

And it’s not because I think the word is a slur.

It’s not even because I’m trying to spare the feelings of someone who thinks it is.

It’s because I’m afraid of angry Christians harming me because they perceive me to be an uppity Jew.

I use the word gentile most often b/c it’s easier than non-Jew

I use non-Jew when I am trying to be especially diplomatic

also I want to acknowledge that there are some Jews who do think it is a slur

basically, 2 (or more) Jews, 3 (or more) opinions: that is the rule, always.

never, ever take anyone’s opinion on a Jewish matter as anything but that—an opinion. (even if i am obviously correct)

But I really do raise an eyebrow at the anecdotal evidence of people saying the word is a terrible slur.

Context matters. If a person is coming home after a long day of experiencing intense antisemitism, the conversation they have is going to sound a way.

I also just question the people defining it as a slur? I think the people defining it that way are confused about how power dynamics AND language work. If you want to talk about a yiddish slur, let’s talk about the s-word.

muting this thread now... idk why it’s getting a bunch of likes but it’s distracting, lol. @ me in a new thread if you want to discuss something.