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Beej Simrov

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Censored Word

Blog Posted by Beej Simrov: 9/14/2024 9:58:00 PM

I just posted a poem and the word "q-u-3-3-r" is censored in asterisks. (I typed it that way because I didn't know if it would also be censored here in this blog and I didn't want my entire blog to be visibly useless).

As a gay man I find this pretty stupid, because the word has been utilized by the "q-u-3-3-r" community not as a slur but as a token of identification with our obvious existence as strange...we are not common and that's fine but we exist and always have.

I see no harm in this word, which can only be harmful in context, but such context cannot be regulated by this site's (understandably) poor algorithms.

It's absurd to censor this word, so I hope Team PoetrySoup reconsiders this strange decision because my poem looks stupid now.

If you disagree and want to debate this, bring it.

Also, if anyone else feels that other words are censored unnesecarily, I'm willing to chat about it here if it's not a sick word.

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Beryl
Edmonds

Date: 6/25/2025 8:41:00 PM

Forget it B. J. we all say things that we regret saying sometimes. I’ve recently been accused of revealing something here on this site, and I truly didn’t do it. I know the truth so I’m going to put the words the poetess said where they belong, in the closet… Beryl

Crystol
Woods

Date: 9/28/2024 9:22:00 AM

I had this same issue when using the word in its adjective meaning as defined in the dictionary... adjective 1. strange; odd. "she had a queer feeling that they were being watched" But I also agree with you that the use of this word to describe or label sexuality or as an identifier is not a slur these days. Perhaps PS can update their censored words. If censoring any word is necessary... which I don't think it is. What should be censored is any poem written to spread hatred... but even that should only be shunned, not censored... for freedom of speech should be upheld by all. Thanks for shedding light on this issue! Xoxo

Beej Simrov
Date: 12/16/2024 6:02:00 PM

Idk how I missed this comment but thank you for your thoughtful comment...I guess having queer feelings is illegal in poetry

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 9/16/2024 11:12:00 PM

I heartily agree with you. We aren't little babies here. I have had words censored also I forgot the last one but it was ridiculously unnecessary. What is this? Political correctness going overboard? Also queer STILL has its original meaning of odd which should be understood if used that way by context. And gay is in the final stanza of the rhyme for days of the week and also found in Christmas carols. But the child born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe and happy and gay. I think I just recalled the censored word of mine was ass. It's biblical and there is nothing wrong in using it for an animal OR for a smartass

Mark Massey
Date: 10/1/2024 4:44:00 PM

…or dumb ass (sorry Andrea, I couldn’t resist saying it).

Gary
Radice

Date: 9/15/2024 2:19:00 AM

I had a few genuine UK place names ‘asterick-ized’ in a poem I wrote yet in the comments their mention escaped scot free. I wouldn’t mind but my aunty actually lives in one of the places: Sh**terton in Dorset, England. She informs me the village sign keeps getting stolen. Its name dates back at least to the eleventh century and means "farmstead on the stream used as an open sewer. :) Cheers - Gary

Beej Simrov
Date: 9/15/2024 7:04:00 AM

Omg I'm dying; the humor of the UK never fails. Thank you, genuinely for sharing my new destination on my bucket list.

Gary Radice
Date: 9/15/2024 6:47:00 AM

Weird thing is that in my poem (which is basically a list of real but strange place names that I got to rhyme), The Butt Of Lewis got past the censor unscathed. :) The Butt Of Lewis is the most northerly point of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides (Scotland). :) Rudha Robhanais is its gaelic name. In English, it was originally called Bowling Head, but the name was changed at some point to the Butt of Lewis. Question is..Why?? And by who?? :) Gary

Beej Simrov
Date: 9/15/2024 5:12:00 AM

Shitterton omg I just burst out laughing; the real world Schitzcreek. I have definitely noticed that sometimes words are not censored and then are randomly later so the algorithm seems overworked. This brings to question the origin of profanity, like where did that word (schit) even come from? I guess I'll have to google that and hopefully not be lied to. Thanks Gary, for making me laugh especially.

Suzette
Richards

Date: 9/15/2024 12:28:00 AM

I had a whole poem deleted in the past as the word @ss was considered rude (only in the USA), although it was used in the Biblical sense, meaning donkey. However, the word derrière did not get any reaction from the snowflakes. In one of my more recent posts on here, I used the word diddle (not realising that it is a rude word in the USA). This brings me to a recent thought I had: Poets should be able to express themselves without the fear of constant monitoring, especially in protest poetry. Too often it is a case of uninformed opinions that ruin a well-penned and informative poem. I agree with you: Each poem should be viewed in the context it is presented.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/16/2024 11:13:00 PM

Hey diddle diddle. (give me a break)

John Lawless
Date: 9/15/2024 7:49:00 AM

I would suggest taking the "diddle" issue up with the "cat and the fiddle"...hehee

Beej Simrov
Date: 9/15/2024 5:05:00 AM

I had not a clue that diddle was rude and I'm American. It seems very arbitrary to me to censor words rather than the use of which; if people want to misuse them for malignant reasons, then the context should be subject to action. It's sort of distracting to worry about whether a word I want to use will be monitored, especially since I rely on trains of thought to write. Love that you used the word "snowflakes" because the hypersensitivity of it all gives some of us a bad name. Thanks for responding so thoughtfully and anecdotally.

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Censored Word

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