you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

When I was growing up, 'peder' (gay man), 'pederast' (gay-like or behaving in a gay-like manner, and yes in Serbia, the word for gay comes from pederast, or pedophile, so there's that association as well over there), and 'peša' (a diminutive version for 'peder') were terms thrown around my household, especially by my mother.

It was generally used to insult men who did not fit the stereotype for straight men, had some kind of flaw about them, or behave in a way that is different or not acceptable for men, therefore making them lesser 'peders'. I used to use it quite often when I was younger, not realising the implications behind it, and had to learn to not use it even though our family and family friends often did.

However, there isn't an equivalent for women or lesbians. Yes, 'lesbika', when used to describe a woman, is usually said as an insult rather than a descriptor, but it's certainly not as widespread or common as the different ways you can describe men as 'peders'.

My mother will occasionally call men 'peders' and I'll always call her out on it, so thankfully she's improved, but my Serbian family/ family friends still use it and it's awful to hear.

[–]reluctant_commenter[S] 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Wow, that is extra tough having that root of the world literally be linked to pedophilia. I'm glad your mom was able to change, but hearing so many people still say that is rough.