Why can the word pansy be used in class, but not the word gay, or ******?

We are doing a reenactment of R%26amp;J and we can be creative with it. So my partner decides to make Mercutio gay, and in the script Tybalt refers to him as ******. But the teacher says we couldn't say ******, gay, homosexual, or queer. But she says we can use the word pansy. I don't see how that makes the statement any less demeaning. Why is the word pansy okay to be used, but not any of those other words when we are using them all in the same context?

Why can the word pansy be used in class, but not the word gay, or ******?
Because teachers make the rules up as they go along.



What did they call homosexuals in Shakespear's day? That would sound more appropriate. Sodomite? 'Pansy' just sounds damn stupid.



How about @rse bandit, shirt lifter or fudge packer instead. Lol.
Reply:i think you misunderstood the quote. He says go get him a ****** which back in the day meant a bundle of wood. you should quote that passage
Reply:A pansy can also refer to a flower
Reply:It is COMMONLY seen as less offensive than the other words.

It's actually more of an old-style word for homosexual. It's sort of a perception thing..



It connotes more of a feminine nature rather than "A homosexual that has sex with boys" You know?
Reply:They are derogatory and quite offensive.
Reply:Pansy is as derogatory as any of the other words, but in the context of Shakespeare, it would ''imply'' homosexuality without directly stating it. The ''flowery'' word seems a bit less aggressive, but is nonetheless a bad one.