Telling him a word counts as profanity causes him to ask why that specific word is bad.
The accurate answer to “why is that particular word bad” is “because everyone else thinks it is.” This answer is also the same for every bad word. And it’s not an answer subject to nitpicking.
Saying a word doesn’t count causes him to use it extra amounts if he perceives it is bad
It’s not a zero/one thing and there is a cost to punishment and enforcement so there exist words I would rather him not say, but don’t want to punish him for saying.
Yes. The question was meant as a reply to your last question. The point is that it isn’t a bad word per se, but it is still annoying at best if you run around using it a lot in all contexts.
The accurate answer to “why is that particular word bad” is “because everyone else thinks it is.” This answer is also the same for every bad word. And it’s not an answer subject to nitpicking.
If the word doesn’t count, why is this a problem?
It’s not a zero/one thing and there is a cost to punishment and enforcement so there exist words I would rather him not say, but don’t want to punish him for saying.
Is the word ‘gay’ profanity?
It can be used badly, but it can be used in other ways too, so it isn’t a “bad word”.
Yes. The question was meant as a reply to your last question. The point is that it isn’t a bad word per se, but it is still annoying at best if you run around using it a lot in all contexts.