Someone actually used this on a close friend of mine when we started high school (2012 when it was being legalized).
I don’t fully remember what happened. But I live near this elementary school, so this grandmother started yelling at my friend (wearing a pride shirt) and I and she used FA**OT.
Apparently not as bad as shit/fuck/etc because it’s not a slur or swear word since lgbtq people aren’t people.
No one in my town ever acts this way so I was shocked. I’m not exaggerating, being an extremely liberal, well off, academic, university town, it’s very accepting. Like even my neighbor’s, friend’s grandparents, these retirees I spend time with, they all supported gay pride in the ‘60s to now.