Late to the party, but for me personally, word itself, without intent, carry different weight when it comes to identifying a person. The word gay itself is still very offensive in many culture, religion and countries, even though many have accepted it. For this particular word, oriental, that is used in the thread here, I can definitely see those who didnt know it, view it as a normal word to be used as an adjective. Heck, in Malaysia, a famous cafe (kopitiam) here is called Oriental Kopi. And one of the famous 5 star luxury hotel brand here is called Mandarin Oriental. So is the luxury train Eastern and Oriental Express. Apparently, it is okay to use it to refer to inanimate object.