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I was told that sign language does not qualify as actual speech (ergo one cannot make a beracha via sign language) as such would obscene gestures be permissible (since they would ostensibly not violate nivel peh) or would they be forbidden for some other reason?

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Kedoshim Tihiyu - Al Tihiye Naval B'Reshus HaTorah – Gershon Gold Nov 23 '12 at 2:31
What makes you think the prohibition of nivul peh has anything to do with speech? – Double AA♦ Nov 23 '12 at 4:43
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@DoubleAA The name "peh" – b a Nov 23 '12 at 5:01
@ba And lashon hara has lashon. So I can say evil things about people if I only use consonants that don't involve my tongue (like m, b, f, p, v, h and w)??? What kind of hava amina is this? – Double AA♦ Nov 23 '12 at 5:06
@DoubleAA But there's an explicit verse and an explicit gemara that implies otherwise (see Chafetz Chayim 1:1:8 in Be'er Mayim Chayim note 12); as far as I know, there is no indication to the contrary concerning nivul peh – b a Nov 23 '12 at 5:27
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