Wanna see me get mad?

[rootofnewt]

If you're a friend of mine and you use the word "gay" as a synonym for stupid, wrong, lame, etc, please understand that *every single time you do this*, it cuts me. And when I say kids die because of word choice like that, I mean it. When you say something like math homework is so gay, you demean human beings. How would you like it if your gender, race, or religion were a synonym for stupid, dull, and lame? Sure, the witty part of my brain rejoinders Math must be pretty damn cool then, but that's only because I'm an adult with a reasonably well developed sense of identity and self-worth. I also happen to like math, but that's not important here.

When you keep using gay like that, people start to believe it. The gay kid sitting next to you believes it. The kids around you who might or might not be gay believe it. The belief that gay people are somehow abnormal persists and it can lead to pain, violence, and death.

Some stats show that 30% of all teen suicides are LGBT youth. LGBT teens are two to six times more likely to commit suicide than their non-LGBT peers. There are many reasons, but the near constant barrage of homophobic comments that so many people toss off without thinking contributes to the decay of self-worth (it also contributes to violence perpetrated against LGBT folk) and the isolation many gay people experience.

So when I say that using words like fag and gay as pejorative terms kills kids, I mean it. And I hold anyone who uses them responsible for the pain, violence, and death those words inflict whether directly or indirectly.

Comments

odd that dreamsneak should refer to your journal entry

[divest.livejournal.com]

someone said that to me today in my arts in humanities class.

"thats so gay"

I wanted to cry.

i said to her, whats wrong with being gay?

she said, everything.

I wanted to punch her, instead I told her.

"-I'm-gay"

and she didn't say anything, but she turned pale.

I have to sit at a group table with her the rest of the semester.
I have to do projects with her.
I have to interact with her outside of class.

And now I'm terrified to even act like myself.

I need to write a letter to my professor.

maybe your project partner will think before speaking the next time... maybe.

[krasota.livejournal.com]

Act like yourself. I'd also write a letter to your professor and explain that you're willing to work with someone who is so homophobic (if you are, if you're not--don't lie), but you're not certain either of you would put forth your best effort. The professor should at least know that there is some sort of issue there. Zie may tell you to deal or to work it out between yourselves, but if you don't mention it, that's what you'll be doing anyway.

Good luck. And heck--it could be worse. You could be related to her.

Re: maybe your project partner will think before speaking the next time... maybe.

[divest.livejournal.com]

I thought alot about this issue today and I decided that since I told her I was gay that maybe she will be less idiotic.

if she continues to be idiotic than she is creating a hostile envrionment and THEN I will address the issue with both her AND my professor.

and unfortunatly I AM related to people like this...

hince the reason my family are the only ones who do not know anything about my sexuality choices.

but thats what I get for being born and raised in rual arkansas.