It has long been revered as merry ”” since its 20th century reinvention, people have been known to kill over it and die in the name of it. But today’s ignorant-minded have too casually altered the meaning of the, now homophobic, slur ”” “that’s so gay.”
Whether you support or oppose the lesbian, gay, transgender and bi-sexual community or not ”” have respect.
In 2008, the Think Before You Speak advertising campaign premiered. Comedian Wanda Sykes and self-proclaimed triple threat Hillary Duff made light of the common homophobic phrase as the campaign’s spokeswomen. Its aim was to stray teens away from using such defamatory slang so carelessly.
Statewide legislation has been advocating an anti-gay bullyng bill for years. However, now, more so than ever, attention is being drawn on a worldwide scale.
Since the national campaign aired, more kids in the United States are disclosing their homosexuality with unprecedented regularity and doing so much younger, according to TIME Magazine. And the average gay person comes out just before or after graduating high school.
If these statistics are anything compared to those in Uganda then countless Ugandans who classify as HIV positive or homosexual could face the death penalty, pending passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill by Uganda’s Parliament.
Being homosexual in Uganda is illegal. And if the LGBT community has not been deprived of their human rights enough, the new bill could mean life in prison or death for homosexuals and supporters alike.
The worst of two evils shall prevail if the unconstitutional legislation comes to pass, as it is expected. Perhaps, what is as unjust is that a two-day conference held by American Evangelical Christians inspired the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
So think before you speak. The next time you say “that’s so gay” when you mean that’s so dumb or so stupid, realize your words are powerful enough to impact a life, a community and a nation.
And knock it off.
Anonymous • Mar 2, 2011 at 3:46 am
It is unfortunate that a legitimate human rights issue in Africa was muddled by citing the irrelevant phrase “that’s so gay.” Indeed, ignorant individuals, typically prepubescent teens, use the phrase to denote something that is dumb or lame. Those who use the phrase for this reason, usually individuals who are emotionally, psychologically and intellectually handicapped, should be criticized for doing so–not the phrase itself. In fact, the phrase, in its literal sense, is still perfectly kosher to use. If I catch my brother watching Lifetime or WE channels, or catch him watching Steel Magnolias and shedding tears, I think saying such a phrase is perfectly appropriate.
And pointing out that anti gay-bullying legislation has been talked is ridiculous. Why don’t you advocate legislation banning dwarf-bullying, or band-bullying? Bullying under any circumstances towards anyone is uncalled for, shameful, and unacceptable. You highlighting queer-bullying unveils your inability see beyond your own biases. The perpetrators of this bullying should be highlighted and called out.
I’m not sure what she means by “respect” the homosexual community. Why does it concern you that people “respect” the homosexual community, whatever you mean by that word? Why must you refer to them as a community anyways, simply because they engage in a sexual orientation that is in the minority? You are complicit in the age-old scheme of making sure we use our differences as a means to pit ourselves against one another.
I’m not sure what Philosotroll means by “that is two in a row.” High heels and a mish mash about democracy or evolution, I don’t even know what that was really about?
Anonymous • Feb 28, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Everybody realizes that “gay” has two meanings: lame/stupid, and homosexual. It’s ridiculous that the LGBT community is throwing a fit over this. They need to pick their battles better.
Philosotroll • Feb 13, 2011 at 4:24 am
Two in a row for Danielle. I guess that commits me to keep an eye on the opinion section for articles that are right on the money, as well as those which are utterly ridiculous.
I think that the claim has to be stronger, though. Homophobic and racist conventions of language are rampant, and we don’t talk about them. If the only anti-Semitism that I’d run across was in the incidents where I’ve been called a ‘kike,’ I would be much happier. But the reality is that we often embrace modern language (not just with the LGBT community; though I think that’s obviously the worst) that is derogatory, and we need to be aware of it.
As far as the Ugandan bill to execute homosexuals, it’s much more deeply disturbing than is displayed in this article. I’d love the Collegian to do a write-up on it (hell, I’d do a write-up on it if you want; save you the time) but it’s deeply disturbing both the level of mod violence and the relationship of American Evangelical groups to the incitement of much of this violence. Also, RIP David Kato, the Ugandan LGBT rights advocate who was beaten to death with a hammer on January 26, 2011.