Today, there are so many words and sayings used to attack the LGBTQ+ community, and it needs to come to an end. Even though it may not sound offensive to you, little things like, "that's gay" is offensive. Saying "that's gay" invalidates the LGBTQ+ community, so stop saying it.
Let's be clear, the word gay isn't a bad word. Besides the term referring to a person who falls in love with the same sex, it also means to be happy. Most people who use this word don't know what it means and hurl it as an insult.
Saying "that's gay" or "you're so gay" can come off very harassing in nature. Even though younger children often use these phrases in school, putting down someone for who they love is quite disgraceful.
Things don't change overnight, and it's up to us to do better. There are many ways to educate people on the proper terminology and prevent people from using offensive slang.
Some things you can say in response are:
— Do you know what gay means?
— That's not OK to say.
— That is a very mean thing to say and can come off offensive.
— Even though you may not try to be offensive, that comes off offensive.
Sometimes it's not what you say, it's how you say it. We can't stoop down to someone's ignorance and reply with disrespect.
In times like today, we can't ignore homophobia anymore. People in this world are being killed and attacked due to their sexuality, and little comments like this are just not OK. Let's stop invaliding the LGBTQ+ community and start supporting them.
In 2021, let's do better and be the ones to make that change. Why are we upset because other people are happy? We all have to stand together if we want to make the world a better place.
