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Politics and Activism

'That's So Gay'

But that's so not OK

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'That's So Gay'
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When you are trying to describe something negatively, do you say it's gay? If you do, then surely you must have an issue with those of the LGBTQ community and here is why. This also applies to those individuals that use the word that starts with the letter f and rhymes with maggot.

When you express your disapproval for something by saying that it is gay you are saying that you do not approve of it, because it seems or is gay to you and therefore it is bad. It's really not a difficult concept to understand and it really isn't that much of a hard habit to break. "That's so gay" is used everyday in college campuses, family dinners and internet comments to negatively describe something as if no gay or LGBTQ person is listening. If you are somebody that uses this expression, please keep an open mind and be willing to listen.

You may think that you are safe to say "that's so gay" because you know someone who is gay or because you liked an LGBTQ friendly post on Facebook once. Wrong. By using the expression, you use the word gay in a derogatory manner and in doing so you antagonize those that are gay. When you say something is stupid by saying it's gay, you call those that are gay stupid. Similarly to when you say something is boring, lame, gross, etc. This is why it is bothersome to those of us who are part of the LGBTQ community. It does not matter what you meant because in the end, every time you say "that's so gay," you insult us. The English language contains many words that can be used to say something is bad. Why go with the word gay? Unless of course, your purpose in using the expression was to insult homosexuals, which is obviously not a good thing to do. It's not a matter of being politically correct but a matter of being a decent human being. If your desire to say something offensive is worth more to you than your desire to keep a friend or a family member, then that says a lot about your character.

Of course, you may choose to ignore this post and continue to use this expression to describe a bad thing. Just know that it is distasteful and an incredibly offensive thing. Those of us that are LGBTQ are working towards a better, more inclusive future for not only ourselves, but for everyone. We are doctors, lawyers, professors and a million things more. Just be prepared when someone confronts you when you say "that's so gay?" What will you say? That you didn't mean it that way? Also, if you don't speak up against those who use the expression, why don't you? If you don't speak up, you are only letting the problem grow and therefore contributing to the issue. Speak up.


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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