Think before you speak
“That test was gay,” comments a student after getting back a flunked exam.
“You’re so gay,” the person walking ahead of me shouts furiously across the hallway.
I’m sure that the test was not homosexual. Perhaps the person was, but why would he be called that out of anger?
I know students of every sexual orientation who go to this school. Although I am straight, like the majority of students, I would never dream of calling someone “gay” out of aggravation. Yet every day I hear the word “gay” being carelessly used.
Did you ever realize that you are personally insulting millions of people around the world each time you say “gay” in negative context?
Why did you choose that word? Maybe you really are a prejudiced, narrow-minded person who goes as low as to abuse a person who has a different view on life than you. Possibly you think it’s cool and makes you sound mature. How mature is the lack of knowledge?
We take pride at CVHS for being an ethnically diverse school. I have Asian, European, Hispanic and African-American friends. Everyone knows that gays, straights and bisexuals are just as equal. So why do students act so ignorantly?
Once I heard a teacher trying to explain to her student why “gay” was not an appropriate word to use. The teacher chose her words very carefully so that the student wouldn’t be offended. As I listened to the teacher pour her heart out to the class, I was ashamed and embarrassed to see my classmates’ responses: eyes rolled and snickers escaped the students’ mouths.
This poor teacher was standing up for something she believed in and was laughed at by careless, self-centered idiots.
Why is “gay” used as an insult? There’s no need for that. I can think of plenty of insults that wouldn’t be offensive to anyone but the person they are directed at.
“Gay” shouldn’t be negative. Students need to really think before they speak.
Sharing the talent of our alumni, The Olympian presents classic stories from its archive, including this article first published on Oct. 25, 2002.