That’s SO gay. (re-post)

by RONNIE on FEBRUARY 16, 2011

If you decided to read this blog you are which of the following?

a) retarded

b) gay

c) a gay retard

d) STUPID

e) simply interested in what the post was about

Well, in an ideal world one would hope to believe that answer e) was correct, but in reality much of the US population seems to believe that the answer is d) STUPID. How do you feel about that?

From school playgrounds, to the water cooler at work, to our very own homes we are witnessing our friends, colleagues, and our own family members falling victim to this very serious epidemic. It seems that these individuals have learned somewhere along the way that the words ” gay” and “retard” are synonymous with “stupid”. Many of these vocab offenders (that most certainly have George Miriam & Noah Webster rolling in their graves) do not even realize that they are misusing the words. More than that, they may not even realize the damage they are causing to themselves and to those around them.

Those who identify with being part of the LGBTQ Community or those who aredifferently abled do not deserve to be placed in the same category or referred to as “stupid” by any stretch of the definition. When a vocabulary offender misuses these words, they not only look ignorant to those around them, but more than that they hurt the person they are offending while indirectly hurting anyone in the room that happens to be part of the LGBTQ or Differently Abled community. It truly is a vicious cycle that more often times than not goes unaddressed and unpunished because people are frightened to speak up and break the silence or to simply confront the offender because of peer pressure. Silence is equally appalling to me as the offender’s behavior because silence condones the behavior and teaches the offender that it is OK to continue to behave in this manner.

I have to say that I was very impressed and happy to see the following video from comedienne and actor, Wanda Sykes:

And this video I found, made by a young man who decided to take the time to address this very issue in his own unique and heart-felt way:

Last, but not least, the ladies of The View:

As you can see from watching the videos above, many people are breaking the silence and speaking out against the misuse of “gay” and “retarded”. We all can be part of this important movement by educating ourselves and those around us to the hurt and damage that the misuse of these words can cause. This kind of change does not happen overnight and takes an entire community to stand-up and say we are not going to accept this behavior because it is hurtful and we would not want it done to us, therefore it must not be condoned towards others. I cannot count the times that I am out at a restaurant, at the gym, or at a club and hear these words just being thrown about carelessly and it truly boils my blood. On numerous occasions I have challenged myself to break the silence and believe me it can be scary (especially with strangers), but if I do not find the courage to take it on…then who? The change starts with us and we cannot allow ourselves or others to get away with this bad behavior.

So, the next time you are out with your friends, family, co-workers, or around total strangers I urge you to break the silence – speak up when these individuals misuse the words “gay”, “retarded”, or any other word that can cause serious emotional and psychological harm. If everyone commits to this we will take the first step towards eradicating stupidity – a slow, but worthwhile process.

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