Words can, like, totally get on our nerves sometimes, ya know?

There is one phrase in particular that bothers me. I often hear it said by teenage boys, provoked by something they find stupid, frustrating, or just uncool. Sometimes they use this word at each other to get their friends angry or to tell a quick joke. Still, every time I hear it in the hallway, I flinch.

“That’s so gay,” they say.

I used to be a little confused by this phrase, since it never made sense to me how a clothing style, a test, or an idea could have a sexual orientation. Before long, however, I realized that to many people, “gay” has become a synonym for “stupid” or “bad”.

Using “gay” as an insult is an unwise and unkind thing to do, regardless of one’s views on homosexuality. For one, it puts down people by turning their sexual orientation into a slur. Furthermore, prejudice of any kind should never be tolerated. Westminster ought to be an environment of kindness and respect, not one of bullying. The use of this word as slander reflects poorly on the school and, more importantly, can hurt others.

Turning the word “gay” into a pejorative will almost certainly count against individuals in a “real world” setting. It is likely that at some point they will meet a gay person, whether that person has come out or not. Using this word in a derogative manner in front of someone who is gay or even someone who is not could cause them to be hurt.

The words we choose to use in front of others greatly affect their opinions of us and our beliefs. The hate brought about by calling bad things “gay” will never improve them or contribute anything positive to a situation.