My sincerest apologies for not posting last night. I was working on an art campaign for my blog... so look foreword to that being posted sometime in the next few days (and do try to contain your excitement, it's really overwhelming)...(sarcasm yeah).
Today I will be ranting about insults.
They're a part of all of our lives, whether we're giving them or receiving them (it's impossible not to do both throughout life). When we were much younger, we threw around insults like "dumb" "stupid", and those first-grade equivalents to profanities. As we got older, "idiot" "jerk" "dumbass" entered the realm of out insult vocabulary (I would add "moron" but I've never really heard someone being called that seriously). Then highschool rolled around and suddenly the insults are "bitch" "slut" "ditz" "assholes" and many, many more that I will not go into for the sake of preseving at least some of the non-profane aire of this blog (/laughs just kidding. I think we're far past being non-profane). But one insult, or word-with-negative-connotation that particularly pisses me off is the word "gay". Why are we using a word for sexual identity as an insult? Please tell me, because I am quite angry.
UGHHH JOHN BENDER PLEASE DON'T DISTRACT ME FROM THE POINT AT HAND (/tries to ignore John Bender)
... Okay we're moving swiftly onwards.
Back to my point. It is, quite unfortunately, very common in the adolescence of today's generation to hear the word "gay" being tossed casually around without any thought.
In a long, boring class? - "This is so gay."
A guy doesn't like a 'hot' girl? - "dude, quit being so gay"
Someone doesn't look 'attractive'- "gay"
A flamboyant, outgoing boy/man/male thing or a short-haired, basketball-short wearing girl/woman/female thing? obviously "gay". My point is not that people are making assumptions about someones sexual identity judging from their clothing and personality (Though people do...). No, my point is that the word "gay" is used in direct replacement of words like "stupid", "lame", "ugly". This negative connotation has been tagged onto this word that should hold ABSOLUTELY NO NEGATIVE CONNOTATION (excuse my use of caps, but this is an urgent matter).
Does it really make sense that a word used for personal identification is being used as an insult? It's so unrelated and nonsensical. It's like saying "oh my god. This is so freakin' tall" when talking about something frustrating.
The word "gay", originally meaning "happy", but now used by the LGBTQ* population to identify themselves hold no negative connotation on its own. I hate to sound like the feminist killjoy I am, but the use of "gay" in our society just shows the underlying, homophobic attitude people have. You can't insultingly call someone gay and then claim that you're not homophobic. It just doesn't work that way kids.
Think of how it feels to the LGBTQ* community when the word that some of them use to identify themselves is used as an insult. It's like all of society is bullying them, and beating them down with the use of this one word as an insult. Even when it's not being used as an insult and used as just a word-with-negative-connotation it's hurtful. I am a tall girl. I accept that. And I would feel very hurt... and pissed off... but mostly hurt if people started using the word "tall" to replace "ugly" "lame" "stupid" becuase that would automatically mean that I must be "lame" "Ugly" "Stupid" because that's how the word was being used. Now amplify that like 100X and that's how horribly insulting it is to a population of people that this society needs to start admitting is made up of actual People that have feelings, dignity, and the right to equal treatment and respect. This careless use of "gay" to insult or replace downer words is what makes people feel ashamed to come out, or to identify as part of the LGBTQ*. They see the societal discrimination and very bad things can happen. bullying, and suicide being the two major one. C'mon kids, we can do better than this. Just look at our friend Macklemore. He knows what's going on
Yeah, Macklemore wrote an amazingly beautiful song that perfectly captures what I've been trying to say.
So if all this stuff you just read went completely over your head or you think it's just Mumbo-Jumbo, please take a listen to "Same Love".
Anyways. I have to take my afternoon nap (all this feminist ranting is quite tasking).
So be well, watch The Breakfast Club, and stop societal discrimination
Viva La Feminista!
-Panteha
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