EDITORIAL

When it comes to day to day life, language can be pretty diverse. There are conversations after conversations occurring throughout your whole day, whether you are at school, work, or home. But during these conversations do you ever stop and take the time to look deeper into the words you use, and the context you use them in? Well right now we are going to focus on one word/term and that is “gay”. You see, many people throughout the day use this word without really thinking, but no one actually stops to verify that the way they are using it isn’t offensive or hurtful. Now, my thought process is why? Why this word and why so frequently?

You see, the word “gay” comes from the old French word “gai” which means cheerful. As time progressed it expanded into the spelling of “gay” but maintained the same meaning of cheerful and happy. The term’s transition from being cheerful to homosexual can be seen as beginning in the early 19th century but became more pronounced in the 20th when being homosexual was much more prominently seen (meaning more people were being shown as gay instead of having hidden it like in centuries past). By the time the 21st century rolled around, it became much more commonplace to be open with who you are and feel confident with how you feel. This can be seen within all the posts on social media, along with all the movements and groups and communities now large and broadcasted around the world supporting gay rights and the coming out as gay of others.

There is a major problem developing in the minds of children and teenagers alike. People using the word “gay” and other terms like it in derogatory senses that put negative connotation onto the word gay and the action of being so. It is not a bad thing to be gay, so when did it become something that is okay to put down and use as an insult? I will say right now, it is not okay to use this term like this. Being gay, and having the confidence to admit that you are, especially in a society such as ours where being different is such a drastically horrible thing to so many people, is an amazing thing.

People need to stop using this term and others like it because all it does is add fuel to the fire of those who believe that being gay or different is wrong. By stopping the use of this and others like it, it could make a huge difference. This could be the release needed to push people to make a change in their lives and others around them. This could be what pushes things over the edge and makes being different okay, makes people see that there is nothing wrong with individuality, whether you’re gay, straight, bi, pan, or any other kind of sexuality.

Being who you are and being true to yourself is the most important thing in the world. All the differences that set others apart from each other are what makes this country and this world so unique and amazing, but it can’t stay that way if all people do is look at those differences in disgust and think that because you are different there is something wrong. Look at who you are and think to yourself “would I want to be treated this way if I was different? Would I want to be looked at like there is something wrong with me?” With all of this said, I propose we take a good long look at the things we say and the words we chose and how they will affect the world and others around us.