This Is So Gay…

I was perusing the headlines just now, and I came across this BBC article.

As a previous high school student and a future high school teacher, I recognize that bullying by and harassment from peers is a real source of stress for marginalized students. Whether you’re calling someone a jock, a bitch, a jew, or a fag, you’re diminishing their humanity by ridiculing who who they are.  Not only does using such language diminish their humanity, but it goes further to inflict actual psychological wounds.  Words are burdened with much previous meaning and connotation.  Therefore, every time  the word nigger is used, hundreds of years of hatred and killing and abuse of black people are carried with it.  Likewise, every time the word faggot is used, every gay hate crime ever committed is brought to bare, and that hurt is inflicted all over again.  Words are never just words… they are very powerful things, indeed.

I was never physically harmed… mostly because I never really stood up for myself or challenged those who were being so cruel to me. For those who were, however, I extend sincere empathy.

This issue needs to be addressed on an extremely sweeping and broad base. The solution must be realized in elementary school classrooms and extend all the way onto the floor of the legislature.