“That’s so gay,” and “You’re so retarded” you hear it everywhere. Somehow we have decided as a generation to include these words into a dictionary of insults and putdowns between groups of friends, or to people we don’t even know. Now we tell people that it is an insult to be linked to groups of people whether they are homosexual or have disabilities such as Down’s syndrome and Autism. But it should not be socially recognized as an insult or offense to be linked to these groups, because if you knew anything about “those people” you would know their immense kindness and ability to overcome hatred while still keeping an open heart.
Recently Hollywood has taken notice of these insult trends and they are using their celebrity to illuminate the issue. The issue of anti-gay language in popular culture, schools and sports has been around for decades. Celebrities such as Hilary Duff and the NBA Suns have contributed PSAs and advertisements to the ThinkB4YouSpeak Campaign promoting the awareness of homophobic language and its implications. Their main message is simple and easy to integrate into schools and the daily lives of everyone: think before you speak and understand that it’s not a joke. Even though people tend to use these words in a joking manner among friends, they are no laughing matter for the millions of people who struggle to fight against homophobia and ignorance every day.
The r-word is now coming to light as a social issue thanks to the ignorance of some media famous people and their use of electronic documentation like twitter. Ann Coulter is a repeat offender. Most recently she called the president the r-word hoping to group him into a negative connotation of people she deemed to be less than her. Luckily, it outraged a lot of people, both Republican and Democrat. Celebrities such as Sophia Bush and Glee star, Lauren Potter, who herself has Down’s syndrome, responded on twitter condemning her use of the r-word. Her comments have been discussed by many but none as eloquent and well written as John Franklin Stephens, a man with Down’s syndrome. In an open letter, he discussed the implications of her association. Not only did he write a letter with grace, he did it with an open heart and without anger. “Well, Ms. Coulter, you, and society, need to learn that being compared to people like me should be considered a badge of honor. No one overcomes more than we do and still loves life so much,” Stephens is correct, people who have spent their life without the advantages that many take for granted each and every day, they spend their lives worrying less and loving so much more.
See, we cannot fight ignorance with hate. It has to be done with education and open minds. It is not just Ann Coulter who should be ashamed, it should be anyone who has ever said the r-word or used “gay’ in a derogatory manor. It’s not funny. It’s not cool. It’s ignorant. Those who oppose it aren’t perfect; they maybe have even made these jokes in the past. They aren’t gay lovers, liberals, or without a sense of humor, they are people who see others as equals and who no longer feel like putting up with something that is not funny.