Some words not to be used lightly
Kelly Rogers
Amanda Rubio
You're hanging out with your friends after the Super Bowl, eagerly anticipating the debut of "Survivor II." The group starts to banter about who will be the first to get kicked off, the feminist ex-cop or the hot personal trainer. Suddenly, one of your cohorts announces, "I don't care, `Survivor' is gay." Some of your peers giggle nervously, while the others awkwardly change the subject.
We've all found ourselves in a similar situation at one time or another. You'll be talking about an arbitrary subject when one of your friends voices his disapproval or dislike for something by characterizing it as "gay." Although this phrase may often go unchallenged, it does not go unnoticed.
The use of the word as a misplaced adjective offends many people, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is unnecessary to use such a word where it does not belong. When something is meant to be characterized as stupid or lame and people say "gay" to get their point across, the word is tagged with a negative connotation.
The misuse of the word not only offends, but also makes the speaker look uneducated and unrefined. It's no mystery that Notre Dame students receive some of the best educations in the country. Surely they can come up with a more sophisticated word to describe their feelings — or a more accurate one, at that. If something is stupid, why not call it that?
When you say "this shirt looks gay," do you really mean that the shirt appears homosexual? Or is it just unfashionable? Would you feel comfortable using the word "gay" in this manner around your professors, your rectors, at a job interview or in a term paper? No, probably not.
Most importantly, this adjective seems incredibly out of place at a school where most of the students are self-proclaimed Christians. When you knowingly slander and offend those around you, how can you claim to be living up to your faith's ideals? True Christians recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of all of God's creatures.
So many of us claim to be humanitarians, unselfishly dedicating our time and our money to correcting the wrongs in society. However, we knowingly exhibit a lapse in judgment which could reasonably contribute to intolerance, injustice and even violence. This is not the standard which should be set for our generation and those to come.
Next time you're tempted to abuse this term, consider who's listening.
Kelly Rogers
Amanda Rubio
sophomores
Lyons Hall
February 8, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, February 9, 2001
