New ad campaign attempts to discourage use of 'gay' as disparagement

by Xav de Matos { Aug 12th 2009 at 9:30PM }

In today's society, "gay" is often used as a pejorative, losing all meaning and gaining a negative slant. ThinkB4YouSpeak is on a mission to change that, with a new campaign targeted to raise awareness throughout schools in America about anti-gay bias and reduce the use of ignorant, homophobic language.

The statistics may startle you; according to ThinkB4YouSpeak's website, "9 out of 10 LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students report being harassed at school in the last year," with over one third being physically harmed. ThinkB4YouSpeak's campaign consists of three posters, replacing the unfortunately common phrase, "That's so gay" with a generalized remark on specific types of students: jocks, cheerleaders and gamers. It would seem the purpose of the campaign is to be hurtful, to showcase how hateful speech is often based on stereotypes.

Gamers are no strangers to hateful speech. Xbox Live user know of the well-documented hate mongering in online multiplayer titles like Halo, and while the majority of players across all platforms are smart enough to know hate speech is wrong (we hope!), it's never pleasant to see it rearing its ugly head.

[Via GamePolitics]

Tags: bisexual, campaign, gay, homophobia, lesbian, thinkb4youspeak, transgender

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)

feartheeon @ Aug 12th 2009 9:36PM

THAT'S SO GAY.

Mr Awesomer @ Aug 12th 2009 9:35PM

"That's so gay" has nothing to do with homosexuality.
That said, this ad campaign is so gay.

mr nimblewick @ Aug 12th 2009 9:37PM

Except for the word used. And the general feeling behind it on the part of the people who use it.

Rob @ Aug 12th 2009 9:43PM

didn't gay once mean happy? So people are actually saying "That's so happy."

Brandon Neal Hatfield @ Aug 12th 2009 9:44PM

Easy for you to say, but you're not gay, I'm assuming, so naturally, it wouldn't bother you.

Mr Awesomer @ Aug 12th 2009 9:46PM

In this expression "gay" is interchangeable with "lame." People have much more... let's say "colorful" expressions when they are truly being hateful towards homosexuals.

Neebs @ Aug 12th 2009 9:49PM

I'm straight, and I realize the consequences of the expression.
It's incorrect usage because it equates 'gay' with stupid.' If we continue to perpetuate this equation, discrimination will not stop.

Cody @ Aug 12th 2009 9:49PM

@Rob
Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure gay did still mean happy. I don't think anything's changed.

Calvin @ Aug 12th 2009 9:51PM

So does that mean a "gay" person is a "lame" person, and you don't see how that can be offensive?

Neebs @ Aug 12th 2009 10:00PM

Apparently, Joystiq is disappointed in hoping that many gamers are not homophobes, judging by the shade of my comment.

Wiizer (MW2 Sweatshop Entrepreneur) @ Aug 12th 2009 10:02PM

Well, I'm just gonna go around and say, "That's so NIG**R!"

"That's so NIG**R!" It has NOTHING to do with race, it's that guy, he's acting SO NIG**Rish!

mirage @ Aug 12th 2009 10:11PM

For all of you out there just throwing around the word "lame", it is a derogatory word towards people with disabilities and you need to stop using it. Every time you "That's so lame" you are offending people with disabilities.

tmacairjordan87 @ Aug 12th 2009 10:21PM

@Neebs

That's the thing, the only people who equate it with "gay is lame" are people like you. So, if you guys get the stick out of your asses and lighten up, then there would be a lot less discrimination.

offday @ Aug 12th 2009 10:22PM

I don't understand why this is on joystiq anyway. So they say gamer in it? That's it? That's all it takes to be news on joystiq?

War Machine @ Aug 12th 2009 10:24PM

To prevent confusion, I usually write "ghey" when I mean to say something is "lame", "uninteresting" or "unfortunate"; and "gay" for homosexuality in general.

There's no difference when spoken, but the inflection is usually enough to note the difference.

Jack_Jackington @ Aug 12th 2009 10:33PM

in spring of this year, i met a gay male for the 1st time in my life. He called everything (not literally everything) gay then said it's ok for him to say it because he is gay. I guess it depends on the person

Monkeydog @ Aug 12th 2009 10:37PM

I think if people stopped considering everything ever said as an insult to them, and not just people with a weak lexicon just expressing feelings, there would be a lot less discrimination. A lot of people who do in fact use the word "gay" to mean lame don't have anything against gay people, and most gay people I know don't care (and in fact use it in the same way most kids use it).

I think it comes down to people need to stop bitching and making people feel bad for using a word. And hell, if someone is using it in a discriminatory way, what exactly does it matter? Sure they're wrong, but don't we all believe in free speech and being able to speak our minds? No good comes from just keeping everything bottled up inside.

Silicon Siren @ Aug 12th 2009 10:43PM

Two of my best friends are homosexual and they say "that's gay" all the time. It is slang and has nothing to do with being degrading to a group of people. It means lame, stupid, whatever you want it to mean. Just like gay use to mean happy, then was adopted by a community to mean homosexual it has evolved into a generic insult. The means as to which it became a generic insult for those with the proper vocabulary to express their feeling of distaste for something may have been in prejudice but now it is simply a basic insult. If they wanted to stop the evolution of the definition of gay they should have done so over a decade ago, it’s far too late now.

This campaign is so gay.

Roto13 @ Aug 12th 2009 10:43PM

""That's so gay" has nothing to do with homosexuality."

You need to stop for a second and think about where the phrase comes from.

Silicon Siren @ Aug 12th 2009 10:44PM

for those without*

DBuck_Eye @ Aug 12th 2009 11:22PM

I don't get why they're replacing an adjective with nouns. That's so beautiful. That's so Megan Fox. One of these sentences is not grammatically correct.

Silicon Siren @ Aug 12th 2009 11:33PM

@DBuck_Eye

Uhh....... blame famous literature. People have done this for hundreds of years. You should read more.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Aug 13th 2009 12:27AM

Funny, because if you say something sucks, people who enjoying sucking penis's don't get offended. Why then is "gay" in "That's so gay" so offensive?

Oh, right, because people who suck dick never formed a unified support group and community, painting themselves as victims of a "suckophobic" and bigoted society. Right. Nevermind.

...

Perhaps if people didn't identify themselves by their sexuality they wouldn't have half the problems with bigots and homophobes that they do.

Proceed with downvoting!!!!!

Hardcore @ Aug 13th 2009 1:00AM

Hey everyone, the word "Awesome" shall now and forever only be used to refer to Hardcore's awesomeness. All other uses of this word will now be considered taboo and strictly prohibited.

melloncollie @ Aug 13th 2009 1:19AM

@ Crono
You do realize a person's sexual orientation is a large part of who they are, right? Homosexuals have faced prosecution, hate, bigotry, violence, and so much more for just being homosexual. It's not them that needs to change, it's the ones who hate them for 'going against their values'. So your request for homosexuals to 'lighten up' is ridiculous as well as insulting.

mr nimblewick @ Aug 13th 2009 1:36AM

I had no idea there were so many Michael Scotts in the world.

Mouthsmasher @ Aug 13th 2009 3:26AM

We need to bring back "the closet."

sickboomslop @ Aug 13th 2009 8:00AM

@Crono

How do you measure if someone is "identifying themselves by their sexuality"? If they hold hands with a same-sex person? If a gay person tells their friends and family that they are in love? If they realize that gays have faced a history of bigotry, persecution and violence and are brave enough to try and make a change? Is that "identifying yourself by your sexuality"? Or is it just being a person who is gay?

Now, when someone targets a gay couple's house by spray painting a swastika on their garage door, are they "identifying" those people by their sexuality? When the large number of gay bashings take place across this country every week, are the perpetrators "identifying" their victims by their sexuality?

The, "If gays would only just keep it to themselves..." argument is old and tired and completely illogical.

It's simple: get a more descriptive vocabulary, stop thinking that everyone around you is straight and not offended by the slang use of the word "gay," and help fight bigotry.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Aug 13th 2009 9:07AM

Well, lets put it this way. I don't identify the core of my person as "straight". I don't have a grey rainbow bumpersticker to advertise my straightness to the world. I don't take part in straight support groups, demand special status or "safe zones" to freely practice my straightness. I don't go to or organize straight pride parades. I'm not proud to be straight, nor am I ashamed. In other words, nothing about my straightness defines my core person, only what I find attractive in a sexual partner. Here's another angle. I'm of polish descent, and I think polock jokes are hilarious, because I understand the history of the stereotype. I also don't define my core person as "polish". My argument isn't about what the community thinks, but what the individual thinks of themselves. If you identify yourself as "gay", you're going to be offended by gay jokes, even if no offense is meant, just like I would be offended by polish jokes, even though no offense is intended.

mr nimblewick @ Aug 13th 2009 11:33AM

The difference, Chrono, is that you've never been mocked or threatened for being those things. Sure, there are Polish jokes, but I haven't heard recently of anyone being dragged behind a truck for being Polish.

umm....hello??? @ Aug 13th 2009 2:04PM

@Mr Nimblewick

That's what she said!!!!

BananaBoat @ Aug 13th 2009 2:26PM

I'm going to go out tonight and have a gay old time.

See? Yeah, you can't steal the language from me!

Case @ Aug 13th 2009 2:32PM

@wiizardly. Niggardly is a word. It means a cheap person. Has nothing to do with the derogatory racial term. IMO race is much, much different than sexual preference, but that gets into the fundamental debate of sexuality being a behavior vs. genetic.

Saria the Cat @ Aug 13th 2009 7:02PM

@Silicon: And there are plenty of people from the LGBT community that would be upset with your friends perpetuating those types of negativity, just as there are plenty of black people who are upset with those black people that throw around the word "n*gger" freely. Just because your gay friends aren't upset by using "gay" to mean "stupid" doesn't give them the right to speak for ALL gay people and say, "Hey, no, it's okay to say 'gay.' It's like, whatever." Self-perpetuation of stereotypes is one of the most aggravating problems for these groups that are trying to eliminate discrimination and tear down barriers.

Silicon Siren @ Aug 13th 2009 8:17PM

@Saria

Ah but as I said gay just means happy, but all words evolve over time. This word is no different and people will use it as they please. I personally think anyone who becomes upset from spoken words is a small minded weak person.

Saria the Cat @ Aug 13th 2009 8:25PM

@silicon: Well n*gger simply evolved from the Spanish word for "black," and it had no negative connotations attached to it originally. So, according to your logic, we can just take back n*gger, right? I mean, let's evolve it, you and me. It doesn't HAVE to be about race. It's just describing the color black. Let's take back porch monkeys while we're at it.