025 - "Inappropriate Labels"

Comments:

12/12/08 - "Sexuality Insecurity"

To start of, homosexuality is more of a biological-influenced preference and cannot be helped just as whether one has blonde hair or is Asian.

These days, "gay" as a derogatory term is becoming more coming among the youth. I for one have been on the receiving end of it from my friends and a girl who used it in her rejection. Though, I have not used "gay" in such way. There is some psychological cognition behind the usage of "gay" as a derogatory term. It is adolescents who actually knows what homosexuality are often use this term versus those who haven't been exposed to that concept yet. Why so? The teenager years is when puberty takes place of course where we experience all these physical and mental changes. A question of "am I attracted to the same sex" may arise for certain individuals whether they are actually homosexual or not.

For individuals who question their sexuality or not, their usage of "gay" as a derogatory term is another way for them to deny that they may be homosexual or to prove they are "manly" or "womanly." Most of the time, a person would assossciate the word "gay" with homosexuality and the object, situation, or person at the time as he or she is describing that matter. Thus, the usage of "gay" is not a simple utterance of a word to describe an unpleasant matter. Don't believe me? Measured the reaction and impulse of people when they use "gay" versus "shitty," "crappy," and whatnot. Though for the most part, the usage of "gay" as a derogatory term is often used by males adolescents, which is quite obvious. Girls use it, too, but it's less of the fact that they are denying or proving against any homosexual preference. Most of time, it's from the guys that used it all the time and they want to use the term for social acceptance.

In addition to that theory above, people associate homosexuality with unpleasant things. There's nothing negative or wrong about it, it's just a matter of choice. Everyone are different, it's much better than having a terminal illness. So I have no idea how does homosexuality gives off a negative image. People are scared, that's all.

Overall, I encourage people to refrain from using "gay" as a derogatory term. However, seeing that homosexuality is being accepted more nowadays in society, using "gay" as a derogatory term may become obsolete.

- Mike

^_^