Gay: adjective; happy or merry.

Not anywhere in that definition did I see the word ‘bad’. Not anywhere in that definition did I see the word ‘stupid’. Not anywhere in that definition did I see the word ‘disgusting’.

I hear people throw words around as if they mean nothing at all, as if the echoes of these words have no impact on society at all. Mere words have started and ended wars, caused tears of sorrow and of joy, and have sparked both hate and love. The changes in society have a direct impact on the changes in language, but one must realize that the opposite is true as well. In a time where everyone is still fighting for equality, a voice and understanding, words like these take society two steps back. If a Nazi soldier were to have fumbled his gun in warfare, his fellow colleagues most certainly would have laughed and called him a Jew. As a whole, we would like to think that we have made progress, but have we really?


By describing something as ‘gay’ there is most certainly an underlying message and result that goes along with that remark. Whether homosexuality is right or wrong is another matter, but phrases like these lead people to be closed minded on the issue of gay rights and force them to make assumptions. Hearing these phrases down the hallways of schools makes this matter especially disturbing. Students are an extremely impressionable sector of society not only because of their age, but because of the pressure they face to conform as well. By implying the negativity related to homosexuality through phrases such as, “That’s so gay!”, people are not only closing their eyes, minds and hearts to whatever is being described, but subconsciously to equality for homosexuals as well.

I have unfortunately not once heard this phrase being used with a positive connotation…and I haven’t the faintest clue as to why. The next time I hear someone describe something as ‘gay’, I for one am going to know that whatever this person was describing is beautiful, intelligent, unique and something that I am going to make sure I know more about.