Maybe it's just because I'm a bit cranky, but today at my GSUET Officers meeting, one of my fellow officers, upon my telling them I have a roommate named Meghan, said 'Well, that's gay'.
I look at her and tell her it's not 'gay'. She says 'I meant, you know, retarded'.
Somehow that bugged me more than her saying it to begin with.
I mean- do people just not REALIZE how mean that is? Because by associating the word 'gay' or 'retarded' with something negative...you make those things seem negative. Word association. And both groups have a hard enough time finding acceptance and confidence in this world for people to go and make it worse by negative word associations.
And it bugs me. Not much I can do about it on a larger scale, but I sure as hell can say something to individuals.
I look at her and tell her it's not 'gay'. She says 'I meant, you know, retarded'.
Somehow that bugged me more than her saying it to begin with.
I mean- do people just not REALIZE how mean that is? Because by associating the word 'gay' or 'retarded' with something negative...you make those things seem negative. Word association. And both groups have a hard enough time finding acceptance and confidence in this world for people to go and make it worse by negative word associations.
And it bugs me. Not much I can do about it on a larger scale, but I sure as hell can say something to individuals.