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By Maria Thames
Walking through the halls at LHS, you hear countless snippets of “It’s really just to bring awareness again to people every year,
strangers’ conversations, some intriguing and some you may forget but the only way it’s going to stop is if people start advocating for it
within seconds. and stand up. And when someone says it you don’t have to get all in
No matter what you’re hearing, you more than likely notice that their face, just be like ‘c’mon’ or just change the word for them. If
students every day say something along the lines of “that’s so gay” or they say ‘that’s retarded’ just say something,” said Ms. Hays, a Best
“this is so retarded.” What we don’t realize is that we are using these Buddies advisor. “I feel that that’s the only way it’s going to stop.
words and phrases in a derogatory sense, hurting the feelings of many Teachers and people who believe in Best Buddies; we’re not always
around us. around, so it’s going to come
When you say some- from everybody else. If
thing is gay, you are not you’re like ‘oh that test was
only using the word incor- retarded’ you could say ‘that
rectly, but you are making test didn’t make sense.’”
fun of someone’s sexual Saying something is
orientation, making those retarded is completely inap-
who are gay feel as if propriate; you’re making fun
they can’t be themselves. of someone with a cognitive
Other than meaning impairment, and they can’t
someone is attracted to control that; that’s just how
their own gender, an older they are.
definition for the word “You know, people do
gay is “lighthearted and have mental retardation, but
carefree” according to they’re not using it in that
Google Dictionary, but context typically. They’re
now, it is more commonly using it in a context to put
used as “foolish, stupid, someone down by calling
or unimpressive.” them retarded, or saying
“The use of ‘gay’ is something is retarded, they’re
kind of hurtful because using that in a negative way,”
it’s not even that they said Best Buddies advisor
don’t know, it’s that they and social worker Mrs. Lind-
don’t even try to know or say Rescetar.
try to understand. It hurts, The only way these
you know? It’s someone derogatory phrases are going
using what you are as an to stop is if people start to tell
insult,” expressed An- their peers not to say them.
thony Milunas, a junior “Say something if you
who is a part of the Gay hear someone say it. Just tell
Straight Alliance (GSA) them ‘hey, that’s not cool for
and is openly gay. you to say that’ because it’s
According to stop- just their habit, and people
bullying.gov, LGBT teens might stop it if you say
are two to three more something,” suggested junior
times likely to commit
Photo by Maria Thames Julia Thurau, a member of
suicide than their peers. Julia Thurau, a junior, works to eliminate the use of derogatory words. GSA.
“As far as the ‘gay’ word Don’t be afraid to stand
goes, check the percent of suicide amongst gay people in our society up for what you believe in. If someone says something and it bothers
and it’s difficult. It’s how you love, not who you love, and I just don’t you, just politely suggest another word; you wouldn’t be telling them
have tolerance for people that continue to upset people; obviously this what to do, you’d just be suggesting an alternative word for them to
a big deal because everyone talks about it, so just stop,” voiced health use.
teacher Ms. Anne-Marie Hays. “Words are powerful, so use them wisely. ...You can really
Along with saying a situation or problem is “gay,” using the impact a person either positively or negatively and you want to leave
word “retarded” inappropriately is also quite common among high high school as a positive impact on people, and not have people
school students. At LHS, Best Buddies is all about stopping the use remember you as the big jerk that always made fun of everyone and
of the R-word. Every year in March, Best Buddies sponsors the cam- used derogatory words,” said Ms. Hays.
paign “Spread the word to end the word.”

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