When It's Okay To Say Gay

WHEN IT'S OKAY TO SAY "GAY" flowchart Are you describing a person? No Yes Is it a place or thing related to gay culture? Is this person actually a self-identified homosexual? No Yes Yes No Are you describing their happiness? Like gay pride? Or a gay bar? Or a rainbow flag? Yes No Maybe not Yes Really? Their happiness? Go for it! You need a new word. WORDS MATTER If you're not using “gay" to describe homosexuality, you're most likely using it out of laziness or maybe even contempt. Either way, you should stop. THE PEJORATIVE USE OF GAY When used pejoratively, gay is an expression of disapproval (e.g. "that was so gay"). Usually this translates as a synonym for stupid, unfair, irritating or eccentric. Sometimes it is meant derisively, to intentionally demean or insult. A decent person would never use demeaning language to describe a gay person. Try to avoid using gay casually or demeaningly. USE GAY TO DESCRIBE DO NOT USE GAY TO DESCRIBE • An assignment you don't want to do • Someone's new haircut • A workout you hate • A test you bombed • That scrub on Call of Duty • Neil Patrick Harris • Equality symbols • Gay couples • Rainbow flags • Some species of dragonflies BREAK THE HABIT TAKE A QUIZ AN EXERCISE IN ELIMINATINGTHE PEJORATIVE USE OF GAY FROM YOUR VOCABULARY 1. You're making a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But what's this? The peanut butter jar is empty! This situation is so... a. gay (hint: no) b. inconvenient c. agitating d. infuriating 2. You're playing a game of Starcraft 2 and your opponent employs the notorious "six pool" strategy, you lose instantly. You send him a message afterwards and say... a. L2P NOOB (learn to play, you incompetent scoundrel) b. gg wp (good game, well played) c. GAY (how did you deduce this?) d. I am both disgusted and impressed! I bid you good day! You sit down at a packed movie with reserved seating when suddenly Yao Ming 9. walks in and occupies the seats in front of you. You... a. Forget all about the movie and get Yao Ming's autograph! b. Tap Mr. Ming on the shoulder and explain how gay he is being right now. c. Whisper to your friend, "how unusual and exciting!" d. Stare at the back of Yao Ming's head for 2 hours, not even mad. UPDATE YOUR LEXICON 20 WORDSTO USE INSTEAD OF GAY ludicrous curious goofy asinine naïve insipid pathetic eccentric frivolous bogus absurd yesterday irrational weak ridiculous surreal interesting foolish annoying wacky Say what you mean, and mean what you say. The words we choose matter. CREDITS The majority of the content used for this graphic was taken directly from the presentation delivered by the very funny and very gay ASH BECKHAM at Ignite Boulder 20, published on YouTube on 2 Mar 2013. Post designed and edited by Mike Metcalf. Published by DegreeSearch.org, a website dedicated to continuing education and lifelong learning. SOURCE VIDEO: youtube.com/watch?v=Gxs78C3XGok SOURCE AUTHOR: @ashbeckham DESIGNER / POST AUTHOR: @mikemetcalf PUBLISHER: @degreesearch fin