NUS LGBT Committee Member Sky Yarlett offers some advice on challenging homophobic language.

‘That’s so gay!’

According to recent research conducted by Stonewall, 98 per cent of LGB pupils hear ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay’ at school.

This issue is not just restricted to those at school; it’s a widespread problem being reported at Further Education and Higher Education institutions across the country.

You may be thinking: ‘This isn’t a big deal – they’re only words, they don’t mean anything’ or maybe ‘sticks and stones will break my bones… but words will never hurt me.’

Here’s the problem. Using ‘gay’ as a synonym for negative insinuates that being gay is something bad and something of which people should be ashamed.

We are in a critical time for challenging homophobic language; there has been a spate of suicides by young people in America due to bullying and the use of homophobic language.

Winning the arguments

Here are some tips on how to beat homophobic language:

• Calling something gay doesn’t describe what it is. Challenge the user to be more creative.
• Sometimes playing stupid can work.They say: “That t-shirt is so gay!” You say: “That t-shirt is a homosexual t-shirt that is attracted to t-shirts of the same nature?”
• Remind the user that being Gay is part of someone’s identity. They say: “That song is so gay.” You say: “No I’m Gay, but that song is rubbish.”
• Sometimes users think misusing ‘gay’ can be justified. Don’t allow it. They say: “That phone is so gay.” You say: “Your use of the word ‘gay’ to mean something negative is offensive.” They say: “Gay means happy, don’t get offended.” You say: “In modern language the word gay isn’t used to mean happy, it is most commonly used to mean homosexual, and sometimes used to imply negative characteristics.”

Some useful videos

Here are some digital aids to help you challenge the misuse of ‘gay’:

Simon Amstell on Katy Perry’s “That’s So Gay”:

Wanda Sykes in an advert for thinkb4youspeak.com :

Hilary Duff in thinkb4youspeak:

Raise awareness in your students' union

Basingstoke College of Technology's LGBT group (BCOT LGBT Aware) launched an awareness raising campaign challenging homophobic language in their college earlier this year. The campaign uses ideas similar to those above to challenge the use of 'gay' amongst fellow students.

To find out more about BCOT LGBT Aware, you can visit their website: http://www.bcotaware.co.uk. Alternatively, if you'd like to see the resources BCOT have produced, please e-mail info@bcotaware.co.uk.