The use of the word "gay" for the word stupid really grates my nerves. When I was growing up it was the thing to say. Everyone used "that's so gay!" or "that's gay!" when they talked about something they thought was stupid. I'll admit used it too. I threw it around as loosely as everyone else when I was in middle school and part of high school. But you know what? I grew up when I realized, and believe me it hit me hard one day, that using that word instead of saying stupid is wrong. That I could possibly be offending someone. Someone I didn't know and, as it turned out, someone that I loved.

When I hear it still coming out of teenagers mouths and even adults mouths today I seriously want to go off. You sound ignorant. Let it go and talk correctly. Gay is not a synonym for stupid. Sometimes I think the kids don't know any better. People never stop to tell them otherwise and it's not okay.

I was on myspace earlier and noticed that my little cousin had used the word "gay" for "stupid" in a status message. I was biting my lip. I wrestled with telling her something about it or just letting it go. I didn't want to come off as the older, un-hip cousin. This is the language they use around among their friends and it's acceptable but to me I couldn't accept it with it staring me in the face. Now I know my little cousin. She is a smart, caring, compassionate, God loving, beautiful girl but reading that made me angry. "She should know better!" I thought. I know how she was brought up. I don't think she'd dare say that in front of anyone in my family no matter how cool she thinks she is around her friends when she might be saying it. I had to say something. No one bothered to let me know that I was wrong when I was younger for saying it and i'm sure either she doesn't think of who she might hurt inadvertently by using that word in that way, but lets face it most 16 year old's don't really think in that manner.



So I left a comment to her status message and lo and behold she changed it. It does please me that she changed it. She didn't respond to it, just changed it. I didn't expect her to mouth off to me about it because she's just not that type of girl. Plus, she might be afraid that i'd tell her mama.. but I won't. I don't know if it will make her think next time she uses it, it probably won't even make much of an impression, but i'm hoping anyways. If no one ever says anything when they feel in their heart that it's wrong how will we ever learn?