Seattle Press on Line - Kids Combat Prejudice

Teacher Ted

Kids Combat Prejudice

By Ted Lockery

May 23, 2002 -- One of the things I've learned this year, my first teaching outside middle and elementary school, is how quickly things change when it comes to students' language.

Just when I got used to what I thought was the current high school vernacular--that certain things are "phat," or "tight,"--meaning "awesome" or "cool"--it got thrown onto the junk heap of phrases or exclamations that are "so yesterday."

I like to keep up with the latest lingo and slip it into my classroom banter, just to hear the kids laugh and groan at my feeble attempts to be hip, or down, or whatever. They can't stand it when I say things like, "the assigned reading is hella funny," or when I check the veracity of their comments with the current query, "Frrrehil?" Their cringes tell me that either I'm way behind the times, or that "those are our words, not yours."

Unfortunately, one the of the phrases that is among our students' words--and seems to have lingered way too long--is "That's so gay!"

We hear it in the halls and in our classrooms. Students tend to use it to say that something someone has said or done is "stupid," or to put down what someone is wearing. Rarely are they rebuffed by their peers for using such hurtful and potentially homophobic speech.

The Nathan Hale Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) has taken on this critical issue with a school-wide campaign to draw attention to the misguided practice. They have invited gay and transgendered youth to speak to Nathan Hale students about discrimination, hosted multiple screenings of the film, Journey to a Hate-Free Millenium, about the hate-crime murder of Matthew Shepard, addressed a staff meeting with their concerns, and plastered the school with posters arguing that "in normal conversations and most situations nobody says 'Disabled, Asian, Muslim, or Black, so why say Gay?'"

"People don't realize the meaning behind the term," says Alaina Hellum-Alexander, one the GSA students working on the campaign. "If someone's thinking about coming out in school and they hear one of their friends saying 'that's so gay,' it puts up a red flag."

This kind of affront, however intentioned, is particularly damaging to gay and lesbian youth, a population that suffers from extraordinary rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide. What some might consider a harmless turn of phrase can actually be quite harmful, as Nathan Hale teacher and GSA advisor, Devora Eisenberg, points out:

"Think about it. If you're a gay kid and the only mention of your sexuality is in that context? That furthers the sense of isolation that you're a freak, you're awful, you're bad."

The GSA's efforts to counter the pejorative use of the term "gay" within the school culture are more than just raising awareness, according to Eisenberg:

"What spurred the campaign was the idea that we wanted to make a change in our community and to make it concrete--to get people to commit to one small action--to change the words that come from their mouths; to not hurt people inadvertently."

To facilitate that concrete change at Nathan Hale, a large piece of butcher paper hangs next to the Staff Lounge door, across from the Main Office, with an invitation to sign the following open declaration:

"Words such as 'that's gay' don't mean to hurt...but they do. And so, I vow not to use language that could be degrading to others."

To date the declaration does not enjoy a signature of consensus, but the list of names is growing. And so is support for the campaign, according Hellum-Alexander:

"The response has been pretty good. It's kind of spreading to other schools as people are realizing how big a problem it's gotten to be...I'm glad it's started."

Hellum-Alexander is also glad to know that teachers have committed to holding students accountable for such transgressions in their classrooms, even when it requires that lesson plans be put aside for a very important "teachable moment."

There is an old saying that never seems to lose touch with the present--one whose wisdom should encourage us to act: "Silence is consent."

Ted Lockery teaches at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle's north end. He can be reached by e-mail at teacherted@seattlepress.com.

Reader Comments

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Nate	Sep 15, 2002	Phoenix, AZ	Student
I've never looked at saying "that's gay" in the way that you show it. Sure there's been times when it hasn't felt right to say it, that I could have found a better term. But most of the time it just fits. After reading this article though, I'm most definately going to stop using any term of "gay" except for its literal meaning, and I'll correct my friends too. Good luck in continuing to wake up the many ignorant people of America.


Jennifer	Jan 27, 2004	Revere, MA	Student
i agree with Nate, the term is something i've used before, but i'm definatley not going to say it anymore... I'll try and correct my friends as well too!