Ever sce middle school, people have asked Thomas Lloyd the same qutn repeatedly. "If I had a dime for every time I was asked, 'Why am I so gay?' I uld probably pay for one cred at Geetown." In this humoro talk, Lloyd explor the trici of social "verg" as a gay man, fdg muny and the importance of inty ownership.
Contents:
- WHY AM I "SO GAY?"
- "THAT'S SO GAY" IS JT SO WRONG
- AM I GAY?
- WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT “THAT’S SO GAY”?
- HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE GAY
- WHY ARE PEOPLE GAY? GAY BY CHOICE OR IS BEG GAY GEIC?
WHY AM I "SO GAY?"
* so gay *
"If I had a dime for every time I was asked, 'Why am I so gay?
" In this humoro talk, Lloyd explor the trici of social "verg" as a gay man, fdg muny and the importance of inty talk was prented to a lol dience at TEDxGeetown, an pennt event. The phrase “that’s so gay” has tradnally been unrstood as homophobic.
Stonewall argu that the phrase has a harmful effect on young lbian, gay and bisexual people’s tn and well-beg. Yet the ial fdgs om my terviews wh 40 gay youth om four universi suggts a more plex picture, wh no clear agreement on what the phrase means or s effects.
"THAT'S SO GAY" IS JT SO WRONG
The phrase “that’s so gay” has tradnally been unrstood as homophobic. Stonewall’s School Report argued this posn, and will be discsed their upg Edutn Conference. Stonewall argu… * so gay *
Consir Joe, a 19-year-old gay stunt at an ele universy. He said: “I thk breaks down barriers between the straight and gay muny… I e a lot.
” Siarly, Neil, gay and aged 18, said: “I don’t fd rogatory any way, probably bee I say as well. How are we to unrstand a phrase that olr people fd homophobic, but many younger people do not fd offensive and even e themselv?
My tert the phrase “that’s so gay” veloped when I rearched straight male stunts at sixth form lleg. The young men had openly gay iends, supported gay rights and nmned homophobia. Yet several of them would also say “that’s so gay” when trated.
AM I GAY?
Are you qutng your sexualy? Fd out if you’re gay, straight, bisexual, or asexual. Learn what the terms mean and if they apply to you. * so gay *
Given that labellg the stunts homophobic would be ridiculo, was val to nsir how they were g this language and the reasons why.
All of the men my rearch sisted that they did not tend to be homophobic when they ed the phrase. For them, gay had two distct meangs which they were able to distguish between – when refers to sexual inty and when refers, separately, to somethg beg “bbish”.
Language has evolved and “gay” means somethg different to younger generatns particular ntexts. I argued that straight men’s e of phras like “that’s so gay” uld only be unrstood by three key factors: first, the tent wh which was said; send, the social ntext (homophobic or otherwise); and third, the effect had.
WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT “THAT’S SO GAY”?
Almost every teacher has heard stunts e the exprsn, “that’s so gay” as a way of puttg down or sultg someone (or to scribe somethg). The lsons will help stunts exame how appropriate language n hurt, and will help them thk of ways to end this kd of name-llg. * so gay *
“That’s so gay” n be homophobic if is said wh negative tent or wh a homophobic environment.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE GAY
But when is said settgs where sexual mori are out, proud and socially clud, and heterosexual men are iends wh their openly gay peers, tak on different meangs. In such a ntext is not homophobic.
WHY ARE PEOPLE GAY? GAY BY CHOICE OR IS BEG GAY GEIC?
This argument was supported by the narrativ of many of the 40 young gay people a study I am unrtakg wh lleagu at Durham Universy. In the bat about “that’s so gay”, is important to regnise that gay youths also e the phrase.
Only a mory of participants – ls than a third – thought that the phrase was homophobic, and even fewer said that they never ed . Most of the young gay people my study felt “that’s so gay” would only be homophobic if was directed at a gay person, and wh negative tent.