UHS Students Debate Use of Gay Slurs

Urbana High School is said to have a no-tolerance policy on bullying of any kind. Despite that policy, many students mouths are filled with anti-gay terms, such as “no homo”, “that’s gay”, and “faggot”.

Many people don’t know, but these terms, and terms like it, are really hurtful, not only to LGBTQ’s (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning), but other people as well. Many students compare it to using “retarded” or the N-word.

Sophomore Miranda Bullock said “You’re doing the same thing, which is using a word that’s a derogatory term for a group of people when you mean to say ‘stupid’ for something you don’t like.”

“When people use it (no homo) in a term to hurt someone, it makes me feel like ‘Why would you do it?’”, says Junior Derick Johnson. “Treat others the way you would want to be treated, no matter what sex, age, or sexuality.”

According to zimbio.com,
• Students hear anti-gay epithets 25 times a day, and teachers fail to respond to these comments 97% of the time. -Gay Lesbian Straight Educator’s Network.
•One out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying. -Oklahoma Health Department, 2001
• Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75 % of school-shooting incidents. –U.S Secret Service Report, May 2002
•Gay and lesbian youth are two to three times more likely to commit suicide than other youths, and 30 % of all completed youth suicides are related to the issue of sexual identity. -Report to the Secretary’s Task Force on Youth Suicide
•Students who describe themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered are five times more likely to miss school because of feeling unsafe. 28% are forced to drop out. -National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 1984
•85% of teachers oppose integrating lesbian, gay and bisexual themes in their curriculum. -Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth: Report of the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, 1993
•More than 91 %of LGBT students say they hear homophobic slurs or expressions frequently or often.-GLSEN 2003 National School Climate Survey
•Nearly 58 %of LGBT students have had property stolen or deliberately damaged at school. -GLSEN 2003 National School Climate Survey
•More than 64 % of LGBT students say they feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. -GLSEN 2003 National School Climate Survey

“My sexuality is something I’ve never been ashamed of. But it hurts me to think that when people use terms like that, it makes others feel unsafe or scared, sometimes making them ashamed of their sexuality,” said Bullock.

Of course, not all of UHS thinks anti-gay terms are hurtful. Senior Lindsey May says she uses them all the time.

Brandon Carter and Quantrell Johnson, both sophomores, are active users of “no homo”. “It kind of became a habit. I head it said a couple of times, then it became part of the vocabulary,” said Carter.
“I don’t feel it’s offensive at all,” said Johnson. “You’re trying to make sure no one thinks you’re homo. It’s like cursing. I don’t curse to be rude, its become a habit.”

Bullock feels it’s a habit that needs to be broken. “If they’re a close friend, I usually chew them out about saying it. If it’s just an acquaintance, I say something like ‘Hey, that’s really offensive.’ If it’s someone I don’t know, sometimes I don’t say anything, but I hate that.”

The National Day of Silence took place on April 15, 2011. The Day of Silence, which took place on April 15, 2011 is sponsored by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network . On this day, students across the country remain silent throughout the day in an effort to call attention to the silence of LGBT students who have been bullied and harassed because of their sexuality.

Freshman Brittany Webb was one of the many students at UHS who participated. “I think it really lets people know how it feels to have to be silent because of their sexuality. I think it’s interesting to see others reactions to those being silent, also.”

Along with the Day of Silence, UHS’ Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) aims to show that discrimination against people because of their sexuality is not okay, and it needs to be stopped.

History teacher, Michael Pollock, is the sponsor of GSA. He really enforces the no- tolerance policy, especially in his classroom. “I don’t hear it often in my classroom, and that’s because I let students know that it’s not okay. If I hear it, I address it,” said Pollock.

The UHS Social Justice committee’s video, “Think Before You Speak” is a huge step in creating a safe, non-tolerant atmosphere in the school. Yet, many students still don’t take the issue of discrimination seriously.

“I feel bad about using those words if I’m around someone that’s homosexual. But, I don’t take anything seriously, and I don’t expect them to,” said Johnson.

Carter feels similarly. “I actually have a couple of gay friends, and we have a joke saying ‘no hetero’. So, I see both sides.”

Still, UHS students should be more mindful of what they say. Simple words like “no homo” can hurt, even if that’s not what the intention is. “I just don’t understand it. I don’t judge anyone for their sexuality because we don’t have the same mind,” said Johnson.

Bullock thinks using anti-gay terms in UHS should be stopped immediately. “Sexuality isn’t something we should have to hide or be ashamed of. Coming out is already so difficult for young people in this society. LGBTQ”s shouldn’t have to suffer prejudice from their peers, too.”