Hilary Duff... Gay rights activist?

I totally grabbed your attention with that one, eh? Well, it's true. Hilary Duff stars in a new Public Service Announcement (click on the first video on the page) in the US that encourages teens to stop saying "that's so gay" when really they mean "that's so sucky/lame/stupid".

And you know what? She has a point. Using gay as a pejorative term reinforces homophobia, whether you mean it or not. The website thinkb4youspeak.com says it best:

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens in the U.S. experience homophobic remarks and harassment throughout the school day, creating an atmosphere where they feel disrespected, unwanted and unsafe. GLSEN�s 2007 National School Climate Survey found that three-quarters of LGBT teens hear slurs such as ''faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school, and nine in ten report hearing anti-LGBT language frequently or often. Homophobic remarks such as "that's so gay" are the most commonly heard type of biased remarks at school. Research shows that these slurs are often unintentional and are a part of teens' vernacular. Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.

Studies indicate that students who regularly experience verbal and non-verbal forms of harassment suffer from emotional turmoil, low self-esteem, loneliness, depression, poor academic achievement and high rates of absenteeism. Research also shows that many of the bystanders to acts of harassment experience feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, and develop poor coping and problem-solving skills."

Now, many of my good friends use the word "gay" to describe something sucky. Heck, I've even used it myself a couple of times. But I hate it. Every time I hear someone use it I cringe inside. But I've never, ever told someone to "knock it off". How demoralising is that, not even being as brave Hilary Duff to confront someone when they say something so offensively homophobic, whether they intend to or not?

So now I'll say it: I hate people using the word "gay" as an insult, and if I ever catch anyone using it, you're getting a lecture, or at least an eye roll. Because, as cheesy as those PSAs are, they are right: it's not okay to use who someone is as an insult. Period.

So I encourage, you, Active Collective members (and lurkers) to take the pledge to not say "gay" in a derogatory by Saying Something Original and suggesting an alternative to "gay" (as an insult. Not to, you know, actually describe someone's sexuality). Okay, you can't really because it's only designed for teens in the US, so instead write your own suggestions in the comments section.

Here's some of my favourites that have been suggested so far:

That's so Raven

That's so notsome

That's so Epic Fail (classic)

That's so not the bomb diggity!

That's so gosh darn Joe Six-Pack

That's so mavericky

That's so free market capitalist

That's so Unbelievably Super Epic Fail

That's so obsequious

That's so your GPA

I'm sure you guys can do better than the oodles of "fierce" and "fetch" on the list.