That's so gay!

In our grandparents' day, "gay" meant happy. Oh, the gay 30s! Heck, even the phrase "you'll have a gay ole time" is part of The Flintstones themesong.

Not so much any more. We remember while growing up that the word “gay” was often used as a negative adjective, to mean stupid, silly, or gross:

That’s so gay!

That song is so gay!

That outfit is so gay!

That (insert any noun here) is so gay!

Now we know officially that blogs, of all things, are gay! This is thanks to a recent survey done that shows that 55% of all homosexuals routinely read blogs, compared to only 38% of heterosexuals. Heck, if you’re gay and reading this right now you fall into that 55% category! Congrats!

The same is true for online social networks: for example, 55% of gays surveyed are members of Facebook, compared to 46% of heterosexuals surveyed.

So, let’s say it together:

That Facebook is so gay!

But let's get back to the inappropriate use of the word "gay," shall we.

So, what does make something "gay?" The use of the word gay to negatively describe something - or someone - is still common. In fact, there was a recent lawsuit in California where a student had her permanent record cited when she used the phrase "that's so gay" in response to kids that were mocking her for being Mormon. He parents filed suit, claiming that her first amendment rights were violated. The court documents state that it was unfair to punish her for such, since the phrase "enjoys widespread currency in youth culture."

Hmmm. So if everyone is being hateful, it's okay? She lost the case.

It all goes back to the two old saying "words can hurt" and "think before you speak" ... when we use the term gay to define something stupid, we are, in turn, stating that gay people are stupid, and worthy of discrimination and mis-treatment.

Our pal Wanda Sykes agrees:




OMG, that video was so gay!