Ending GBFFLs

There is a prejudice that has become invisible in our modern society: anti-gay colloquialisms.

We have incorporated a great deal of truly offensive phrases into our everyday syntax.

The worst part is that homosexual supporters and even gay individuals are often the ones who perpetuate this discrimination the most.

The offense that stands out the most is a phrase we encounter nearly every day: “My gay best friend.” Too easily, girls, most of the time, proudly walk down the street, gabbing about how they can’t wait to watch “Sex and the City” and cuddle with their gay bestie.

It seems harmless, but this phrase has an extremely marginalizing effect. When this expression is used, the “best friend” is reduced to being defined by his or her sexuality alone. The person is taken away and replaced with a stereotype.

Homosexuals are the only people that we see fit to immediately define by their “uniqueness.” Phrases such as “My black best friend” and “My Jewish best friend” do not exist because they sound wrong to the ears.

But somewhere along the line, “gay best friend” started to sound right.

If someone is truly your best friend, shouldn’t they be just that and that alone? There is no need to complicate anything and perform a disservice to a person you obviously care about.

Another colloquialism that recently spiked in popularity is the word “tranny” (a shortened, catchier version of transvestite).

This slur seems to cover a broad category of all things negative and is perhaps perpetuated the most by members of the gay community — a shocking and insulting idea itself.

Transsexual people have incredible obstacles to confront, starting at a very young age. Their lives are often a series of conflicts within themselves, their community and the world, as they discover what gender they actually associate with.

To make a mockery of this struggle is pathetic.

Many of us will never know how this actually feels. We will not experience a life that is a constant battle.

How can we make fun of that? How can we directly parallel someone’s experiences with inequality using kitschy, poorly chosen words?

What’s worse is the fact that members of the gay community throw the word around freely and refuse to acknowledge how insulting it is.

How can you expect acceptance and kindness when you liberally spread anti-human rights phrases so easily?

Admittedly, I have used the word “tranny” in the past. We are creatures who readily jump on bandwagons and want to impress friends. But saying the word felt wrong, and I was disappointed at how readily it came out of my mouth.

This double standard needs to stop, and we all need to be aware of different reactions to certain kinds of seemingly harmless words.

We need to stop a prime example of inequality within the gay rights movement and in our general society.

­— sjostrow@indiana.edu