sbp
04-19-2003, 10:32 PM
A story about a kid who got suspended for using the word gay.
Article is kind of long so here's part of it.
The article also talks about another boy who got suspended for sexual harassment cause he stuck his tongue out at a girl who didn't want to be his girlfriend.
http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/opinion_columnists/article/0,1713,BDC_2490_1882423,00.html
The meaning of the word "gay," like many words, has changed over time. Fifty years ago, "gay" meant "lighthearted" and "happy." Remember the theme song from "The Flintstones," which went "we'll have a gay old time"? Fred Flintstone didn't wear any pink oxfords. Of course, no one was ever too sure about Barney Rubble.
In any event, a lot of old-timers lament the passing of this beautiful word, which to today's generation is only allowed to mean "homosexual."
To the next generation, it seems it will again mean something different.
Twelve-year-old Ben Madison was playing foursquare at West Middle School in Grand Junction. Foursquare is where you bounce a ball from one square to another. Another 12-year-old kid was acting as the referee. As ref, he called one of Ben's bounces out of bounds. Ben didn't agree with the call.
While tennis great and super-brat John McEnroe would have yelled, "you cannot be serious!" Ben protested by saying, "your call was gay." When this was reported to a teacher, it was immediately interpreted to be sexual harassment, so of course Ben was suspended.
Sexual harassment? Ben didn't say, "Have sex with me or you'll lose your job." Ben didn't say, "You are a homosexual, I hate homosexuals, and therefore your call is invalid." He said the call was gay.
Can a 12-year-old boy really sexually harass another boy? Maybe, but it would be hard. At 12, most kids understand the birds and the bees, but do most really understand homosexuality?
According to Ben's mom, Ben didn't even know "gay" meant "homosexual." To him and many kids his age, "gay" means "stupid or dumb." So even if Ben did understand homosexuality, maybe it was the teachers who didn't understand the new term "gay."
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How gay. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Article is kind of long so here's part of it.
The article also talks about another boy who got suspended for sexual harassment cause he stuck his tongue out at a girl who didn't want to be his girlfriend.
http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/opinion_columnists/article/0,1713,BDC_2490_1882423,00.html
The meaning of the word "gay," like many words, has changed over time. Fifty years ago, "gay" meant "lighthearted" and "happy." Remember the theme song from "The Flintstones," which went "we'll have a gay old time"? Fred Flintstone didn't wear any pink oxfords. Of course, no one was ever too sure about Barney Rubble.
In any event, a lot of old-timers lament the passing of this beautiful word, which to today's generation is only allowed to mean "homosexual."
To the next generation, it seems it will again mean something different.
Twelve-year-old Ben Madison was playing foursquare at West Middle School in Grand Junction. Foursquare is where you bounce a ball from one square to another. Another 12-year-old kid was acting as the referee. As ref, he called one of Ben's bounces out of bounds. Ben didn't agree with the call.
While tennis great and super-brat John McEnroe would have yelled, "you cannot be serious!" Ben protested by saying, "your call was gay." When this was reported to a teacher, it was immediately interpreted to be sexual harassment, so of course Ben was suspended.
Sexual harassment? Ben didn't say, "Have sex with me or you'll lose your job." Ben didn't say, "You are a homosexual, I hate homosexuals, and therefore your call is invalid." He said the call was gay.
Can a 12-year-old boy really sexually harass another boy? Maybe, but it would be hard. At 12, most kids understand the birds and the bees, but do most really understand homosexuality?
According to Ben's mom, Ben didn't even know "gay" meant "homosexual." To him and many kids his age, "gay" means "stupid or dumb." So even if Ben did understand homosexuality, maybe it was the teachers who didn't understand the new term "gay."
--------------
How gay. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: