Faggot: It’s Not Just a Word
Words are powerful beyond measure not because they can do harm but because they can give permission to do anything. By using words, I can give permission to take my property, abuse my finances, or even steal a piece of my heart. Often times, as people, we are treated as a unit; our individuality is stripped from us and, in the larger sense, our essence is dependent on others. This factor is the cause of so much pain in the world; this causes us to be efficient instead of compassionate, quick instead of invested. By doing this, we become numb to the living breathing bodies that surround us in our daily life and forget all sense of their value.
FAGGOT! FAAAAAAAAGGGGGGOOOOTTTTT!
Somehow, we have spread a message that this word is not only OK but is somehow protected within a bully’s right of freedom of speech. We have propagated a word full of disgust, hate, and anger. This word is simply not acceptable, period. For you see, someone saying this word isn’t bothered, or even concerned, with the impact of their speech. No, they want to label someone different than them as being less than. This word isn’t just a label; it is a position of submission and weakness. Faggot is an abstract, an idea; it is synonymous with Nigger, Spic, Chink, or Towel head. These words are meant not to identify the vast differences within our society, but to oppress a particular group and dehumanize them. See, if they can knock down a group, like gays, to a level of subhuman then they no longer have to listen. By doing this, they are attempting to silence our cries and muffle our screams. If this word is being said around you, it is your duty, not as a gay activist but as a human being, to address situation, inform others of the impact of their words, and try to send them a message of love because love beats hate every time.
Problems also occur from within particular groups. It saddens me when I hear gay men and women call other gay people by discrimination terms. By giving laugh or saying it is a “term of endearment”, we are giving permission to the world to continue to see us as faggots instead of people who happen to be gay.
Love gay life enough to respect all those who came before us and dealt with more social oppression then just being called faggot.
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I think words hurt more than a punch in the face. Wounds heal, but those words, they stay forever.
So true! Sometimes one doesn’t know just how powerful their words are as a weapon of hate.