Now if you've been following me for any sort of time-span, you are probably familiar with the fact that I am a flaming homosexual. Now the specific thing I wanted to talk about (at least talk about first) is homophobia and it's many forms. So first off...slurs.
Y'know, faggot, dyke, etc.
But in my experience, these words have as much power to ascribe to them. And I know that sounds crappy to say and all that but it's true when it really comes down to it. In my life, I have been called these sorts of things on many occasions. At school, at home, on the street when going out with my girlfriend, and it's been happening for a while. And after a while I decided that I could either keep letting it get to me and get me down, or take away the power that those words had from the people using them. These words keep people down because they give the person using them a certain sort of power because of the meaning and connotation of those words. There are very few gay people who like being called a fag. But I noticed as soon as I started coming back and saying things like "yeah, I know. So what?" the looks on their faces were priceless. Because at that point, that word no longer had the power they thought it would since I didn't let it affect me. It was a weird kind of shift and one that I happily welcomed. I took away their ammunition, so they just stopped shooting.
So my point in talking to you guys about this is that I know there are some of you who struggle with these sorts of things. Whether it be about sexuality or something else. But words only have as much power as you let them have. If you let them be this extremely oppressive force on you, then that's what it'll be. But if you just let it be a silly word that doesn't mean shit to you, then that's what it'll be. And when the people using them realize that it doesn't mean anything to you, they tend to stop using them because what would be the point?
In the end, words are silly, but we have to choose if we let them have power or not.
Until next time...
