Read on Twitter
Thread on homophobic slurs:
1/
I feel like it's necessary for straight men to step up on this fight now. I know it's happening already, but we also know certain words are still mostly used among men in schools, sports, as banter between friends. It's not fun, it's not okay.
1/
I feel like it's necessary for straight men to step up on this fight now. I know it's happening already, but we also know certain words are still mostly used among men in schools, sports, as banter between friends. It's not fun, it's not okay.
2/ Back in Italy, I had this friend. Straight guy, accepted & embraced me without issue. He grew up in the suburbs where the word "fag" was thrown around repeatedly. He had it in his system, therefore he was still using it with his old time friends.
3/ On one occasion, one of his friends called him "fag" in front of me. In that context, that word meant "stupid, retarded". I of course spoke up and challenged the guy, who was deeply apologetic. What startled me was my friend's reaction: silence, he didn't challenge his pal.
4/ I lately asked him why. Why didn't he condemn that word? He said that's the way he had grown up, the way they used to call each other as teens, just for fun. He said it meant nothing, it was just banter. I said words matter. Using "fag" meaning "less-than" was insulting.
5/ He got my point, but still wasn't sure. He still thought the way they used that word was innocuous. I then realized things change when you understand the mistake you're making and try to do better. You understand someone else's feelings, you walk in their shoes.
6/ None of us is mistake free. They're biases, beliefs, they're in the way we grew up, our playground, our sports team. But we all evolve. Learn. We understand there are way to "have fun" without hurting anyone. An inclusive banter.
7/ So the ask is simple: straight men, lead the way. We need your help to build a society where homophobic slurs are left in the past. Where being gay is no longer a synonym of "less-than". We get that's the way you grew up, but that doesn't have to be passed on. Break the chain.
