Retarded (adj): delayed or held back in terms of progress, develop- ment, or accomplishment; SYNONYMS: slowed down, post-poned, hindered, detained

gay (adj): 1. homosexual; 2. happily excited, merry, lighthearted

faggot (n): sticks of wood, tied together, which are used as fuel for a fire

So that’s what those words ACTUALLY mean. In case you had forgotten.

I’m not a fan of the over-done politically correct movement. Words like mailman and history are fine by me; I’m not offended by the fact that “man” and “his” are a part of them. I’d argue it’s easier and more accurate to say “blind” rather than “visually challenged,” because, after all, everyone who wears glasses or contacts is visually challenged.

What I DO take issue with is when people use the words retarded, faggot, and gay to mean something they don’t. I’d think people here at Tufts would be a bit smarter about it. As I sit here in the campus center, I hear the following phrases:

“That’s so gay.” “God, what an asshole. He’s such a faggot.” “Dude, that’s retarded.”

Here’s what those phrases literally mean:

“That’s so homosexual.” “God, what an asshole. He’s such a bundle of wood.” “Dude, that’s slowed down.”

So, here’s why I take offense at these words in particular. First, when you’re calling someone retarded, you’re referring to people with all sorts of mental handicaps, such as autism, Down Syndrome, and learning disabilities. If you say, “Well, those people ARE stupid!” then you’re only proving yourself to be ignorant. It’s not like they chose to have cognitive impairments. Sure, their IQs are lower, but these people face obstacles the general public (which most likely includes you) cannot even dream of—including the social stigma that comes with their disabilities.

Next, how is it that gay has come to mean stupid? I’d just like to point out how the Tufts campus is generally very accepting of different forms of sexuality. Haven’t you seen the rainbow pins on people’s bags? Did you SEE the turn-out on National Coming Out Day? Haven’t you seen same-sex couples holding hands? Have you seen them kissing under Bowen Gate? Do you know a gay person at Tufts? When you say something is gay but you really mean stupid, you’re ignoring a significant chunk of the population (and the Tufts population) that IS gay. And I hate to break it to you, but there’s no correlation between being gay and being stupid. So I don’t know who came up with that logic.

Finally, I move on to what I think is the most despicable of the three (at least, in its use in the United States). Let’s look back at what “faggot” means, shall we? You see that part about “used as fuel for a fire”? Faggots are those bundles of wood that were lit when burning heretics (hence, homosexuals) at the stake. This slur against gays refers to how they were executed for their sexuality in a time of intolerance and ignorance. I thought we were a bit better than that here at Tufts, but apparently not. So, next time you call someone a faggot when you actually mean they’re stupid, or weird, or a loser, remember how this word recalls the blind hatred and small-mindedness of the past, and possibly the blind hatred and small-mindedness that you also possess.

What people seem to forget is that homosexual and mentally handicapped people have a solid presence in our society. They’re not just some little .2% sliver on a pie chart. When you say those words, you are referring to people that are most likely no more than two degrees of separa- tion away from you (meaning, a friend of a friend). I write this article with the hope that it will cause people to think twice about using inappropriate language. As widespread as it may be, it’s still not okay. It’s simply unacceptable.