That's so Gay

Gay. It's a word that a lot of us use, but very few of us actually even know what it means.


While surfing the internet, I found quite a few definitions for it.


According to Dictionary.com, it could be any of five things:


1.) Homosexual
2.) Relating to homosexuals
3.) Being in a merry mood
4.)Showy or brightly colored
5.)Given to social or other pleasures


On the Meriam Webster Dictionary website, it had four different defintions, very similar to the definitons on Dictionary.com


1.) "Keenly alive or exuberant"
2.) Brightly colored
3.)Partaking in social pleasures
4.) Homosexual


Funny, I did not see in any of the definitions I looked at, gay offically defined as stupid. Gay is not a synonym for stupid. What a shocker.


But why do we continue to use it this way? Do you have any idea how many synonyms there are for stupid already? Let me give you a hint.


These are the synonyms I obtained from Synonym.com:


anserine, dopy, dopey, foolish, goosey, goosy, gooselike, jerky, blockheaded, boneheaded, duncical, duncish, fatheaded, loggerheaded, thick, thickheaded, thick-skulled, wooden-headed, cloddish, doltish, dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, slowgaumless, gormless, lumpish, lumpen, unthinking, nitwitted, senseless, soft-witted, witless, weak, yokel-like.


And I'm sure there are thousands more. Look them up, I dare you.


I'm aware that words like lumpen and loggerheaded aren't quite as catchy as gay. I mean, come on, it's one syllabel! When you're insulting something or someone else for being stupid, you're not only using a word incorrectly but you're also too lazy to use more than a one syllabel word. I'd call you stupid, but I'd rather say lazy. I'm sure you have the capability that I have to look up synonyms on the internet and incorporate them into your vocabulary. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that gay is most definetely not a synonym for stupid, but you're too lazy to eliminate it from your vocubulary.


Not only does it make you sound unintellegent to use a word incorrectly, but it hurts people. I have many gay friends and even straight friends who have been offended by hearing it in the hallway. Treat others how you want to be treated. How would feel if catch phrases like, "That's so jock" or "that's so straight?" How would you feel if people were mocking a piece of you so nonchalantly that they have incorporated into not only their daily word bank but their hourly word bank.


I just don't understand why out of all of the words in the dictionary that are synonymous with stupid, people have to use a word that isn't intended to be used for that purpose.

"Gay." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. N.p.  n.d. 

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

"Gay." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. N.p. n.d.

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

"Synonyms for Stupid." Synonyms Thesaurus with Antonyms & Definitions. N.p.

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.