In the past several years of American and global history, new or updated words and definitions began to immerse themselves into the print of the English dictionary. As the years progress, more words still continue to be entered into our dictionaries and utilized in our modern vocabulary. Along with new words and definitions in English dictionaries, some words of the English language have been adopted from dictionaries, and their definitions have been altered in order for them to transform into words with derogatory definitions. Words such as “queer” (a synonym for “strange,” or “weird”) and “fag” (a word meaning cigarette in eastern Europe, especially in the United Kingdom) have been transformed into insulting terms against male homosexuals. The word “cracker” (by definition of the Merriam Webster Dictionary, a dry thin crispy baked bread product that may be leavened or unleavened) has been transformed into a derogatory term against Caucasians. The term “pussy” (a synonym for a feline, usually a domestic cat) has been turned into a profane word for a woman’s vagina or a coward. One of the most famous words that once portrayed itself as a synonym for happiness or ecstacy has been transformed into a (usually insulting) synonym for homosexually, and this word happens to be the term “gay.”

The term “gay” is now a synonym that depicts a homosexual man or woman, and it is, a times, merely a term that depicts that. However, most people, especially in the modern youth community, utilize this word in order to insult another person or to describe a task or occurrence that is unpleasant or tedious(example: The homework that the teachers gave me is so gay). Most people of the young community utilize this term without any form of qualm or regard that this is usually a term that perturbs the homosexual community when used as a derogative term, which forms a problem between heterosexuals and homosexuals. The reason why most teenagers in modern society utilize this term is because either they are homophobic, or they have little idea about how insulting or troublesome the word may be. When utilized as a derogatory adjective, the word is often insulting and hurtful towards other people. On the contrary argument, the right of free speech in the society is protected by the First Amendment of the American Constitution, but nonetheless, it is a term that should not be used as a deragotary adjective. Like the “n” word and “cracker,” it is a term that is cruel and vain when used in an insulting manner. Not to mention, there are negative consequences to the continuation of the use of this word as a derogatory adjective.

Bob Probst of the Daily Cardinal (an online newspaper), has stated that the continuation of the word “gay” as a derogative adjective in modern sociey “… not only directly contributes to an extremely homophonic, hate-mongering mindset, but reifies the dichotomy between straight as denoting acceptable or normal and gay meaning strange or, even worse, sick.” In other words, the utilization of the word gay as a derogative term not only promote prejudice agains the homosexual community, but it denotes the portrayal of the homosexual community as strange or sickened, and it makes the heterosexual community seem healthy, customary, and the only acceptable lifestyle to live by in modern society. The derogative term promotes or sometimes, even, justifies, prejudice against the homosexual community, and it makes others believe that the homosexuals of the community are a group to be shunned and/or punished. This causes an increase in hate crimes against homosexuals in the United States and possibly the rest of the world as well. Not to mention, that in the modern society, tolerance for the homosexual community is usually not shown to children by families. In fact, most families (like my own family) in modern times promote prejudice against the homosexual community. Once again, this promotes the image that homosexuals are a punishable, expendable, and strange community.

The continuation of the word “gay” as a derogative adjective not only promotes prejudice as an acceptable factor in society, but it also promotes the utilization of other cruel, prejudistic, and/or profane words in the English language instead of promoting the utilization of formal or customary language. This is basically a matter of peer pressure, which can (based from facts from buzzle.com) “hamper the normal development and growth of a child and hence is not something, which can be dismissed as a temporary phase in high school, college or even later in life.” Peer pressure promotes vulgar language among the youth community today, and it makes them believe that the utilization of the word “gay” has no insulting or hurtful effect on other members of the community. This causes a decline in non-vulgar and/or proper word usage in the youth community, which is a growing problem today in the United States as well as the rest of the world.

The bottom line of this argument is that the utilization of the word “gay” as a derogative adjective is not an insignificant problem in modern society, which means that something must be done about it. This “something” happens to be the promotion of non-insulting words in the youth community and teaching youth community about tolerance for the homosexual community and other cultural, racial, or ethnic groups and minorities. Thus, we can create a better, safer world for the global society.