Gay Speech, not Hate Speech

Paper Summary:

The paper illustrates how language serves a purpose to the gay and lesbian community to assist them in recognizing themselves as a group in a world of opposition and ridicule of their status. The paper quotes several words and descriptively explains how the word is utilized in gay society. The paper then summarizes the situation with examples on how language has been used negatively with the resultant necessity for this group to formulate their own vocabulary.

From the Paper:

"This usage appears to have grown out of political activism. The need to combat homophobic oppression - including internalized homophobia - was perceived, and a concrete way of doing this was to hold a public parade in which pride in one's alternative sexual orientation was expressed. Out of this activity, the word "pride" acquired a whole new meaning - a meaning that is useful for this community in overcoming the societal prejudices it has to deal with."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abelove, Henry, Michele Aina Barale and David M. Halperin. (Eds.) (1993). The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader. New York, Routledge.
• Creekmur, C. K. & Doty, A. (Eds.). (1995). Out in Culture: Gay, Lesbian, and Queer Essays on Popular Culture. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
• Herdman, Cameron. (August 30, 2007). "Stop faking it through life." From GSAs to PrideSpeaks, Ricky Duong challenges homophobia one school at a time. Xtra West, P. 13.
• Smith, Barbara. (1982). Homophobia: Why bring it up? In The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader. Eds. Henry Abelove, Michele Aina Barale and David M. Halperin. New York, Routledge, pp. 99-102

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