Why do people use the word ‘gay’ in a derogatory way? Filmmaker Amy Ashenden traveled around the south east of England to find out why some people have started to say ‘eurgh that’s gay’. Is it homophobic or has language evolved?
Ashenden wrote in the Guardian, “I decided to make a documentary exploring how this piece of language had evolved, and speak to people both gay and straight to see how they felt about the word taking on a negative meaning.
“Some gay people I spoke to were content with the word evolving, while there were straight people who were outraged. Younger people, whom we might have expected to have more awareness of what it means to identify as gay because of media coverage, were often the demographic defending the negative use of this word.
“Many older people I spoke to felt strongly that it should it not be allowed to be used negatively. The language we use, consciously or subconsciously, can reflect our feelings toward minorities.”
Following sold-out screenings across the UK, The Gay Word is now available to watch online. Ashenden self-produced and edited the documentary in two months, using equipment from SUSUtv, the University of Southampton’s TV station.
Watch the video above and tell us what you think.
