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It can be easy to think we've moved beyond it, but apparently "That's so gay" is still a thing, and a study suggests that LGBT students that hear it are harmed both emotionally and physically.
Details after the jump.
According to CBS Detroit, the University of Michigan study's data "suggest gay, lesbian and bisexual college students who heard “that’s so gay” more frequently were more likely to report feeling isolated and to suffer negative health symptoms, such as headaches, poor appetite or eating problems."
In the study, authored by Michael Woodford, an assistant professor of social work at University of Michigan, researchers examined the impact of hearing “that’s so gay” among 114 gay, lesbian and bisexual students between the ages of 18 to 25 through an online survey.
The completed surveys revealed that practically every respondent had heard the phrase at least one time in the past 12 months.
Nearly half of those surveyed said they'd heard the phrase more than ten times within the same 12 month period.
(Clearly many of these college students just aren't that creative. Seriously, 90's playground slang being thrown around on college campuses in 2012? Do better.)
Woodford concluded that hearing the phrase more often increased students’ risk of health problems and feelings of isolation.
“Given the nature of gay-lesbian-bisexual stigma, sexual minority students could already perceive themselves to be excluded on campus and hearing ‘that’s so gay’ may elevate such perceptions,” Woodford said, adding, “‘That’s so gay’ conveys that there is something wrong with being gay. And, hearing such messages about one’s self can cause stress, which can manifest in headaches and other health concerns.
Woodford's proposed solution? Colleges have to address “low-level hostility,” including language, to eradicate “that’s so gay” from college student vernacular.
He states, “Policies and educational programs are needed to help students, staff and faculty to understand that such language can be harmful to gay students. Hopefully, these initiatives will help to eliminate the phrase from campuses."
Thoughts, Instincters?
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