Tuesday marked the 21st observance of World AIDS Day. A plethora of companies, schools, organizations, and yes, even my favorite Web sites (well, some of them…) took action to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic, which currently affects an estimated 33 million people worldwide. One of my favorites, Twitter, teamed up with Bono’s Project (RED) Campaign, providing users with the #red hashtag, allowing them to show support by automatically changing the color of their tweets.
As I took a moment to enjoy the number of Twitterers tweeting and retweeting support for World AIDS Day, I came across a particularly interesting discussion between Megan Phelps-Roper and a few celebrity Tweeters, including my I-Love-The-80s-crush, Michael Ian Black. Phelps-Roper is the granddaughter of Fred Phelps, the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a Kansas-based group mostly known for picketing the funerals of soldiers or institutions or individuals they think support homosexuality.
While Phelps and the WBC are not known for being the most tactful communicators, I couldn’t help but be shocked by the plethora of hateful and defamatory language Megan used in her tweets about AIDS and the gay community. When I finally pulled myself away from Twitter, I immediately launched into an intense Googling session and while examining old issues of The Advocate online, I came across a reader comment stating that Phelps and the WBC are actually helping to bring the LGBT and straight communities together.
I immediately scoffed at the idea that a group like the WBC, with its over-the-top public shenanigans, could ever do anything to further support for the LGBT community – but then I started thinking that maybe the use of such provocative, nasty language IS helping. Think about it – the Out Front Team has blogged repeatedly about the importance of language, often discussing how certain terms or phrases help to create and cultivate the idea that LGBT people are “other” or “different.” Many of the words or phrases we’ve discussed are seemingly innocuous – lifestyle, taken out of the context described here, is still a socially acceptable word. If I tried to explain to certain family members or friends that using the term “lifestyle” is insulting to the LGBT community, they may not understand it, yet they can more easily recognize and agree that shouting “God Hates Fags” IS offensive.
Is it possible that the use of over-the-top, provocative language can actually bring LGBT and straight communities closer together because more people can agree that such words and phrases are offensive? Does this help raise awareness or does it come at too high of a cost? I’d love to know your thoughts.
SUBSCRIBE