“Instead of brushing off words like “gay” or “faggot” with hasty or offhand reprimands of “don’t say that word!,” I try to prevent bullying while encouraging analysis of the varying meanings of these words – literally, historically, and colloquially – just as I would do in studies of other words students stumble across in texts. I shared a news article about Lawrence King’s murder with my students last year and posed questions about the decision to try thirteen-year-old shooter Brandon McInerney as an adult and about the politics of hate crime legislation. I received admonishment and complaints from administrators and some colleagues who claimed that I should “be careful, this is awfully mature for sixth graders!” But we can’t truly address bullying without closely examining the language that fuels it.”

It was difficult to choose an MVP from Krywancyzk’s incredible article – every single beautifully-written sentence made my head spin, made me take a deep breath just to take everything in before I went onto the next sentence. Krywancyzk writes so eloquently and clearly about a topic of such urgency I want to include the whole article as a sort of “MVA” – “most valuable article.” Forced to choose one passage, though, I chose the paragraph above because I actually heard a student call someone a faggot at school today, and how did I respond? I said, “C’mon, don’t say that word.” I had a feeling even at the time that this was a weak and ineffectual response, but I wasn’t sure how to press further. I think I was afraid of getting too “lecturey.” This passage is valuable because it says it’s okay to dig deeper – you’re not being lecturey – you’re explaining! You’re putting things into context. I’m reminded of an episode of “Louie” that featured a group of guys playing poker together. One of them is gay:

The next time I hear the word “faggot”, I’m gonna remember this clip, and Krywancyzk’s passage. I love how the guy handled it in this situation. He wasn’t preachy, he wasn’t angry – he was calm, but he stated in a very matter-of-fact way what the word “faggot” does – the kinds of memories it conjures. That’s so much better than saying “cut it out,” the same way I would if they were tapping their pen.