Coming back from college we learn about our studies and important matters in social justice. We may come home filled with the excitement to teach our families what we have learned only to uncover for ourselves the underlying racism, sexism, heteronormativity and other unjust things that we're regularly told have been swept under the rug. Jokes about African Americans become disturbing and rape jokes are no longer acceptable. Sadly, as we become more educated, we also take off the blinds of how bitter the world is but we also learn that a way to change the world is to change ourselves and correct others from being ignorant to respectful towards all human beings.
LGBTQ individuals receive some of the harshest criticism from people and have grown to believe they were anything but human. Coming home, it was difficult to teach the children not to use derogatory terms to refer to someone in the community. Another difficult came with trying to teach children on why it's not okay to use the word "gay" as an insult to begin with. I highly stressed to them that being gay is okay, in hopes that if they themselves or someone they knew was LGBTQ, they wouldn't think negatively. Parents who have grown up to believe that LGBTQ people are sinful usually have a religious reason, which can be incredibly difficult to break-- as it not only interferes with their opinion but their belief in their religion as well. The worst insult I have ever heard was that "gay people don't have rights."
Racism is the next most difficult thing to demolish. People grow up believing that one race or color is superior to the other when we ought to embrace our difference as none of our appearances necessarily make us any smarter, nicer or better human beings. It's hard to come home and hear family members making racial jokes, especially when the family itself consists of minorities as well. Children tend to be fond users of the "N" word and justify it by claiming their "black friends use it, too" as if to validate their ability to be racist. Telling a teenager to stop using a word that all their friends use carelessly isn't easy and the stress that no change is occurring can be very exhausting.
Parents on the other hand are much more difficult to change. They had a bad moment with one member from a community and generalize the entire population based on one person's behavior. However, being the intelligent and amazing college-educated person that you are, you learn that the only thing they are supporting is their ignorance.
It is important to be informed on what is appropriate to say in respects to the people around you. It's frustrating when the people you grow up with question why your sense of humor has changed or seems sensitive. It's important to know that there's nothing wrong with you. You're learning more about the world and trying to change yourself for the better, for everyone, while wishing to help others learn the importance of that as well. It may feel like talking to a walls at times, but the important thing to know is that you're learning and taking it to heart.
Because the people that we're protecting do appreciate it.
