Too often, I make my way through my high school hallway and hear the words “homo” and “fa**ot” uttered when no teachers are around. I am not gay, but I find the words deeply offensive; I can only imagine what it must be like to be gay and hear slurs like these.

School and religious center forums on the web from around the country quickly confirm that slurs like this and far worse are typical. 

 

Religious figures continue to harshly speak out on homosexuality, while presidential candidates such as Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachman have inferred that being gay is a disease or akin to bestiality. 

When television programs, athletes such as Kobe Bryant and rappers like Eminem use homophobic words openly, kids follow suit.