Online bigotry is no new trend. For years, social media users have weaponized their anonymity online to insult and degrade others. The tolerance of this poor behavior has decreased over the years, but it seems to be growing in popularity again, both online and in public spaces—specifically, hatred involving sexuality.

It’s not always outright insulting. It usually comes as small comments, such as saying “that’s so gay” to call something bad or weird. However, this allows for more wiggle room in the insults people can get away with. It tells people it’s okay to use simple labels as insults, even indirectly. 

“I have absolutely seen a rise in homophobia both at school and online,” junior Ramon Fernandez said. “It’s mainly at a casual conversational level, so it’s being taken as a joke even when it’s harmful.” 

Social media like Instagram or TikTok have popular trends or videos that push homophobic rhetoric, making people perceive being gay as bad or even a punishment. One such trend would include “English or Spanish,” in which someone is asked “English or Spanish?” and then would be told “the first person to move is gay.” It’s a test to see how long someone can stand still. The challenge itself is not a problem, but instead the phrasing used as punishment. I would much rather be called a rotten egg.

“It seems to be an outlet for people to test the waters and find out just how much homophobia they can get away with without serious backlash,” The Academy at LCSC student Madison Wallace said. “It’s an opening for much more aggressive forms of homophobia.” 

I’d have to agree with Wallace. As a lesbian, I can be rather sensitive to these “jokes.” It’s just something that I simply am, and it’s almost like saying that it’s insulting to be myself.

Wallace tries to scroll past hateful videos and comments to limit their effect.

“But, it still makes me worry about what is to come, possibly becoming so bad that people may feel it’s okay to start taking their hate offline and into the real world, where people can’t just scroll past what they’re saying,” Wallace said.

However, not everyone agrees.

“I’ve seen a rise in bigotry, yeah, but I wouldn’t say homophobia necessarily,” junior Silas Penn said. “I think homophobia is an issue, but it’s not growing. I’m unharmed. I’m a straight man.”

Regardless of whether or not it’s a growing issue at Logansport High School, there’s been a large increase of it in other schools around the world. One teacher in Wales, Ian Timbrell, who was featured in an article about homophobia in schools, felt that there had been a huge resurgence of homophobic insults in the past year, despite not hearing any such insults in his previous 17 years of teaching.

“A lot of it is families and their parents using it,” Timbrell said. “But, a lot of it is social media from the United States, TikTok accounts, things like that . . . The only way that we will stop this is if everyone stands up to it, whether you’re a teacher, a parent or a young person.”

Timbrell is entirely correct. The only way to stop bigotry from being spread is to step in and make it stop. It won’t just go away.