Using hate speech should never be acceptable, but slurs and derogatory terms are far too common on college campuses. To stop the use of hurtful phrases on its campus, Duke University has created a new campaign, You Don't Say?, that outlines the issues with certain terms.
Two of Duke's student organizations, Think Before You Talk and Blue Devils United, Duke's LGBTQ group, teamed up to raise awareness about insensitive language. The campaign photos feature Duke students' portraits with their own explanations about why they avoid using certain words and phrases. Among those listed are "tranny," "man up," and "fag."
In February, student members of Think Before You Talk painted a campus bridge with the offending terms, along with others, such as "retarded" or "raped by a test" with thought bubble illustrations to encourage students to think before using the phrases.
"Discriminatory and dehumanizing language is reflective of a culture that supports those practices, and if we hear language that targets a part of our own identities in a negative way, it is likely that society as a whole will treat us negatively," Duke sophomore Fiona McCrossin told PolicyMic. Now, that's something we can say.