N.Z. Teacher: Don’t Say “Gay” — Negatively

New Zealand schoolteacher Warren Bowers (pictured) is on a campaign against the word "gay" -- not because he's homophobic (he's a gay man), but because he sees students using it pejoratively.

"Quite often teachers just ignore it ... teachers will pull kids up on using sexist language, they'll pull kids up on using racist language ... but if kids use that word 'gay' ... quite often, they'll just let it slide," he told The Dominion Post of Wellington.

Bowers, whose graduate studies focused on homosexuality in education, said he was moved to research the matter after an 8-year-old student who has lesbian parents told him she was upset because her classmates used the word "as a bad thing." He then discussed this with his students and decided to ban the use of "gay" in his class -- and he would like to see a general ban.

Some students and teachers might not be aware of the harm done by negative use of the word, but "it is offensive and it does hurt people's feelings," he said.

Some educators questioned how much good a ban would do, but member of parliament Chris Carter, who is gay, praised Bowers's move. Read more here.