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Why joking about being gay just isn’t funny any more

The comments by Richard Hammond, pictured right alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, implying only gay people eat ice cream did not amuse Mike one bit.
The comments by Richard Hammond, pictured right alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, implying only gay people eat ice cream did not amuse Mike one bit.

It’s time to stop equating “gay” with “bad”. It’s just not funny any more.

For those of you who call this political correctness and assert that you will use words as you please because it wasn’t a problem before, I understand but ask you to read on.

After 2016, a year characterised by divisiveness and the flat dismissal of views that seemed unpleasant, it’s time to make greater efforts to discuss important issues properly.

Why focus on the word “gay”? Because it’s a good place to start and because a renewed discussion began last week when a slightly famous person said a slightly stupid thing.

Richard Hammond, formerly of Top Gear and now co-presenting something remarkably similar on Amazon’s TV streaming service, suggested eating ice cream is reserved for homosexual people.

Specifically, he said: “I don’t eat ice cream. I think it’s something to do with being straight.”

He’s wrong for two reasons. First, ice cream is amazing and everybody should eat it, even if, like me, you’re lactose-intolerant and have been told by the doctor to avoid it. Ice cream is one of the reasons happiness exists.

Second – and this is the real mistake – Hammond was implying that being gay is problematic. If it wasn’t for the oppression, discrimination and social stigma caused by others, being gay might not be problematic at all but outdated attitudes are perpetuating stereotypes and making too many people unhappy.

I know this sort of joke used to be OK. I laughed at Dick Emery and his like myself and it’s been a depressingly short time since I said “gay” as an insult. It seemed funny but I didn’t know the damage it could cause to someone struggling to understand their own identity.

Now, as we communicate better, it’s easier to hear stories of prejudice, confusion and mental ill-health from people in the LGBTQ community. Attitudes need to evolve and language with them.

It seems a small thing but we can begin by remembering the power of words and educating ourselves. If we want, we can change our society, one word at a time.

That’s not being politically correct. It’s being good.