Hey, lookit!

1. [Pride parade] “This party is so gay.” / [Bored partygoers] “This party is so boring.”
2. [Flower] This is a pansy. / [Young man sitting on the front steps] This is a boy who’s having a bad day.
3. [Dog] This is a bitch. / [Young woman crossing her arms] This is a girl who speaks her mind.
4. [Garden tool] This is a hoe. / [Young woman leaning forward] This is a girl who likes your boyfriend.
5. [Cigarette butt] This is a fag. / [Young man] This is a guy who annoys you.
6. [Three young women] These are girls. / [Three male football players] These are athletes who lost a game.
7. [Queen of hearts and queen of spades] This is a pair of queens. / [Husbands leaning their foreheads together] This is a couple who’ve been together for 20 years.

The text at the bottom of each reads:

“Sexist and homophobic words are violent and they’re everybody’s problem. Realize words have an impact — even if you don’t see it. Challenge sexist and homophobic language. Choose different words. Change the subject. Support people who are being harassed. Use humor to change minds. Violent words support violence. Everybody has a backbone. Use yours.”

(source: Backbone Zone, a project of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA), which gets funding from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which gets its money from TAXES. Social services work, including this work, DESERVES its funding. Please vote for candidates who agree.)