'Man up', 'That's so gay' and 'Don't be a p---y' among the 'offensive slang' Duke University students are being told they should not say

New Duke University campaign called 'You Don't Say' targeting offensive phrases on campus

Fronted by two student organizations trying to crack down on slang that dehumanizes and marginalizes people and groups



Detractors say it is an attack on free speech

Others call it a 'narrow' movement concerned only with the LGBT community

Student organizations at Duke University have started a movement against words they believe you just shouldn't say.

The 'You Don't Say' campaign determines common slang phrases such as 'Man Up', 'That's So Gay' and 'Dont Be a Pussy' as offensive language that dehumanizes and marginalizes people and groups at the North Carolina college, specifically the LGBT community.

But critics aren't convinced, saying that word discouragement is an attack on free speech and public policy.

'Language is a reflection of how we think about others and view the world,' Jay Sullivan, a student leader of the campaign, told The College Fix.



Think before you speak: The 'You Don't Say' campaign at Duke University confronts everyday expressions that center around gender and sexual orientation and has gained national publicity, especially from critics

'My goal is to help facilitate discussion about how language affects many social issues, from race to gender and sexuality.'

The campaign is made up of a series of black and white posters, most of which appear only online, featuring students pledging why they will not say the street talk they have deemed offensive.

Among the banned words are 'homo', 'bitch', 'tranny' and 'fag', mostly because all are oppressive terms.

The campaign is a collaborative effort between a newly formed group at Duke University called Think Before You Talk and Blue Devils United, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer student advocacy group.

The campaign has gained national publicity and plenty of supporters, but the detractors are equally as fervent.

A new word-discouragement campaign at Duke University has labeled phrases such as 'Man Up', 'That¿s So Gay', and 'Don¿t Be a Pussy' as offensive language that marginalizes homosexuality

'I can’t say anything about an individual person, because it might be construed as offensive to a larger group … even if I had no intention of offending a larger group,' one Facebook critic posted.

Others said it was unrealistic to try and put a stop on language that is so everyday.

'As a thinking individual, I don’t and didn’t need some children from Duke University admonishing me for ''thinking any gender is inferior'',’ another Facebook user said.

'Do you see what they did there? ‘'Any gender''. Not ‘'either gender''. It’s all about redefining terms, redefining life.'

Grove City College professor Dr. Mark Hendrickson said while there is a need for consideration when choosing one's language, the 'You Don't Say' campaign has a narrow focus.

'With anybody advocating the banning of a certain word or phrase… would they be willing to publicly say, ‘'I promise in return to never hinder a speech by a political figure with whose political philosophy I disagree?” Hendrickson told The College Fix.