"I love you, Mama-Doo"

"I love you, Mama-Doo." When Skye says that, it's music to my ears and probably sounds silly to many. My response is always, "I love you too, Baby-Pooh." I'm not even sure what inspired that moniker, but I can say it's probably my favorite. Skye uses it nearly every day and when she does, it's almost always preceded by "I love you." There's something about a nickname, especially when it's given by your child. Terms of endearment in the Graffam household are in no short supply.

Sadly, too many of us hear negative slurs tossed around that dehumanize and demoralize LGBT people. As we rush toward the month of January, GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) has designated the week of January 21st as "No Name Calling Week." Many people use negative terms for LGBT people as a weapon to emasculate men and objectify women. I don't think I've ever heard anyone call me Dyke or Lesbo, but when spat out by a person consumed with hate, the terms are dripping with malice and even the act of typing them makes me feel dirty.

Mama-Doo and Baby-Pooh

Too often, I've heard young men and women use the f-bomb to insult their male friends. I'm not talking about the word that rhymes with duck. I'm talking about the word "fag", or "faggot." It's a word that has crept into our schools, our malls, and even our playgrounds, and drips with often fatal poison concocted from ignorance. Some men use it jokingly with one another, not understanding how offensive it is. When I witness playful banter pockmarked with that word, it infuriates me because they don't understand how that word can hold closeted young men hostage and keep them locked in a closet with doors so thick it more resembles a bunker.

People forget that words have power and as Maya Angelou once said, can stick to the walls and change the very atmosphere of a home from light and loving to dark and despondent. That's why I'm so glad that my family hears words endowed with tenderness and love when we're calling each other names.

I think pop culture has fostered an environment fraught with sarcasm and word games that start out innocently enough, but quickly turn into battles of who can cut the deepest with their tongue-lashing. As we enjoy the holiday season, I pray we can make more of an effort to be kind to one another. More than that, I hope that kindness becomes a hallmark not only of our holiday season, but replaces the  negative name calling we engage in and creates a world where kindness and consideration are the norm.