I live in San Francisco – literally two blocks from Union Square – and often walk my dog down there.  Was walking my dog, past the Disney Store on Post and Powell – and just happen to hear a father reprimand his son – right in front of his sister…

I heard “Stop acting like such a girl” – and I saw not only the reaction on the boy’s face, but also the reaction of his sister standing right next to him.  I could not help by think – “Does not man realize what his words are doing his children?”  NOT to mention, what his daughter must think.

Does a young girl think that it is bad for a boy to act like a girl?

Is it bad for a boy to be a girl?

What’s so wrong –with being a girl?

(See my train of thought here? – so just think what those kids were thinking!!)

As a person who has heard the word “faggot” all my life – I know the damage people’s words can do to someone… society often thinks of “words” as being damaging – but really I think it is more context and sentences that are more damaging than the words themselves.

I’m often reprimanded for using an “adult phrase” or four-letter word by the same people, who would very easily say something like “stop acting like a girl” to their own child.  As business professionals, parents and fellow human beings – having to share the same planet - perhaps words like “retard” or “faggot” or “stupid” – and phrases like “stop acting like a girl” or “why are you such a tom-boy” or “that is totally gay” = should be removed from our vocabulary.

As business professionals, letting one of these words or phrases slip at an inappropriate time  during a conversation (on the clock or off) can lead to BIG problems – and now with social networking and employers encouraging this type of business interaction, we need to be much more careful of how we express ourselves (both online and off.)

I will never forgot when a friend arranged an interview for me – for a recruiting position… and with the sincerity and care only a good friend can have – he turned to me and said – “try not to be too gay – in the interview.”  Perhaps he knew something I did not, but how can someone be anything less – than what they are.  For someone to say something like that to me – before going into an interview… Well – that’s just simply stupid!