The week of November 13 was Pride Week at Parker, and it started off Monday morning—multicolored streamers decorating the school and Pride Committee members handing out beads for students to show their support and pride. Later, students sat in a Morning Ex featuring several videos meant to educate students about different identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community, as well as a video that explained the whole of the acronym, “LGBTQQIAAP2S.”

Until recently, LGBTQ+ rights were something I’d assumed most people in the Parker community were decisively on the left of.

So it was with great surprise that I walked into class after the MX and heard people mocking the idea of “two spirit,” an identity some Native American people have, which means they have both a feminine and masculine spirit. I was kind of enraged by the flippant, homophobic attitudes displayed by my peers.

They said things like, “Why do they even need a name for that?” (hmm, I don’t know, why does anyone need an identity?) or “It’s ridiculous how many letters they’ve added—can’t I just say LGBTQ+?”

I can understand if you can’t recite the entire acronym—it’s long, I get it—but what I don’t understand is why people feel the need to make rude comments about it. It’s not like someone else’s sexual orientation or gender identity impacts your life.

And okay, if this had been an isolated incident, I would chalk it up to lack of education about the subject. But one need only listen to a conversation in the halls to see the extent of the issue. Ever heard a Parker student throw around the word “geech” as an insult? (The meaning is a mix of “geeky” and “gay.”) Same-sex student relationships are often discussed in gross detail, and made the butt of jokes. The amount of hilarity my peers can find in gay hookups is frustrating.

Obviously, I take huge issue with homophobic attitudes at Parker—it’s so easy not to use homophobic slurs, and to educate yourself about other people’s identities, and be more accepting. More than the actual homophobia, however, I’m irritated with the way Parker students pretend to be more socially liberal and progressive than they act in social settings.

Most people who call themselves liberals actually do support progressive legislation and politicians—I remember the huge wave of pro-gay rights sentiments that followed the Marriage Equality Act in 2015. In classes and large groups, students readily point out homophobia, sexism, and racism in history and English texts. Certainly that’s one part of being liberal–having this big-picture democratic agenda.

But outside of classes, in smaller social groups, is where “geech” gets thrown around, and where boys mock lesbian sex with two scissors as their props.

Often, I think, people are just joking, or trying to be funny. Of course, it’s not just homophobia. These sort of jokingly cruel attitudes extend to sexism, racism, and ableism.

To legitimately support the causes you claim to, including LGBTQ+ rights, you have to constantly engage in conversations and address people in a manner that is consistent with your social views.

It’s not that Parker students are blatantly, aggressively homophobic. I’ve never heard anyone say, “I hate gay people” at school. But implying that someone’s sexuality is funny, frequent microaggressions, and mocking gay sex is not liberal—it’s kind of homophobic. It’s hypocritical to call yourself progressive or wear beads in support of a cause you later laugh about.

This, I think, is a huge part of the culture at Parker. We students have branded ourselves liberal. We talk about how we’re so intolerant of conservative viewpoints.  How we need more ideological diversity. On the whole, I’m sure it’s true that we generally have a liberal persuasion throughout the student body compared to other schools—at least based on the tears I saw after President Trump’s election.

But I also think we fail to act in accordance with these liberal beliefs, perhaps under the impression that calling ourselves “liberal” makes us so.

So the way I see it, there are two options. The first one, perhaps the more unrealistic one, is that Parker students educate themselves. If you’re progressive, act like it. Be a little more politically correct because words have power. Stop using homophobic slurs, listen when people call you out, and learn about what it means to be two spirit.

But if you’re not willing to change your views, then stop pretending you’re liberal. Be honest, or at least cognizant, about what you say when you’re backstage with your close friends.

If you think two spirit is a BS concept, then you don’t support LGBTQ+ rights as much as you think you do, just as someone who thinks women are less capable than men cannot be a feminist.

Personally, I’m super liberal, and super politically correct, but that doesn’t have to be you. The First Amendment protects your right to be as bigoted, homophobic, and offensive as you want. Just don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.