A Lesson in Cruelty: Anti-Gay Slurs Common at School. Perhaps because of the increasing social visibility of gay students, anti-gay slurs are the insults of choice in America’s schools, according to teachers, counselors and students themselves. Such taunts have been cited in more than half of the recent rash of schoolyard shootings. It doesn’t even appear to be directly associated with sexual orientation. ‘Gay’ and ‘fag’ appear to be the synonyms of choice for ‘stupid.’ World New York, in discussing this Washington Post article, raises the concern that, rather than just a reflection of societal intolerance, the school setting may be a breeding ground for the origination of social attitude problems. Why didn’t I think of that?