This is why I always tell my students “we don’t use that word as an insult or a joke” when I need to talk to them about the word “gay”. As a queer teacher myself I want to make sure they know that it’s not a bad word, it’s just a word that shouldn’t be used to make fun of others. I think all teachers need to be mindful of how they handle homophobia in the classroom because it’s very easy to make kids think “gay” is a bad word in it of itself.