Languages are always evolving and changing over time. Many words see their meanings shift as society and culture develop, and, usually, this is a good thing. Of course, some words that were once innocuous may evolve to have negative, controversial, and even inflammatory meanings. Such words become embedded in cultures and communities, and, before some people realize it, they become part of everyday vernacular. But just because something is normal or common doesn’t mean it’s right. Words, as well all know, are powerful and can be extremely harmful. It takes effort and, quite frankly, guts, to call out slurs when they’re arbitrarily thrown around so they fall out of normalcy.
A teacher in Texas is one of those gutsy people. Christian Shearhod, also known as Mr. S. by most of his students, might be one of the only math teachers with 1.3 million followers on Instagram. There’s a good reason for that. He has a brilliant way of speaking to children in which he demonstrates inclusivity and kindness.
In a clip making the rounds on social media, we see Shearhod, with wavy blonde hair and tattoos, energetically addressing a room full of middle school students. In front of him sits an LGBTQ rainbow flag on a desk. Behind him is a giant projector that asks, “Is it gay?” He begins to shout, “This is gay, that is gay! Everything is gay!” He then lowers his voice and adds, “I hear it all day. But do y’all know what it means?”
A student confidently answers, “Liking the same gender as yourself.” Shearhod repeats it back to the class. “Liking the same gender as yourself.” He follows this up by asking if various actions/events are “gay,” to which the students answer in full volume. Painting nails, wearing pink, wearing crop tops, holding hands with a friend, wearing a dress, liking Barbie or My Little Pony. For each suggestion, he has a funny photo or emoji on an overhead projector. To the question, “is it gay?” the kids answer with a resounding “Noooo!”
He shifts over to the crux of what it means to be “gay” in LGBTQ terms. “Is it boys who like boys? Is it girls who like girls?” The students cheer and answer in kind. “Yeeeeeeah!” He follows this up with the fact that some people are intolerant and hateful, and that’s a shame because, as he states, “It’s beautiful.” He enthusiastically adds, “And being gay is…okay!”
To date, the clip has over 420,000 likes and nearly 16,000 supportive comments on Instagram alone. One person writes, “I’m gay and I approve of this message and wish our daughter could be in your class.” Shearhod responds with gratitude, writing, “Thank you so much! Most of the kids in this club aren’t LGBT themselves, but have friends and family who are. I love how they show up to support!”
Another commenter addressed one of the photos of Shaquille O’Neal that Shearhod posted when asking if painting one’s nails was “gay.” Mr. S. answers, “He paints his little toesies!”
And this Instagrammer states it simply: “Saving humanity one classroom at a time.” This comment itself was met with over 5,000 hearts of approval.
Upworthy got the honor of speaking with Shearhod, who shared that he has been teaching for eight years, though this clip wasn’t from his regular math class. “It was from an LGBTQ club hosted during lunch. But I teach math during the day.”
He has felt a calling to speak up having grown up in Texas. “My wife is Trans. And going to school in Texas, I saw how awfully LGBT students and allies were treated. And to be honest, I’m sad I didn’t stand up and speak out then. So now I teach kindness, in hopes that this next generation will be a bit kinder and more understanding.”
He shared an extremely hopeful message: “I’m inspired every day by little acts of kindness. The good in people gives me hope.”
