What is a stereotype? If you don’t know, I will tell you. First I will give you some examples, like that Asians are bad drivers, that Asians are always smart, and that the woman in the family is always the care-giver. Even though sometimes it is true, I know that the woman is not always the care-giver because some people do not have moms because they died or their dads are gay or something else. To believe this is to believe a stereotype. Although anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandel is dead, his words will always be true: “We slaughter one another with words and attitude. We slaughter one another in the stereotypes…” Yes we slaughter one another with our words this is why stereotypes hurt. They are harmful.

Stereotypes they hurt. Sometimes they make you feel sick to your stomach and feel weird. Don’t stop trying because of a stereotype. Don’t stop being who you are. Always be yourself no matter what. Tell people to stop if they’re using stereotypes.

There things you can do to avoid using a stereotype. For example when you guess people’s gender it can be offensive to that person who is being judged. When you say things like, “You look like a boy. You’re supposed to look like a girl and girls wear dresses and skirts.” Those words can be harmful in many ways. Now think… After reading this, how does it feel? Have you ever got bullied and went home crying? That’s how it feels. I want you to think about all the ways stereotypes hurt other people. With a perspective this is Chloe.