Remember when Hilary Duff single-handedly solved homophobia? I do

That's so gay.

As queer people, we know that the majority of the progress made in society for our community has been made by us. We have thrown bricks and protested and pushed and broken down doors and kept showing up and loving and building lives and demanding equality until the force of our will changed things, and now many more of us get to exist how we wish in the world (being annoying). I think it’s also important we acknowledge those straight people, the allies, the movers and shakers who were by our side over the years.

In my last article I spoke about my favourite straight contribution to culture, but this time I want to speak about something even more important - the heterosexual contribution to equality. More specifically, a 30 second video in the 2000s that led to the downfall of homophobia. 

2008 was a big year. The world was in the midst of the Global Financial Crisis, which I definitely understand and know what happened with all that and could easily explain, if only I had the word count. The first Twilight movie came out, sending horrible messages to young girls about letting pale undead men in high school control you. Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt ran and swam really fast and won the Beijing Olympics. Barack Obama became President….and Margot Robbie first appeared as Donna Freedman in Neighbours. 

Donna Freedman and some injured lesbian (actually think her character may have died rip queen)

But the most important event of 2008 was none of these - instead it was when actor and singer Hilary Duff took a brave stand as part of the “Think Before You Speak” campaign. Duff starred in this PSA about not using “gay” as an insult, back when everyone was still using gay as an insult.