Ft. Worth, Texas city councilman Joel Burns' recent public statement about bullying was made in response to the recent spate of teen suicides related to homophobic bullying. It speaks for itself.
Joel Burns' decision to speak out comes at a time of increased awareness of teen sucides due to bullying. A web-based advocacy effort called the It Gets Better Project is the inspiration of Seattle writer Dan Savage who is using a You Tube channel to let LGBT teenagers know that life may be difficult now, but "it gets better."
This from the Advocate:
The "It Gets Better" Project is inspired by the suicide of 15-year-old Indiana teenager Billy Lucas, who hanged himself last week in his family's barn after enduring bullying from his classmates. After writing a post on The Slog about Lucas's death last week, one commenter expressed a desire to have spoken to him to tell him that things get better.Tim Gunn
Savage, in his September 21 Savage Love podcast, said he felt the same way and decided to address the problem. The project is a YouTube channel where LGBT adults can upload videos targeted at gay teens to let then know their future can still be bright.
Kathy Griffin
Ellen Degeneres
Colin Farrell
Jewel
Ty
Jason Derulo
Dan Savage
Similarly, MTV has asked celebrities comment
Hat Tips to DC & KB
6 comments:
But does it really get better for teachers?
Gay teachers know the unwritten rule: keep quiet about your sexuality or pay the ultimate price. In most cities in Kentucky, a teacher can be discharged for being gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Only the bigger cities like Lexington and Louisville have non-discrimination ordinances that protect orientation.
I like that there is an organization to help the teens undergoing the bullying, but is anyone focusing on the real issue? How to stop and prevent the actual bullying from going on? Kathy Griffin said that it was the public figures fault for being against being gay and I don’t necessarily believe that is the case. It’s okay to have your own views about things; It’s okay to think being gay is okay, and it’s okay to think that being gay is wrong; but using those views to hurt, bully and bash other people is wrong. I think a lot more emphasis should be put into teaching kids and adults alike that we need to be caring and compassionate towards others, even if they do not believe the same things as we do. I believe that the public figures who publicly state the fact that they think being gay is wrong are to be commended because they stood up for what they believed in in a world that judges everyone so much. The problem only arises when the public takes those statements and twists them to mean that they can be rude and awful to gay people, which is not what most public figures are saying. Bottom line is that schools need to have programs to discourage bullying and encourage awareness that everyone may not be the same as you, but you still need to treat them with respect. Do not blame anyone, for that is not helping the situation, just help everyone to be more aware that their words can make people do awful things to themselves, whether they were meant to harm or not.
At one school in Fayette County this week a little boy withhdrew after being bullied (He was repeatedly called gay) both at school and on Facebook.
As his eigth garde teacher, I watched, helplessly, as the parents and students struggled with the issue. Regrettabaly, it seems that our schools will only act if they are threatened with litigation.
As long as superintendents ignore the issue ---and ignore it they do---things will not get better for gay teens, or those labeled as "gay".
What I have been told is that it would be too controversial for a Kentucky school superintendent to say "We welcome all students to our school district---straight, gay, bisexual and transgendered. We will not tolerate the bullying of any student based on sexual orientation"
Controversial or not, I doubt a superintendent would lose his job for saying such. It is precisely these superintendents who need to speak up before the suicides increase and the the lawsuits are filed.
Thanks for the comments y'all.
October 23, 2010 3:30 AM: If that's the case, school districts ought to be sued.
October 24, 2010 4:10 PM: Superintendents can easily address the issue rhetorically without any fear of reprisal. Simply assert that in school ALL means ALL.
The harder part is really meaning it, and being willing to punish some "good kid" who "simply forgot" as he tormented some weaker kid.
We live in a town about to elect its first gay mayor, and yet our local school district acts like acknowledging different sexual orientation is somehow a dangerous thing.
I scanned the FCPS website and could not find anything about gay students or sexual orientation. FCPS needs to get with the program....
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