In the past three weeks we have had five gay suicides. These are just the ones that have been seen in the media. And because of our internet system now, a lot of articles, personal stories, and videos have been surfacing. I want to do my small part and post on my blog (and other websites) about this terrible issue of bullying. I am hoping that if you read this blog that you will also do your small part - whatever that may be - to help stop this horrible form of abuse.
I am also reaching out to the legal community to do your part to try to stop this. These great articles and videos that I have posted here are helpful to one extent. The theme of "It Gets Better" is good, but we need more info on how to prevent the abuse in the first place or stop it from escalating in the schools. Many of the folks in the videos say it got better for them after they got out of high school. LGBT should not have to wait until they are out of high school for it to get better.
On the positive side, I want to encourage anyone who is being harassed or bullied for ANY reason at all to find a trusted adult who you can talk with. There are many people and organizations in your community who will listen to you. Yes, it gets better but you deserve to have it better now. There are many people out there in the community who are just like you. And they will care about you and love you just for who you are.
Call your local LGBT center, your local ACLU center, your local homeless youth center, or your local or National Suicide Hotline Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.
Do NOT give up! You can survive. Keep calling and looking until you find someone that you can talk to. You have a right to be happy without being harassed or bullied.
"There's a lot of things that happen in your life that you can't choose. But the one thing that can never be taken away from you is your ability to choose how to respond... There's one thing that everybody can do and that is that they can always reach out for help. There's always somebody there that will offer support. Everybody's in a position to reach out for help and get support and not be alone with how they're feeling." --Terry Wise, A Suicide Attempt Survivor
I have watched so many good videos that it is hard for me to know which one to post here. So, I will post this one from the ACLU, but I strongly suggest that you watch the other videos I have linked to. They are all short enough so that you can watch the whole video.
I am also posting links here that I found from the article "Tools Against Homophobic Bullying" written by Lisa Belkin belkin@nytimes.com October 1, 2010, 11:39 am.
You can find the article here:
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/tools-against-homophobic-bullying/
More Info and Videos
It Gets Better: Dan and Terry (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IcVyvg2Qlo
itgetsbetterproject | September 21, 2010
If you're gay or lesbian or bi or trans, and you've ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, "Fuck, I wish I could've told him that it gets better," this is your chance. We can't help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don't think they have a future—and we can help them....
READ MORE about the It Gets Better Project, in Savage Love, here: http://bit.ly/bYtxBd
Filmed by Kelly O.
It Gets Better: Wicked Cast Members (Video)
From: kevinyeedotcom | October 01, 2010 | 305 views
In response to the sudden influx of gay suicides, cast members from the 2nd National Tour of Wicked tell their stories of how they overcame their teens to become the artists they are today!
http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject
ACLU Staffers' "It Gets Better" Videos
http://www.aclu.org/aclu-staffers-it-gets-better-videos?v=1
Learn more about the ACLU LGBT Project's work on behalf of students and youth at:
www.aclu.org/safeschools
Links in "Tools Against Homophobic Bullying"
Lambda Legal
http://www.lambdalegal.org/
Stop Bullying Now!
(resource for parents of younger children)
http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/
Order Out, Safe & Respected
Your rights at school
http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/out-safe-respected/
Bending the Mold
An Action Kit for Transgender Students
http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/bending-the-mold/order-bending-the-mold.html
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Four Steps Schools Can Take to Address Anti-LGBT Bullying and Harassment
Media Contact:
Daryl Presgraves
646-388-6577
dpresgraves@glsen.org
Feb 19, 2008
Educator piece of the problem
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2263.html
Training programs
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2587.html?state=research&type=research
Latest report
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2624.html?state=research&type=research
END
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