CNN Interviews Joel Burns, Sam Maden On Red Sox Anti-Gay Bullying Video

Earlier this month, 12-year-old Sam Maden from Nashua, N.H. sent a petition of over 9,000 signatures to the Boston Red Sox. He wasn't asking them to step up their game but, rather, to make an anti-gay bullying video in honor of the recent death of the boy's uncle.

It worked.

CNN recently interviewed Maden about his experience alongside gay Texas Councilman Joel Burns.

Burns made headlines last year when a video of a highly emotional speech he gave went viral. In the video of a council meeting, he talked of a recent surge of teenage suicides that had happened in his district. He said that, as a gay man himself, he remembered his experience growing up and wanted them to know that "it gets better."

Burns told CNN that he thought Maden's actions were an important part of the nation dialogue that he believes gay bullying deserves.

"I'm proud of Sam and I think that his bold action is yet another example of people joining in this conversation about teenage bullying and suicide. All of our kids' lives have worth and even the children have a role in participating in that conversation. I'm so very glad that he did this."

WATCH:

The video by the Red Sox will be part of national "It Gets Better" campaign. Both the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs have also joined in, encouraging LGBT youth to stay the course.

Comments

[terry in utah]

09:47 PM on 06/14/2011

This is positive and powerful. Kudos Sam, keep up the good work. And Councilman Burns for your courage to serve openly. In Texas no less!

[ETT]

01:01 PM on 06/14/2011

The 2010 San Francisco World Series Champions were the first and they did not need anyone to prod them to do it! First class organization! Go Giants! However, I commend the Red Sox organization for doing it, even if a child had to lead them to do it! Way to go Sam Madden, your parents should be very proud of you. I am! Hopefully, now all the other sports organization will follow the example of the SF Giants and Red Sox organizations.

[jukesgrrl]

04:31 PM on 06/12/2011

I applaud young Sam's creative response to his pain and congratulate MLB for getting actively involved in this issue. But instead of videos urging GLBT teens to hang in there because "it will get better," I'd like to see more videos confronting the bullies for their weak, pathetic, homophobic attitudes. They need to know their behavior is not acceptable and law enforcement must to go on the offense and prosecute them for their actions.

[drumz]

03:55 PM on 06/12/2011

The SF Giants did this a few weeks ago.

[CubanVoice]

02:26 PM on 06/12/2011

Baseball's biggest bullies are held to the fire. We'll see how they do on the road, kid.

So far, given how many times they threw at Yankees batters last week, they are not into this messaging.

[CubanVoice]

02:30 PM on 06/12/2011

BTW - I cant say the Bosucks are anti-gay. They are just baseball bullies in general.

Not fair to judge them off the field when I dont know them.

But ON the field...

[johnb123]

03:18 PM on 06/12/2011

What? The Red Soxs and Yankees throwing balls at each other? I just thought they were bad pitches. LOL I have read somewhere, they both teams have the most hit batters, whenever they play.

[CubanVoice]

03:34 PM on 06/12/2011

Bosucks outhit Yankees by something like 5 to 1. No comparison.

This weel alone the Yankees hit 1 opposing batter while Ynaks batters were hit 7 times.

[Huston]

02:33 PM on 06/12/2011

Therefore, logically, being gay is voluntary?

[drumz]

03:53 PM on 06/12/2011

Go away god boy, you bring nothing!

[kevinbr38]

04:09 PM on 06/12/2011

F&F.

[BubbaNH]

02:02 PM on 06/12/2011

right. lifesitenews...uh huh ...

LifeSiteNews Peddles Obvious Distortion About Adoption Anti-Discrimination Bill

http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201106030014

[johnb123]

02:32 PM on 06/12/2011

The CDC does not lie.

[djonan]

02:02 PM on 06/12/2011

Being a child in the Church leads to rape...should we really go there?

[johnb123]

02:33 PM on 06/12/2011

Just posting the facts from the CDC.

[rkrause]

01:37 PM on 06/12/2011

Even one child being bullied, is one too many.

And just purely as an aside I would like to see more anti-LGBT bullying videos, rather than campaigns tailored just to gay bullying. Bisexuality and gender nonconformity are just as significant an issue in which to engage our peers for support and acceptance.

[Pablito Garcia]

02:50 PM on 06/12/2011

rk, I think this is one of those issues of the blanket of the privileged.

I think the "str8" community considers it all GAY. They don't even GET these distinctions.

To make it plain, imagine if I said we need more anti-Bear bullying videos. Or we need more anti-Dykes with Bikes bullying videos...

These distinctions are subsets of our community, ones about which most outsides have no clue. I submit to you, it's the same in GENERAL. Now I do think Transgendered needs some specific attention, but at the end of the day, most ignorant people think that's still "just gay"

[rkrause]

03:24 PM on 06/12/2011

Thanks for your input. You are exactly right. Straight people do frequently conflate "gay" with all non-heteronormative sexual orientations. It is unfortunate, but I recognize that's just part of the ongoing struggle and why education is so important. I just want people to become better aware.

[JacklynD]

01:36 PM on 06/12/2011

Lovely young man who is so comfortable with his uncle's homosexuality he is defending him to honor his death. Congratulations to our young people and to the sports teams taking up the issue. For all of recorded history homosexuality has been a human condition and it is about time we accept it just like we accept brunette hair and green eyes.

[bintalshamsa]

11:42 AM on 06/14/2011

A few generations ago, all of the left-handed people in my family would have been condemned as demon spawn. When we look back at all of the beliefs that people have used to discriminate against each other, it can be hard to understand how folks believed that stuff. I have seen the same thing happen in my own lifetime with inter-racial dating. I am sure that within my daughter's lifetime, people will scratch their heads and say, "They thought that being gay was a CHOICE?"

[JacklynD]

08:05 PM on 06/14/2011

from your mouth to God's ears.

[kevinbr38]

12:31 PM on 06/12/2011

Very often it is the young who teach us, as opposed to the other way around. Afterall, children are not born with prejudices.
Way to go Sam, and the Red Sox!
I have to admit to having been a bit skeptical about the idea "It get's better", preferring more a sort of message demanding it to get better now, (words to that effect). I have to admit though, the campaign is really raising awareness, bringing diverse people on board, like major league baseball teams, and high profile celebs, and is giving young people hope and strength.
Guess I was wrong :).

[janinei]

12:59 PM on 06/12/2011

Sometimes it is good to be wrong. Beautiful comment!

[kevinbr38]

01:43 PM on 06/12/2011

And to be able to admit it :).

[bintalshamsa]

01:00 PM on 06/12/2011

I tend to be a very skeptical person, too. However, I started watching the videos and began to see why they were touching the lives of so many people. My daughter and I are both queer women of color and we have watched every single one of these videos that we can find on Youtube. I only wish that this initiative had been around when I was a young girl working through my feelings about who I was and what it meant.

[johnb123]

07:51 PM on 06/13/2011

"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:47-48.....he is loving GOD, but he will judge people for their actions.

[myhomeo]

12:26 PM on 06/12/2011

The Red Sox have made this Yankee fan very happy. I hope the Yanks do the same.

[uielouay]

03:02 PM on 06/12/2011

And the Mets too!

[Coinyer101]

11:15 AM on 06/12/2011

Every once in a while someone comes along that gives me hope for the future of the world we live in. Thanks Sam!

[thaggas]

11:11 AM on 06/12/2011

Dan Savage should get the Nobel Peace Prize.

[janinei]

12:59 PM on 06/12/2011

I second that!

[rkrause]

01:23 PM on 06/12/2011

If it wasn't for the glaring faux pas on their homepage, I would otherwise agree.

--Randall

[adcan49]

11:00 AM on 06/12/2011

What an awesome kid! Maybe I can get my Texas Rangers to do the same...

[RedSox61]

10:46 AM on 06/12/2011

Red Sox Nation is proud of you!!