If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
Gay culture is one of the most ageist cultures in America. As a result, older gay men are targets of some of the worst online vitriol from other gay men. Many older men have to get "creative" when listing their ages or risk being unattractive to younger guys.
This is a story about you: You will survive bullying. We have met individuals who, like you, feel lonely, ashamed, depressed, hated, and even ready to die. But they are still here, achieving their true potential and sharing their stories -- your stories -- in Yale College's "It Gets Better" video.
Adults often underestimate children's ability to grasp the heart of a concept -- or run with an idea of their own -- but we're wrong. They're a lot smarter and more take-charge than we think. We're seeing that ability take hold now with bullying.
Whenever I read yet another article, essay, book, or blog on the Bible and homosexuality, I feel exactly the same way as Murray's character did, caught in an endlessly repeating loop of Bible bashing. This cycle must end, now.
I've never heard a woman say, "I shouldn't eat those fries they're bad for my inner peace." No guy checking himself out in the mirror ever tells himself, "Your values and morals are looking hot today."
So how do I keep my son from becoming another statistic, another young person pushed to deadly means to end torment by those who think his existence is a sin, ugly, and wrong? Well, there is no guarantee that I can, but I can sure as hell try.
These pastors choose to use their pulpit to spread pain, disharmony, and hate in the world. I choose to broadcast a message of peace, forgiveness, hope, and understanding -- with the intention of validating the millions of gay people who live, love, and learn around the world.
GSAs offer so much more than just a place for LGBT students to belong. GSAs also offer a place where straight students can come to learn about LGBT issues. If a student is questioning their sexual orientation, a GSA is a great place to find resources that can help them in the process.
The humbling tumble from the world of boyhood to confused, chaotic adolescence is upon us. And I am sick over it.
A girl at my school started a "compliments" Facebook page, in which compliments that anyone submits about anyone else can be posted anonymously. In the first night, over 70 were posted!
The Dharun Ravi verdict and sentencing represents a dramatic shift in society's view of anti-gay bullying and of bias crimes against LGBT people. Just compare what Ravi did to Tyler Clementi to what Mitt Romney reportedly did to a nonconforming student at his prep school in 1965.
The American Dream is first ignited in the classroom, and bullying is a clear and present danger to our nation's safety, spirit and competitiveness. Each educator and campus leader has a key role to play in the national mission to create a safe environment for each child.
I waited for the old man to tell me I was nuts. He looked at me and said, "Maybe I am too old to change. Maybe your son and my grandson will be able to make things better."
While suspension rates have risen steadily since the 1970s, there remains little to no evidence that zero-tolerance discipline policies such as suspension and expulsion improve school safety or student achievement.
You don't have to be a filmmaker to stand up to bullies. We can all do something, as parents, educators, volunteers, students, and schools to help stop them in their tracks, or at the very least, decrease the day to day incidents that put our kids and families at risk.
