During “political campaigning time” I grow more concerned because the political debates start up, and more and more hate speech is generated towards the GLBTI community – and expose vulnerable youth to their bigotry. The idea that religion plays a role, in any form, in the denial of equal rights in our country disgusts me – especially when the religious “radicals” begin to run their mouths.
It’s Memorial Day, and while most of my readers are having a good time celebrating with family and friends I am thinking about the families that have lost their Sons and Daughters to suicide. Yes, suicide. If there is any propaganda out there that would cause a vulnerable person to go over the edge, it would be feeling isolated and watching the media depict religious radical nutcases as “the anti-gay message” that puts those vulnerable people in a darker place in their lives.
I have made it a mission on my blog to write about anti-gay bullying in schools, and to also teach tolerance to those who will listen. Not everyone will listen, in fact, it’s very hard to argue with an idiot and sometimes it’s not worth the brainpower to do so. Irregardless, my message is simple, and that is that while all of the political big wigs are fighting over winning the big Presidential slot, and using social issues like Gay Marriage and “moral values” to win over idiots who use Google to find Google.com – we must remember that we are ABOVE those people, and they are a minority in the battle for equality.
If you are a GLBTI (or confused) teenager, I have this to say to you – so listen up, and remember this – once those stupid people in your lives who torment you are gone, believe me they are gone forever and will never been seen again. Yeah, I have seen my share of bullies, and in fact one of them used to make fun of me for loosing my hair in sixth grade of all things because I had a illness that made my white blood cells attack my hair follicles and fall out. The Doctor’s said it was stress, and it probably was, but this one prick decided it would be fun to call me “baldy” for years and years – even after my hair grew back in. I still have a full thick head of hair, and he is bald now. He is fat, bald, and a works at a local food mart stocking shelves. I ran into him while shopping, and he remembered me and tried to say hello, acting as if he had never tormented me for all of those years, and the only words I could muster out of my mouth was “where is the shampoo aisle?” I know, bad of me right? It’s karma, and it’s part of what a bully is made of – fear of their own selves, and projecting those fears onto others.
Interesting story, this guy named Jason in my High School would call me a faggot any time he could, and would rally the classroom to do the same. Luckily I was able to transfer out of that school (due to unrelated issues) and ended up going to a place where I didn’t have that problem, but Jason was the one that caused a whole year of torment on my life. Yes, he was a complete douchebag. He was also muscular, hot, and all the girls wanted in his pants – you know, one of those guys. So, as I tell my story remember that I transferred out of that school and ended up graduating from another. I didn’t see the dude for years, until I was 22 and some friends asked me to go to a local gay club and smack dab in the middle of the dance floor was Jason, grinding up on some other dude like a backup dancer for Lady Gaga…. and yes, he had glow sticks. The proud gay man in me announced to my friends that he was one of my bullies in school, and that he tormented me for being gay which caused them to laugh. Jason, apparently, was very popular at the club and to my surprise even dated one of my friends for a while. Another thing that I found amusing was that underneath that muscular perfect body, he was sporting a microscopic penis….. poor guy.
Many of you may be reading this and thinking, “but aren’t you being just as mean?” My answer is simply, “no.” I am not trying to make fun of anyone, I am trying to express a valid point that those people who are tormenting and bullying now are doing so because this is the way they internalize their own fears of themselves. Maybe my “baldy” bully was afraid of loosing his hair, and Jason was probably just having issues with his confused sexuality – I dunno, but I got taken down a long painful road because of it. Now, I just get to sit back and laugh and blog about it.
Kids can be cruel, it’s no joke. GLBTI (and confused) kids across our Nation are beaten, bullied, and driven to suicide each year in large numbers – and for what reason? If the message was out there that they were OK being who the ARE instead of being a “stigma,” used to promote a political campaign for a “run into the ground” social issue like gay rights or gay marriage I wouldn’t be writing this. In fact, I wouldn’t have to worry about any kid wanting to kill themselves over bullying, because the bullies wouldn’t hate themselves either. Now, not all bullying occurs over sexuality. It can occur over race, religion, weight, hair color, a fucking freckle – and that is where our educational system (sigh) needs to step in and do more education on tolerance and acceptance. It also needs a stronger policy against those that choose to bully, making it a offense that is not only taken seriously, but can cause a student to be expelled.
It’s Memorial Day, and I am thinking of one young lady that I loved in my past that I found out killed herself because she was a lesbian and was afraid to come out, and was bullied. When I found out that she had passed away, I wanted so desperately to go back into time and talk to her and tell her that she was special. She was a beautiful soul, and so full of life and energy. She was creative, thoughtful, and generous. She had a big heart, a warm smile, and meant a lot to many of her friends. Tragically she committed suicide when word got out that she was a lesbian at her school, and she ended her life. That right there is one too many folks, and to me that is one of the reasons why I am so passionate about NOT accepting bigotry, hate speech, or homophobia.
If you are a a GLBTI teenager, or you are just confused – let me tell you that you are loved. You may feel like the only person on the planet right now, but there are people out there who LOVE YOU because you are part of a bigger family than you have ever dreamed could be possible. One day, and one day very soon – IT WILL GET BETTER.
Please call and talk to someone, reach out, and live your beautiful life – because those haters will disappear into their own miserable despair and you will prevail. I LOVE YOU.
THREE GLBTI TEENAGERS COMMIT SUICIDE EVERY DAY (Source)
IN LOVING MEMORY OF:
Billy Lucas (15) September 9, 2010. Indiana
Cody J. Barker (17) September 13, 2010. Wisconsin
Seth Walsh (13) September 19, 2010. California
Tyler Clementi (18) September 22, 2010. New Jersey
Asher Brown (13) September 23, 2010. Texas
Harrison Chase Brown (15) September, 25 2010. Colorado
Raymond Chase (19) September 29, 2010. Rhode Island
Felix Sacco (17) September 29, 2010. Massachusetts
Caleb Nolt (14) September 30, 2010. Indiana
& COUNTLESS OTHERS.
Respect & Deepest Sympathy,
Jake A. Wheat
