You know how the Internet works: one link leads to another link to another link and, before you know it, you're right there staring at the screen saying "WOW!!!". That was the case with me back in early fall of last year. I ended up on a facebook page that was right in the middle of going viral. If you've never witnessed that, it's an amazing thing to watch. When I "joined" the community, by simply clicking the "like" button, there were less that 100,000 members. By the minute, those numbers were increasing by the dozens. Dozens...as in plural. I watched in excited awe as this page just literally blew up into one of the true giants on the social network behemoth. To become a giant on a network that has over 8 HUNDRED MILLION people on it is an accomplishment of enormous proportions. What could a single page create such a buzz and generate such a massive, and quite active, audience in such a short time? They're in the "business" of changing lives.
Wipeout Homophobia on Facebook had a main goal, when I joined it, of spotting pages on facebook that promoted hatred and intolerance towards the gay community and getting them eliminated from the social network. Since then, it's morphed into so much more. Today, they have gay married couples posting wedding pictures. Today, they have suicidal gay teens, or their parents, writing in to give their own testimonial of how Wipeout Homophobia on Facebook (WHOF) saved their life. Oh, and today, they still root out homophobic hatred and intolerance on facebook.
Becoming part of this burgeoning community was an exhilarating experience. Immediately, it became my de facto homepage on facebook. I was there at least 10-1 more than I was on my own "home" page. This was where I was supposed to be. This was my community. I'd post comments, read other's stories of happiness and sadness, and share their links and stories to the friends on my own pages. (call it my second coming out!)
In October, WHOF changed my life forever. I returned from work to read the headline "We Failed Another Gay Teen". See, that's been my hot-button for most of my adult life: Gay teen suicide. So, naturally, when I saw that headline, it grabbed my full attention. I dug deeper and found Jamie's videos on youtube. I sat in stunned disbelief as I watched all 12 of them from beginning to end. I read his tumblr blog. And, then I got mad. I'd written songs about gay teen suicide, but no one really paid much attention to them. That was supposed to be my way of doing my part to help bring awareness to the problem. If no one is listening, the message isn't going anywhere. Right then and there, I made the decision to get deeper involved. That's when this blog was born. If there were a "family tree" for this blog, WHOF would have to be the root.
Kevin O'Neill, or Kel, is the creator and founder of WHOF, which also has a website: whof.net. In his own words, "we [also] have a lot of 'straight' supporters who learn a lot about us." It's people from all around the world, gay and straight, black and white and red and green, young and old, male and female, coming together to form a loving community of sharing and caring. And, sometimes, just being. Kel, and WHOF, changed my life forever. Now, multiply that by the 277,000+ "members" who are in the community, and you'll get a better picture of the impact this page has had on people around the world.
There's a massive army formed to combat homophobia, to educate people on how to stop bullying, and most importantly to prevent gay teen suicides. WHOF, is right there in the trenches leading the way. We are all much better off with Kel, and his creation, in the world.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
California Set to Pass New Anti-Bullying Law
One-by-one, states around the country are either making new laws or making amendments to existing laws to get a hand on the bullying going on in schools in their jurisdictions. And, California is set to lead the fray.
California's AB 9 would make its provisions effective July 1, 2012. That means it would be in effect for next school year.
A beginning. There is still more that needs to be done. It is my opinion that AB 9 doesn't quite reach the demand for ZERO TOLERANCE, but it's a step in the right direction.
The bright side of it is that states around the country are finally understanding that more needs to be done. The laws MUST be made tougher. The penalties MUST be swifter and stronger. And, the laws MUST be all-inclusive. There are still states that are hesitant to add LBGT students under the umbrella of protection. That is not acceptable. ALL students are to be protected and, if they're not, we need to fight like hell to make sure they get the protection they need.
Kudos to you California.
California's AB 9 would make its provisions effective July 1, 2012. That means it would be in effect for next school year.
A beginning. There is still more that needs to be done. It is my opinion that AB 9 doesn't quite reach the demand for ZERO TOLERANCE, but it's a step in the right direction.
The bright side of it is that states around the country are finally understanding that more needs to be done. The laws MUST be made tougher. The penalties MUST be swifter and stronger. And, the laws MUST be all-inclusive. There are still states that are hesitant to add LBGT students under the umbrella of protection. That is not acceptable. ALL students are to be protected and, if they're not, we need to fight like hell to make sure they get the protection they need.
Kudos to you California.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Ottawa Loses Another 15-Year-Old to Suicide
I saw this video posted on a memorial page for another 15-year-old Ottawan who just recently committed suicide. I didn't want to watch it at first, hoping that it was just an old video that I'd missed. That's the effect so many suicides is having on me. Alas, I was wrong.
On Wednesday, December 28th, 15-year-old Ian Stone ended his life. There are no details about it, so we won't read anything into it. No mention of being bullied. No mention of having issues because of his sexuality. No answers. The only answer needed right now is that the family and friends of this 15-year-old are in a lot of grief. I wish I could post a link for you to go pay your condolences. That's not the case.
If there's a silver lining to this recent spate of suicides, it's that people are seriously, and finally, getting fed up of reading about these. Hearing about these. And, people are rolling up their sleeves and getting involved. They're getting involved at the ground level, where it's needed the most. Young people are volunteering their time to their peers who may be at-risk and in need. Multiple support groups are popping up daily, if not faster, on the online social networks. Some are blogging about it. People are getting involved in great numbers. Obviously, we need more.
For now, we send our condolences to the family and friends of Ian Stone as we say goodbye. And, we say, collectively, Rest in Peace to one more young soul we never knew but will never forget. Then, we vow to him, and to all of the other teen suicide victims before him, that we'll never give up fighting to make things change. We'll never stop until teenaged suicide is a thing of the past.
************IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE**************
Since facebook has stunned my ability to circulate this blog every day, the readership has steadily declined. The work is too important to let that happen. So, I encourage everyone who reads this blog to share the link with your friends. The more readers, the better the odds of reaching people in need. Thanks.
On Wednesday, December 28th, 15-year-old Ian Stone ended his life. There are no details about it, so we won't read anything into it. No mention of being bullied. No mention of having issues because of his sexuality. No answers. The only answer needed right now is that the family and friends of this 15-year-old are in a lot of grief. I wish I could post a link for you to go pay your condolences. That's not the case.
If there's a silver lining to this recent spate of suicides, it's that people are seriously, and finally, getting fed up of reading about these. Hearing about these. And, people are rolling up their sleeves and getting involved. They're getting involved at the ground level, where it's needed the most. Young people are volunteering their time to their peers who may be at-risk and in need. Multiple support groups are popping up daily, if not faster, on the online social networks. Some are blogging about it. People are getting involved in great numbers. Obviously, we need more.
For now, we send our condolences to the family and friends of Ian Stone as we say goodbye. And, we say, collectively, Rest in Peace to one more young soul we never knew but will never forget. Then, we vow to him, and to all of the other teen suicide victims before him, that we'll never give up fighting to make things change. We'll never stop until teenaged suicide is a thing of the past.
************IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE**************
Since facebook has stunned my ability to circulate this blog every day, the readership has steadily declined. The work is too important to let that happen. So, I encourage everyone who reads this blog to share the link with your friends. The more readers, the better the odds of reaching people in need. Thanks.
Say Happy New Year to Josh
I love my new smartphone. It pretty much does everything except brush my teeth. (and, rumor has it that they're working on an app for that!) My new smartphone is so efficient, I can do all of my early morning online affairs without even leaving my bed. How can THAT be wrong!?
I stumbled upon a message yesterday. It was tucked away in my facebook "other" mailbox. You know, the one we rarely even recognize as being there? I'm glad I did. In that "other" folder lied a cry for help.
His name is Josh. In his email message, he described how reading my blog entry, "Story of the Year!!!", had really helped him. He goes on to describe that his is one of the home environments that are not quite conducive to growing up lgbt.
I was happy to find out from first-person experience that this blog really is reaching and helping people!! That's what this is all about. I was compelled to respond to him if for no other reason than to make sure he knew that there really were people out in the world who will accept him just for being himself.
Enter the beauty of the smartphone. This morning, I woke up and, before a foot ever touched the floor, perused through all of my online junk. Right there in my facebook message folder was a response from Josh, further explaining his plight. He closed the message with "I want to thank you. Lately, I've felt alone alot. It's nice to know somebody cares, after all." That got me out of bed.
Let's start the year off with a bang!!!! This is an urgent CALL TO ACTION! Josh needs to know that there's literally an army of people out here ready to surround and support him. Here's his facebook account. Send him a friend request. Then, be a friend to him. If you can't do that, you can still send him messages. Either way, let's let him know that he really does matter and that things will get better for him with time. Let's NOT have to eventually read about Josh giving up too soon.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!
I stumbled upon a message yesterday. It was tucked away in my facebook "other" mailbox. You know, the one we rarely even recognize as being there? I'm glad I did. In that "other" folder lied a cry for help.
His name is Josh. In his email message, he described how reading my blog entry, "Story of the Year!!!", had really helped him. He goes on to describe that his is one of the home environments that are not quite conducive to growing up lgbt.
I was happy to find out from first-person experience that this blog really is reaching and helping people!! That's what this is all about. I was compelled to respond to him if for no other reason than to make sure he knew that there really were people out in the world who will accept him just for being himself.
Enter the beauty of the smartphone. This morning, I woke up and, before a foot ever touched the floor, perused through all of my online junk. Right there in my facebook message folder was a response from Josh, further explaining his plight. He closed the message with "I want to thank you. Lately, I've felt alone alot. It's nice to know somebody cares, after all." That got me out of bed.
Let's start the year off with a bang!!!! This is an urgent CALL TO ACTION! Josh needs to know that there's literally an army of people out here ready to surround and support him. Here's his facebook account. Send him a friend request. Then, be a friend to him. If you can't do that, you can still send him messages. Either way, let's let him know that he really does matter and that things will get better for him with time. Let's NOT have to eventually read about Josh giving up too soon.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!
Dustin Birch Takes on Westboro Baptist Church
I'm not sure, and don't hold me to this, but I think Dustin is a practicing comedian. If he isn't, he should be. What I do know is that Dustin IS a young gay man who got fed up with dealing with the hatred of Westboro Baptist Church. So, rather than just talk about it and vent his frustration, he took action. Dustin called WBC and left them a message. I'm really doubting that they'll return his call.
For me, the most important part of the entire video is the "greeting" that Shirley Phelps left for the callers. Nothing but hate-filled. I will say this much: if THEIR God is the God that every Christian worships, the world is in a lot of trouble. Dustin hit it right on the head when he said, basically, that the Phelps family, a.k.a. Westboro Baptist Church, really just hates everyone who isn't a white, Anglo-Saxon, "God fearin'", Amurican. If this were 30 years ago, they would still be just as evil, just as malicious, and just as dangerous as they are today. If this were 30 years ago, they would be showing up at the funerals of black people. Instead of the signs declaring how much God Hates Fags, they would say God Hates Niggers. If it were 60 years ago, the signs would read God Hates Jews. The truth of this disaster is that they are just hate-filled people who use God, and the mask of religion, to contaminate this country with their message of (self)hatred and (their own)intolerance. The scariest part of it is they actually do have followers. People who believe in nothing will fall for anything.
DUSTIN CALL WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH!!!
I should probably add a disclaimer right here: I do not endorse some of the language used in the video. (so, if you shock easily, perhaps you should bypass watching it)
I wholeheartedly endorse Dustin for making the call, leaving his message, and making a stand. If you DO watch the video, all of the phone numbers are right there for YOU to call and leave your own message. I say, follow Dustin's lead.
This is the very language of hate that's contributing to the bullying which is leading directly to the teen suicides. Stopping hate-filled people in their tracks, like the Phelps family and Westboro Baptist Church, is imperative in fighting this insidious epidemic.
Job well done, Dustin!
For me, the most important part of the entire video is the "greeting" that Shirley Phelps left for the callers. Nothing but hate-filled. I will say this much: if THEIR God is the God that every Christian worships, the world is in a lot of trouble. Dustin hit it right on the head when he said, basically, that the Phelps family, a.k.a. Westboro Baptist Church, really just hates everyone who isn't a white, Anglo-Saxon, "God fearin'", Amurican. If this were 30 years ago, they would still be just as evil, just as malicious, and just as dangerous as they are today. If this were 30 years ago, they would be showing up at the funerals of black people. Instead of the signs declaring how much God Hates Fags, they would say God Hates Niggers. If it were 60 years ago, the signs would read God Hates Jews. The truth of this disaster is that they are just hate-filled people who use God, and the mask of religion, to contaminate this country with their message of (self)hatred and (their own)intolerance. The scariest part of it is they actually do have followers. People who believe in nothing will fall for anything.
DUSTIN CALL WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH!!!
I should probably add a disclaimer right here: I do not endorse some of the language used in the video. (so, if you shock easily, perhaps you should bypass watching it)
I wholeheartedly endorse Dustin for making the call, leaving his message, and making a stand. If you DO watch the video, all of the phone numbers are right there for YOU to call and leave your own message. I say, follow Dustin's lead.
This is the very language of hate that's contributing to the bullying which is leading directly to the teen suicides. Stopping hate-filled people in their tracks, like the Phelps family and Westboro Baptist Church, is imperative in fighting this insidious epidemic.
Job well done, Dustin!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Story of The Year!!!
To me, at least, this is definitely the story of the year. And, it delivers the MESSAGE of the year: eliminate hate-filled language. Not just in schools, for they're only repeating what they've learned from adults. Indeed, hate speech needs to be dealt with swiftly and harshly, no matter if it's Michele Bachmann or Mr. Johnson from down the street.
This story isn't new. It went viral August 16th. See, "Amelia" has a 6-year-old son who just happened to tell her that he likes kissing boys! In an innocence that only a 6-year-old can provide, he told his mother that it's quite possible that he's gay. Thinking it was cute coming from her 6-year-old son, which it was, she wanted to share that with a couple of online friends. Overnight, it went viral. Why would something so cute and innocent, and personal, go viral overnight? There are two very basic reasons why.
People connected with it easily because we could all relate. Well, most of us. (those who said they couldn't lie to themselves) See, everyone one of us, if we're honest with ourselves, knew when we were in that age group which gender made us happy on the inside. And, it's the ones who make us happy on the inside that we are attracted to, whether it's in childhood or adulthood. I knew when I was 7. And, every single gay friend I've ever had has said the same thing. Conversely, every single straight friend I've ever had knew that the opposite sex pushed their internal buttons. It's only natural! See, we're not talking sex here. We're talking attraction. We're talking about who makes us feel happy inside. Isn't that what love's really about?
"Amelia" not only accepted her son's words at face value (knowing full well that, at age 6, those words were definitely not set in stone), she embraced him. She encouraged him. Guess what happens when he "comes out" at such an early age AND the most important person in your world embraces and encourages you? Your self-esteem has no choice but to soar. Which brings me to the obvious second reason people connected so quickly to this story.
People with Michele Bachmannitis were APPALLED that she would encourage such deviant behavior! "He is much too young to know about sex", they argued. Huh? I think I missed that part of the story. See, the Michele Bachmanns of the world would have the exact opposite effect on this boy: his self-esteem would be ruined. He'd be chastised for his "unnatural" feelings and, probably, sent off to be "cured". That's what "they" do. And, in just a few years, we'd run the risk of having another suicide victim on our hands.
"Amelia" sat up and took notice. And, from her observations, for every Michele Bachmann who commented, there were "multiple messages" saying that they, too, knew when they were very young which gender tickled their fancy. We all do! Of course, at age 6, we don't put a label on it. We don't learn that everyone has to fit into a category until later on in life. But, I knew in 1st grade that Keith made my heart flutter while Debora was just pretty to look at.
The other thing that "Amelia" noticed was how extremely dangerous the hate speech was to not only her 6-year-old son, but to ALL young people! And, indeed it is. As I've been saying, it's damaging on both ends: your bullies learned to hate from somewhere. Enough said. Likewise, however, far-too-many of these young suicide victims "learn" from their Michele Bachmannesque parents that they are "abnormal", "freaks", "deviant", "sick" and worse. They learn that they are defective, that they need to be "fixed". I don't feel I need to say anything about what this does to their young self-esteem. Let's just say that we read about them far too frequently and once it's far too late.
My favorite part of the story, though, is where "Amelia" reached the point where she said "Enough Is Enough!!!" She made a stand. She vowed to protect her children from the Michele Bachmanns of the world because THEY spread hate as if they have a license to do so.
Ever ask yourself why is it so important to these hate mongers that everyone HAS to think as they do, act in accordance to what THEY think is right?
This story isn't new. It went viral August 16th. See, "Amelia" has a 6-year-old son who just happened to tell her that he likes kissing boys! In an innocence that only a 6-year-old can provide, he told his mother that it's quite possible that he's gay. Thinking it was cute coming from her 6-year-old son, which it was, she wanted to share that with a couple of online friends. Overnight, it went viral. Why would something so cute and innocent, and personal, go viral overnight? There are two very basic reasons why.
People connected with it easily because we could all relate. Well, most of us. (those who said they couldn't lie to themselves) See, everyone one of us, if we're honest with ourselves, knew when we were in that age group which gender made us happy on the inside. And, it's the ones who make us happy on the inside that we are attracted to, whether it's in childhood or adulthood. I knew when I was 7. And, every single gay friend I've ever had has said the same thing. Conversely, every single straight friend I've ever had knew that the opposite sex pushed their internal buttons. It's only natural! See, we're not talking sex here. We're talking attraction. We're talking about who makes us feel happy inside. Isn't that what love's really about?
"Amelia" not only accepted her son's words at face value (knowing full well that, at age 6, those words were definitely not set in stone), she embraced him. She encouraged him. Guess what happens when he "comes out" at such an early age AND the most important person in your world embraces and encourages you? Your self-esteem has no choice but to soar. Which brings me to the obvious second reason people connected so quickly to this story.
People with Michele Bachmannitis were APPALLED that she would encourage such deviant behavior! "He is much too young to know about sex", they argued. Huh? I think I missed that part of the story. See, the Michele Bachmanns of the world would have the exact opposite effect on this boy: his self-esteem would be ruined. He'd be chastised for his "unnatural" feelings and, probably, sent off to be "cured". That's what "they" do. And, in just a few years, we'd run the risk of having another suicide victim on our hands.
"Amelia" sat up and took notice. And, from her observations, for every Michele Bachmann who commented, there were "multiple messages" saying that they, too, knew when they were very young which gender tickled their fancy. We all do! Of course, at age 6, we don't put a label on it. We don't learn that everyone has to fit into a category until later on in life. But, I knew in 1st grade that Keith made my heart flutter while Debora was just pretty to look at.
The other thing that "Amelia" noticed was how extremely dangerous the hate speech was to not only her 6-year-old son, but to ALL young people! And, indeed it is. As I've been saying, it's damaging on both ends: your bullies learned to hate from somewhere. Enough said. Likewise, however, far-too-many of these young suicide victims "learn" from their Michele Bachmannesque parents that they are "abnormal", "freaks", "deviant", "sick" and worse. They learn that they are defective, that they need to be "fixed". I don't feel I need to say anything about what this does to their young self-esteem. Let's just say that we read about them far too frequently and once it's far too late.
My favorite part of the story, though, is where "Amelia" reached the point where she said "Enough Is Enough!!!" She made a stand. She vowed to protect her children from the Michele Bachmanns of the world because THEY spread hate as if they have a license to do so.
Ever ask yourself why is it so important to these hate mongers that everyone HAS to think as they do, act in accordance to what THEY think is right?
Thursday, December 29, 2011
With Help Comes Hope
I finally found it! Call me slow, I guess. Earlier in the month, facebook advertised that they were joining the fight against suicides by launching a new page that would be linked with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Until tonight, however, all I could ever find were ARTICLES telling about it. Determined, I tracked it down, finally.
This is a link EVERYONE needs to have handy in case of emergency. Copy and paste it somewhere. Then, write the phone number down somewhere where it's easily accessible.
I'm very happy to report that Joshua is doing much better, thanks to the overwhelming support he's gotten from around the world! He even started therapy. So, kudos to all of you who read about him here and reached out to him. And, for those of you who didn't, you still can send him a friend request. He's accepting all.
When you check out the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and read down the page, you'll see several opportunities for you to reach out, send messages, and embrace these emotionally wounded people as they struggle through a very tough period of their lives. A couple who jumped off the age at me were GaryLucas Love Wang, and Chloe Strand. They're both contemplating at this very moment. Just as we all reached out and pulled Joshua back from the edge, these two people now need that same support. With help comes hope.
This is a link EVERYONE needs to have handy in case of emergency. Copy and paste it somewhere. Then, write the phone number down somewhere where it's easily accessible.
I'm very happy to report that Joshua is doing much better, thanks to the overwhelming support he's gotten from around the world! He even started therapy. So, kudos to all of you who read about him here and reached out to him. And, for those of you who didn't, you still can send him a friend request. He's accepting all.
When you check out the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and read down the page, you'll see several opportunities for you to reach out, send messages, and embrace these emotionally wounded people as they struggle through a very tough period of their lives. A couple who jumped off the age at me were GaryLucas Love Wang, and Chloe Strand. They're both contemplating at this very moment. Just as we all reached out and pulled Joshua back from the edge, these two people now need that same support. With help comes hope.
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