What a marvelous story of acceptance!! At a time when we're grasping and struggling for acceptance, at a time when we're losing teen after teen after LGBT teen to suicide because of a lack thereof, we get this heartwarming story from Jessica Romani about her brother, Dylan.
Dylan, who is bisexual, went through all of the usual trials and tribulations that nearly all LGBT teens experience. He knew at a very young age that he was "different". He struggled with acceptance of himself! And, of course, he was bullied. Or, according to Jessica, he dealt with "extreme bullying".
In Dylan's own words, "...I was so scared of what he would do or think or say because he's a tough guy and i am his only son so I didn't want to be a disappointment or anything." That sounds familiar. What he found, instead, was the surprise of his life. Fred Romani, the dad, in an amazing show of unconditional love and acceptance, got the Lady Gaga-inspired catch-phrase, "Born This Way" tattooed in Italian on his wrist. Dylan already had it on his. You have to watch the video to see the reaction to it.
When I read Jessica's and Dylan's description of their dad, the image comes to mind of the stereotypical testosterone-driven Italian male. Sylvester Stallone. Santino Corleone. Fred Romani showed, however, that macho men also have a heart. Especially when it comes to family. Even moreso, I would say, when it comes to his only son! It's that show of unconditional love and acceptance, even if he doesn't yet fully understand what his son is going through, that makes the most significant difference. It's that acceptance that, say, EricJames Borges was looking for but got the opposite, instead. And, we know where that led. The mental and emotional health of young Dylan Romani grew exponentially by Fred's gesture of support. That's what makes this story so important. And, quite touching.
I first viewed this video, and story, yesterday on Wipeout Homophobia on Facebook, the social network super page that is helping so many people, LGBT and straight alike, and saving lives. It's stories like this that makes us realize that love really is winning the war over hate. For Fred, an old school Italian dad, to reach out to his young, struggling son with such a loving gesture, and then to see Dylan's caught-off-guard, stunned reaction speaks volumes to the power of love and acceptance.
The hope, of course, is that this video will catch on and go viral so that people all over the world can see with their own eyes the sheer power of unconditional love and acceptance. Dylan's tears of joy say it all. If more families showed their LGBT teens this type of support.... Well, you know. Let's hope that this video is a harbinger of things to come.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Bullying Claims Another: Rest in Peace Eden Wormer, Age 14
I was certain that the respite wouldn't last long. It never does. It's usually the quiet before the next storm.
Wednesday, March 8, 14-year-old Eden Wormer ended her life in Vancouver, WA. According to her family, it was a direct result of bullying. Bullying that had been going on for 2 years. Says her older sister, Audri, Eden tried everything she could think of to get the girls to stop bullying her. They wouldn't.
Vancouver police say they have found no evidence to indicate the bullying rose to the level of a crime. I read that twice to make sure I read it correctly. So, to recap, a 14-year-old girl is dead as a direct result of being bullying; yet, the police say they found no evidence to indicate the bullying rose to the level of a crime. No matter how many times I repeat that, it just sounds like I'm reading it wrong. I can't imagine those words escaping someone's mouth. Especially someone in authority. Especially at a time when the family of the person who didn't have the crime committed against her is grieving her death.
Sorry, I'm a little irritated right now.
Incredibly, the reporting news outlet found out about Eden's suicide while talking to a 13-year-old boy from the same school who had allegedly been bullied. Because of the bullying he endured, the same day that Eden ended her life, Izaya Hamilton ended up in the emergency room with a black eye, a bump on his head, and bruises on his shoulder. More incredibly, the school officials "can't talk about specific cases" but did go on record as saying that they "...take bullying seriously." Well, that's obvious! Izaya had to go to the emergency room; Eden won't be coming back to school. Or, going home to her loving family.
I wrote a post yesterday about a news story I'd just heard about the epidemic of teen smoking and how irate that made me become. And, this is precisely why! While teens are dying around the world on a daily basis, and at their own hands!, our officials are offering band-aids to a situation that calls for immediate and emergency action!! Words are meaningless without action.
In my opinion, the first question that these officials, from school teachers and administrators straight through the police departments and on to the politicians!, is "why are you afraid to attack this issue!?" They do the moonwalk around it seemingly every time. In La Crescenta, the police reported there that 15-year-old Drew Ferraro "...hadn't been bullied" before he ended his life. And, there's no doubt I could find more. Does the uttering of those feeble words absolve them from any responsibilty? If so, that has to change!
Words are meaningless without action. It is totally unacceptable that on one day, one student from Cascade Middle School had to go to the emergency room because of injuries sustained from being bullied while another one surrendered her life. They, as well as every other school administrator from shore-to-shore, from border-to-border, from one end of the globe to another, need to be put on notice: WE are not going to tolerate this any longer. And, then, WE need to take action! WE need to hold their feet to the fire every single time it is revealed that a student is being bullied. In the movie, Bully, a teacher goes on record saying "I've ridden that bus, and they're as good as gold". Those words haunt me in my sleep! Her image burned into my mind as she says it with such faux-conviction. The boy who'd complained about being bullied on that bus is dead. Suicide.
This issue...well, it would be redundant to tell you how real or how important it is. They're concerned about teens smoking cigarettes, as well they should be, and calling it an epidemic. They're watching teenager die, at their own hands, from being bullied, and reporting that "our investigation has found no evidence of bullying". I can't be the only one who has a problem with this.
To Izaya Hamilton, give names. Tell your teacher(s). If that doesn't work, tell the principal. No luck there, go over their heads! Go to the media if you have to. Most importantly, though, never ever ever give up.
To the family and friends of Eden Wormer, my heart is with you as you struggle through this unimaginable time.
Wednesday, March 8, 14-year-old Eden Wormer ended her life in Vancouver, WA. According to her family, it was a direct result of bullying. Bullying that had been going on for 2 years. Says her older sister, Audri, Eden tried everything she could think of to get the girls to stop bullying her. They wouldn't.
Vancouver police say they have found no evidence to indicate the bullying rose to the level of a crime. I read that twice to make sure I read it correctly. So, to recap, a 14-year-old girl is dead as a direct result of being bullying; yet, the police say they found no evidence to indicate the bullying rose to the level of a crime. No matter how many times I repeat that, it just sounds like I'm reading it wrong. I can't imagine those words escaping someone's mouth. Especially someone in authority. Especially at a time when the family of the person who didn't have the crime committed against her is grieving her death.
Sorry, I'm a little irritated right now.
Incredibly, the reporting news outlet found out about Eden's suicide while talking to a 13-year-old boy from the same school who had allegedly been bullied. Because of the bullying he endured, the same day that Eden ended her life, Izaya Hamilton ended up in the emergency room with a black eye, a bump on his head, and bruises on his shoulder. More incredibly, the school officials "can't talk about specific cases" but did go on record as saying that they "...take bullying seriously." Well, that's obvious! Izaya had to go to the emergency room; Eden won't be coming back to school. Or, going home to her loving family.
I wrote a post yesterday about a news story I'd just heard about the epidemic of teen smoking and how irate that made me become. And, this is precisely why! While teens are dying around the world on a daily basis, and at their own hands!, our officials are offering band-aids to a situation that calls for immediate and emergency action!! Words are meaningless without action.
In my opinion, the first question that these officials, from school teachers and administrators straight through the police departments and on to the politicians!, is "why are you afraid to attack this issue!?" They do the moonwalk around it seemingly every time. In La Crescenta, the police reported there that 15-year-old Drew Ferraro "...hadn't been bullied" before he ended his life. And, there's no doubt I could find more. Does the uttering of those feeble words absolve them from any responsibilty? If so, that has to change!
Words are meaningless without action. It is totally unacceptable that on one day, one student from Cascade Middle School had to go to the emergency room because of injuries sustained from being bullied while another one surrendered her life. They, as well as every other school administrator from shore-to-shore, from border-to-border, from one end of the globe to another, need to be put on notice: WE are not going to tolerate this any longer. And, then, WE need to take action! WE need to hold their feet to the fire every single time it is revealed that a student is being bullied. In the movie, Bully, a teacher goes on record saying "I've ridden that bus, and they're as good as gold". Those words haunt me in my sleep! Her image burned into my mind as she says it with such faux-conviction. The boy who'd complained about being bullied on that bus is dead. Suicide.
This issue...well, it would be redundant to tell you how real or how important it is. They're concerned about teens smoking cigarettes, as well they should be, and calling it an epidemic. They're watching teenager die, at their own hands, from being bullied, and reporting that "our investigation has found no evidence of bullying". I can't be the only one who has a problem with this.
To Izaya Hamilton, give names. Tell your teacher(s). If that doesn't work, tell the principal. No luck there, go over their heads! Go to the media if you have to. Most importantly, though, never ever ever give up.
To the family and friends of Eden Wormer, my heart is with you as you struggle through this unimaginable time.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Teen Suicide vs. Teens Smoking
I am livid!!! Driving down the highway yesterday, on my way to work, I hear a story on the all-news channel in my area. Apparently, some official medical institution sounded the alarm about teen smoking. "We are currently in a teen smoking epidemic." Wait. Did I miss something?
Since the time that I was a teen, and even pre-teen!, myself, there's been teens smoking. Just plain fact. That doesn't make it good. That doesn't make it right. Smoking is, in fact, detrimental to one's health. Cigarettes are the only consumer product that, if used as intended, will kill you. That speaks volumes of the dangers of smoking. True enough. And, teen smoking? Well, that's surely an issue. By no means do I want to minimize the issue of teens starting to smoke cigarettes. It's not good and, if continued, it will eventually kill them. Eventually. And, the reverse side of that is if they successfully quit smoking at some point in their lives, the dangers of smoking the known carcinogen goes away. Eventually, completely.
Teen suicides. Well, suicide is permanent. Suicide isn't a drawn-out process that takes years and, more likely, decades to become complete. (yes, there are some who will say that smoking cigarettes is, in fact, a form of suicide. Just delayed.) And, we're seeing teens die of suicide every single day of the year. (don't think for a second that just because we haven't heard of one lately that they aren't still occurring. They are.) So, where's the press release for that!!?? Where's the "crisis" announcement for the issue of teen suicide!!?? Why do they find it more important to go public with a story about an issue that has been around for as long as I can remember, even longer!, and present it as a right-now epidemic!!??
In my opinion, it speaks volumes to the importance our officials are putting on the true epidemic of teen, and LGBT teen, suicides. And, that is an atrocity. At least in my eyes. Rather than devoted time, effort, and resources into an epidemic that is claiming lives right here in the here-and-now, they're rehashing information that's decades old and presenting it as some brand spanking new study and problem. What sense does that make? So, what do we say to the family of the next teen who commits suicide? "Sorry for your loss, but at least he didn't smoke. That would've made it worse.) Is it me? Or, is there a real problem here?
Cigarette smoking is a real issue, don't get me wrong. I know first-hand because I've been a smoker, myself, for almost 30 years. And, it's always been my opinion that selling cigarettes, a product that is PROVEN will kill its users!!!, should be illegal. That will never happen, though. Political reasons. (for the fun of it, research how much money the tobacco industry gives BOTH major political parties.) However, as stated previously, teens can quit smoking, thus reversing the deadly effects of the cigarettes. Once a person has committed suicide, they're gone. We can't reverse death.
Since the time that I was a teen, and even pre-teen!, myself, there's been teens smoking. Just plain fact. That doesn't make it good. That doesn't make it right. Smoking is, in fact, detrimental to one's health. Cigarettes are the only consumer product that, if used as intended, will kill you. That speaks volumes of the dangers of smoking. True enough. And, teen smoking? Well, that's surely an issue. By no means do I want to minimize the issue of teens starting to smoke cigarettes. It's not good and, if continued, it will eventually kill them. Eventually. And, the reverse side of that is if they successfully quit smoking at some point in their lives, the dangers of smoking the known carcinogen goes away. Eventually, completely.
Teen suicides. Well, suicide is permanent. Suicide isn't a drawn-out process that takes years and, more likely, decades to become complete. (yes, there are some who will say that smoking cigarettes is, in fact, a form of suicide. Just delayed.) And, we're seeing teens die of suicide every single day of the year. (don't think for a second that just because we haven't heard of one lately that they aren't still occurring. They are.) So, where's the press release for that!!?? Where's the "crisis" announcement for the issue of teen suicide!!?? Why do they find it more important to go public with a story about an issue that has been around for as long as I can remember, even longer!, and present it as a right-now epidemic!!??
In my opinion, it speaks volumes to the importance our officials are putting on the true epidemic of teen, and LGBT teen, suicides. And, that is an atrocity. At least in my eyes. Rather than devoted time, effort, and resources into an epidemic that is claiming lives right here in the here-and-now, they're rehashing information that's decades old and presenting it as some brand spanking new study and problem. What sense does that make? So, what do we say to the family of the next teen who commits suicide? "Sorry for your loss, but at least he didn't smoke. That would've made it worse.) Is it me? Or, is there a real problem here?
Cigarette smoking is a real issue, don't get me wrong. I know first-hand because I've been a smoker, myself, for almost 30 years. And, it's always been my opinion that selling cigarettes, a product that is PROVEN will kill its users!!!, should be illegal. That will never happen, though. Political reasons. (for the fun of it, research how much money the tobacco industry gives BOTH major political parties.) However, as stated previously, teens can quit smoking, thus reversing the deadly effects of the cigarettes. Once a person has committed suicide, they're gone. We can't reverse death.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
From Newmarket to Melksham, One Person Can (and, does!) Make a Difference
Maybe I should just start using the wifi at home. That way, I can keep my emotions private. Reading this story brought tears. Happy tears. Sad tears.
Thank the God of your understanding for today's online social network. It's saving lives! Across the ocean, in a place called Melksham, in the United Kingdom, sat a forlorn 16-year-old named Luke. Luke, seemingly, was ready to throw in the towel. He told the world of his plans on his tumblr account. Pills. He had already taken a handful and was prepared to take more. He wanted to die.
Incredibly, according to Luke, in response to his desperate cry for help, he received lots of "hate" comments and, worse, other teens encouraging him to "go ahead and do it". Already clearly despondent, this only served to make matters worse. Who's raising these kids!? We just are not born with that level of hatred. It's taught, and learned. Luckily, however, one compassionate teen was struck by the plea and took action. From over 3,000 miles and an ocean away!
Fourteen-year-old Paige Dayal, from Newmarket, Canada, was deeply troubled by what she had read and was moved to action. I know from personal experience that attempting to reach out to someone in another country is cumbersome, at best. Sometimes, it's downright maddening. Paige persisted. Running into roadblock after roadblock only strengthened her determination. "What if he's really going to try and hurt himself" was her thought process. And, that's the only thought process to have in a situation like this.
Eventually, she was able to contact a police department near where young Luke lived. They arrived at his door in time, and the story had a happy ending. Luke was taken to the hospital and is apparently doing fine now. Once at the hospital, he pulled up his tumblr account once again, this time to "thank the girl in Canada" who potentially saved his life.
According to the news release I read, Paige has never been the victim of bullying. However, like any person of compassion around the world, she realizes what going on today with the issue and how lives are being lost because of it. Knowing that teen suicide is a real issue today, she understood that she had to take action on behalf of a boy she didn't know from a country over 3,000 miles, and a whole lot of water!, away.
With the exception of the incredibly insensitive, inhumane, cruelty he received as a response to his cry for help, it appears that bullying wasn't the issue with Luke, either. It was depression. A depression so deep that he wanted to die. A depression that his own mother and father didn't even know was there. They know about it now. Luke is getting the help he desperately needs. And, thankfully, all medications are now kept locked away.
What this shows concretely is that one person absolutely can make a difference. One person caring about another human being, whether we know them or not, whether their in our circle of friends or an ocean away, can save a life. We never know when we will run across that situation in our own lives. But, chances are, if we all pay attention closely enough, at some point we all will. Paige made a difference. Luke's alive to thank her for it. It doesn't get better than that.
So, instead of having to be the bearer of yet another heartbreaking story of one more teen who ended their life before it had a chance to develop, I get to write another happy-ending story. I love those.
On second thought, I'll keep going to my local diner with the wifi hotspot. People need to see how real this truly is.
Thank the God of your understanding for today's online social network. It's saving lives! Across the ocean, in a place called Melksham, in the United Kingdom, sat a forlorn 16-year-old named Luke. Luke, seemingly, was ready to throw in the towel. He told the world of his plans on his tumblr account. Pills. He had already taken a handful and was prepared to take more. He wanted to die.
Incredibly, according to Luke, in response to his desperate cry for help, he received lots of "hate" comments and, worse, other teens encouraging him to "go ahead and do it". Already clearly despondent, this only served to make matters worse. Who's raising these kids!? We just are not born with that level of hatred. It's taught, and learned. Luckily, however, one compassionate teen was struck by the plea and took action. From over 3,000 miles and an ocean away!
Fourteen-year-old Paige Dayal, from Newmarket, Canada, was deeply troubled by what she had read and was moved to action. I know from personal experience that attempting to reach out to someone in another country is cumbersome, at best. Sometimes, it's downright maddening. Paige persisted. Running into roadblock after roadblock only strengthened her determination. "What if he's really going to try and hurt himself" was her thought process. And, that's the only thought process to have in a situation like this.
Eventually, she was able to contact a police department near where young Luke lived. They arrived at his door in time, and the story had a happy ending. Luke was taken to the hospital and is apparently doing fine now. Once at the hospital, he pulled up his tumblr account once again, this time to "thank the girl in Canada" who potentially saved his life.
According to the news release I read, Paige has never been the victim of bullying. However, like any person of compassion around the world, she realizes what going on today with the issue and how lives are being lost because of it. Knowing that teen suicide is a real issue today, she understood that she had to take action on behalf of a boy she didn't know from a country over 3,000 miles, and a whole lot of water!, away.
With the exception of the incredibly insensitive, inhumane, cruelty he received as a response to his cry for help, it appears that bullying wasn't the issue with Luke, either. It was depression. A depression so deep that he wanted to die. A depression that his own mother and father didn't even know was there. They know about it now. Luke is getting the help he desperately needs. And, thankfully, all medications are now kept locked away.
What this shows concretely is that one person absolutely can make a difference. One person caring about another human being, whether we know them or not, whether their in our circle of friends or an ocean away, can save a life. We never know when we will run across that situation in our own lives. But, chances are, if we all pay attention closely enough, at some point we all will. Paige made a difference. Luke's alive to thank her for it. It doesn't get better than that.
So, instead of having to be the bearer of yet another heartbreaking story of one more teen who ended their life before it had a chance to develop, I get to write another happy-ending story. I love those.
On second thought, I'll keep going to my local diner with the wifi hotspot. People need to see how real this truly is.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Historic Moment
While we're enjoying a moment of relative calm, and I'm knocking on wood as I say that, I figured this is a good time to do a little reflecting. And, sharing.
We're in a time period right here and now that I've been dreaming about since I was a much younger man. I've always said that the only way things were ever going to change would be for every gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trangender person to come out of the closet and make themselves known. That day is here. We're coming out at the workplace; we're coming out in middle and high school. And, our voices are resonating around the globe. It's a beautiful day.
Of course, it isn't coming without resistance from "the other side". That just means that we're doing something right! We're standing up and telling the world that we are no less equal than anyone else. And, it's scaring the hell out of "them". That's fine. Change scares people.
And, of course, there's still a lot of work to be done. The issue of bullying and LGBT teen suicide is a black eye on the face of this, the new Civil Rights movement. Slowly but surely, as more and more people are standing up to be counted, changes are being made even on that sore spot. In some cases, sadly, the change isn't coming fast enough.
We're at an exciting time in our history. Not just LGBT history! History, period!! Within the next 10-15 years, marriage equality will be the norm. The LGBT teen suicide will be next-to-nil because the changing environment will no longer tell them that they're freaks, sick, or damaged. It will embrace them. At the very least, it will accept them. What a major boost to their collective self-esteem that will be. We're on the forefront of that movement right here, right now. And, years down the road, people will look back upon this time as the turning point, the point in time where we stood up and told the world ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, and made them listen. And, there will be names that will stand out.
Kevin "Kel" O'Neil has created a monster of a facebook community, and website, that is truly changing and saving lives!
Lyndsay Winegarden created a safe haven for at-risk teens in her effort to STOP Teenage Suicide. That's no small feat.
Charity Smith created a forum for people to come out anonymously. How huge is that!? That's a major step for many people.
When Jamie Hubley committed suicide in October 2011, several tribute pages popped up on facebook in his honor. One in particular, though, has morphed into the most loving and caring support community online. People there know each other by name. When people have struggles, there's always, always, always people there ready to rush to their assistance. Amazing.
Young people are coming forward bravely and very effectively and reaching out to their peers in an effort to make a difference. Brett Simpson created a video encouraging other teens to contact him personally if they needed someone to talk to or if they were struggling. Not satisfied with that, he turned his personal social network page into a support community AND started a second one. The response to both has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Jonah Mowry is part of a group of teens who have decided to take the matter of bullying, as well as their future as LGBT teens, into their own hands. They are organizing what they're calling the Monster March Against Bullying, with the goal of having tens of thousands of teens from all over the country (world?) march with them to San Francisco's City Hall in October. That's incredible stuff!
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that it was Jamie Hubley's suicide that made me decide to roll up my sleeves and get involved in trying to make a difference. This blog was created, and will always be written, in his honor. He gave me my true voice. And, since its inception on November 7th, I've been humbled by the response it has received. It's being read by hundreds, and sometimes thousands, per day. More importantly, it's making a difference in people's lives. That wouldn't be happening, however, without every single one of you who are reading these words right now! You read it; you respond to it by way of your comments and emails; and, you get involved when it's called upon you to do so. So, it's actually YOU who are making the difference!!
Together, we are changing history!! I've dreamed of this historic moment forever.
We're in a time period right here and now that I've been dreaming about since I was a much younger man. I've always said that the only way things were ever going to change would be for every gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trangender person to come out of the closet and make themselves known. That day is here. We're coming out at the workplace; we're coming out in middle and high school. And, our voices are resonating around the globe. It's a beautiful day.
Of course, it isn't coming without resistance from "the other side". That just means that we're doing something right! We're standing up and telling the world that we are no less equal than anyone else. And, it's scaring the hell out of "them". That's fine. Change scares people.
And, of course, there's still a lot of work to be done. The issue of bullying and LGBT teen suicide is a black eye on the face of this, the new Civil Rights movement. Slowly but surely, as more and more people are standing up to be counted, changes are being made even on that sore spot. In some cases, sadly, the change isn't coming fast enough.
We're at an exciting time in our history. Not just LGBT history! History, period!! Within the next 10-15 years, marriage equality will be the norm. The LGBT teen suicide will be next-to-nil because the changing environment will no longer tell them that they're freaks, sick, or damaged. It will embrace them. At the very least, it will accept them. What a major boost to their collective self-esteem that will be. We're on the forefront of that movement right here, right now. And, years down the road, people will look back upon this time as the turning point, the point in time where we stood up and told the world ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, and made them listen. And, there will be names that will stand out.
Kevin "Kel" O'Neil has created a monster of a facebook community, and website, that is truly changing and saving lives!
Lyndsay Winegarden created a safe haven for at-risk teens in her effort to STOP Teenage Suicide. That's no small feat.
Charity Smith created a forum for people to come out anonymously. How huge is that!? That's a major step for many people.
When Jamie Hubley committed suicide in October 2011, several tribute pages popped up on facebook in his honor. One in particular, though, has morphed into the most loving and caring support community online. People there know each other by name. When people have struggles, there's always, always, always people there ready to rush to their assistance. Amazing.
Young people are coming forward bravely and very effectively and reaching out to their peers in an effort to make a difference. Brett Simpson created a video encouraging other teens to contact him personally if they needed someone to talk to or if they were struggling. Not satisfied with that, he turned his personal social network page into a support community AND started a second one. The response to both has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Jonah Mowry is part of a group of teens who have decided to take the matter of bullying, as well as their future as LGBT teens, into their own hands. They are organizing what they're calling the Monster March Against Bullying, with the goal of having tens of thousands of teens from all over the country (world?) march with them to San Francisco's City Hall in October. That's incredible stuff!
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that it was Jamie Hubley's suicide that made me decide to roll up my sleeves and get involved in trying to make a difference. This blog was created, and will always be written, in his honor. He gave me my true voice. And, since its inception on November 7th, I've been humbled by the response it has received. It's being read by hundreds, and sometimes thousands, per day. More importantly, it's making a difference in people's lives. That wouldn't be happening, however, without every single one of you who are reading these words right now! You read it; you respond to it by way of your comments and emails; and, you get involved when it's called upon you to do so. So, it's actually YOU who are making the difference!!
Together, we are changing history!! I've dreamed of this historic moment forever.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Monster March Against Bullying
I think my favorite line from their "info" section is:
The video attached to the email was the clencher. Sixteen-year-old Liane, makes a very strong case for everyone to get involved by driving home the question "What are you waiting for?" She had just lost a friend to suicide at the time she recorded the video. The pain, the anguish!, is very visible on her face. And, that pain isn't isolated. That pain and anguish is, sadly, shared all over the world every single day as yet another teenager ends their own life.
So, my question is the same: What ARE you waiting for? Every 18 minutes, another teenager ends his or her life. And, for every successful suicide attempt, there's 25 others who THANKFULLY didn't success. We've got an epidemic. But, you don't need me to tell you that. I think that much is crystal clear. What I do need to remind people, I feel, is that there's still lots and lots of work that needs to be done before we're able to claim victory. Worse, rest assured that for everyone of "us" who are working hard and long to make a difference, there's just as many if not more of "them" working just as hard and long to negate all of our efforts.
We will win this hard-fought battle. I have complete confidence in that and can say it with 100% conviction. However, the victory will not come without a long of hands-on effort. And, what will, in the end, make the biggest difference will be teens, like Brett Simpson, like Christi O'Connor standing firm as they say to "The Establishment" ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Let's do our part in making this Monster March Against Bullying an overwhelming success! "Like" their facebook page. Watch the video. Share both as often as you can. The world is changing, and Christi O'Connor is right at the forefront of that change.
While parents, school officials and politicians keep imposing well intended rules and policies, we teenagers know real change... starts with us.My smile was ear-to-ear! Christi O'Connor, of San Francisco, sent me an email last week telling me about their Monster March Against Bullying to be held in the City By The Bay in October (no specific date given yet) in hope that I would help her spread the word. And, of course, that's exactly what I'm going to do. So far, in my opinion, this is the single greatest thing I've seen emerge in our collective struggle to bring an end to the bullying and help end the teen suicides, gay and straight alike.
The Monster March is a teen-created and teen-led protest marking a critical responsibility shift in solving our nation's deadly bullying problem. This October, more than 10,000 of us teens from across the nation and around the world will march through the streets of San Francisco in what we plan to make "The Largest Teen Protest In History." We will draw unprecedented awareness as we step into our power and claim our role in creating and putting into action our anti bullying solutions only teenagers can ensure work.So, who is Christi O'Connor? I can't answer that in any other way than to say that she's a driven teen who's on a mission to make a huge difference in the lives of the teens who are bullied, to the families and friends of those who have committed suicide because of bullying. Read her email to me for yourself:
Ron,
I’ve read a lot of what you write on bullying. Thank you. I’m the founder of the national youth led Monster March Against Bullying with The Rodemeyers, The Mowrys and many other bullying families behind our teens. Last Monday, we flew five headline making bullying families and many teens from around the country to help launch The Monster March.
We would love your help spreading the news of our teens’ invite to Lady Gaga and to President Obama to be at our 10,000 teen march against bullying in San Francisco this October. If you can ask all your followers to Tweet both letting them know your fans want both to join us, it will boost our profile and more teens will join us. The October march is just the celebratory finale of our teens’ year long campaign of projects they’re leading online, in classrooms and everywhere they can influence peers.
They want to recruit every teen they can.
Check out our FB page and our “Top 10 Teen Solutions” list. We change it every two weeks pushing to the top, the best in that time frame.
Also everything we have in our “Photos.”
Our teens include best friends and siblings of bullied teens from all over the country who’ve killed themselves. These teens are committed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVzNKZpqDDo)
Go to http://www.facebook.com/youthvoicetv
Warmly,
Christi O’ConnorAmazing stuff. And, she has a point: for all the work we adults do, or try to do, to end this madness, ultimately it will be up to them, the teens, to take matters in their own hands and say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"!!! That message coming from us, the concerned citizens, adults, and parents, carries some weight. Things ARE happening albeit slowly. However, that same message coming from THOUSANDS of teens is going to be impossible to ignore. Add to their cause such influential, anti-bullying people as Lady Gaga and President Barack Obama, and the entire WORLD will have no choice but to stand up and take notice. (disclaimer: as of this writing, invitations have been sent to Lady Gaga and the POTUS. It's not confirmed, yet, that either will be in attendance. Let's keep our fingers crossed.) The family of Jamey Rodemeyer will be there in support of the Monster March Against Bullying, as will Jonah Mowry and his family. I'm hoping that, by the time October rolls into San Francisco, many more family and friends of victims of bullying will be there in attendance.
Founder “The Monster March Against Bullying”
The video attached to the email was the clencher. Sixteen-year-old Liane, makes a very strong case for everyone to get involved by driving home the question "What are you waiting for?" She had just lost a friend to suicide at the time she recorded the video. The pain, the anguish!, is very visible on her face. And, that pain isn't isolated. That pain and anguish is, sadly, shared all over the world every single day as yet another teenager ends their own life.
So, my question is the same: What ARE you waiting for? Every 18 minutes, another teenager ends his or her life. And, for every successful suicide attempt, there's 25 others who THANKFULLY didn't success. We've got an epidemic. But, you don't need me to tell you that. I think that much is crystal clear. What I do need to remind people, I feel, is that there's still lots and lots of work that needs to be done before we're able to claim victory. Worse, rest assured that for everyone of "us" who are working hard and long to make a difference, there's just as many if not more of "them" working just as hard and long to negate all of our efforts.
We will win this hard-fought battle. I have complete confidence in that and can say it with 100% conviction. However, the victory will not come without a long of hands-on effort. And, what will, in the end, make the biggest difference will be teens, like Brett Simpson, like Christi O'Connor standing firm as they say to "The Establishment" ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! Let's do our part in making this Monster March Against Bullying an overwhelming success! "Like" their facebook page. Watch the video. Share both as often as you can. The world is changing, and Christi O'Connor is right at the forefront of that change.
Following Up on Cody Rogers, LGBT Teen Attacked at Party
Cody Rogers, an 18-year-old LGBT man in Oklahoma, was brutally attacked last weekend at a party attended by friends and a few homophobes. The story took off. There was a silver lining to the story, as well.
Rather than tuck his tail and wilt under the attack, Cody rose to the occasion. Rather than shrink back into the closet and lock the door, Cody was embolded. He set up a facebook page to join the war against ignorance, intolerance, and violence against the LGBT community. The page quickly took off. As of this writing, it already has just under 10,000 members. Most of them are well-wishers, some adding pictures along with the encouraging words. It's been heartwarming watching the encouragement come literally from around the world.
The most important thing to come from this travesty, however, is the fire that's been lit under Cody Rogers. Met head-on with what, until last weekend, was the kind of hatred and nviolence towards the LGBT community he'd only heard of or read about, Cody is now determined to spearhead a movement of change.
In the state he lives, Oklahoma, their federal anti-discrimination laws do not protect the LGBT community. Because of that, his attacker was charged with the laughable crime of simple assault. Such a ridiculous charge could possibly bring him a sentence of cleaning up trash along the highway for a weekend. He couldn't be charged with what he should've been charged with because, in Oklahoma, it's apparently ok to hate members of the LGBT community, to be intolerant towards them, to commit acts of violence against them. That has to be the case; otherwise, there would be laws on the book to protect them. At the very least, they would've been included in the protection of the federal anti-discrimination laws, which would've made last week's unwarranted attack a hate crime. Instead, incredibly, they were excluded.
Cody has started a petition to get the wheels in motion that will bring about change in his state. Remember, this is the same state that, just a month ago, a teacher was going to fail her student for the crime of writing an essay about same-sex marriage. Thanks to your emails, letters, and phone calls!!, that teacher had a change of heart and there was a happy ending to the story. Now, we need those same numbers, and more!, to come to Cody Roger's aid and sign this petition!! Before we knew there was a Cody Rogers in the world, we showed Oklahoma that there is definitely power in numbers. I think they need a reminder.
Rather than tuck his tail and wilt under the attack, Cody rose to the occasion. Rather than shrink back into the closet and lock the door, Cody was embolded. He set up a facebook page to join the war against ignorance, intolerance, and violence against the LGBT community. The page quickly took off. As of this writing, it already has just under 10,000 members. Most of them are well-wishers, some adding pictures along with the encouraging words. It's been heartwarming watching the encouragement come literally from around the world.
The most important thing to come from this travesty, however, is the fire that's been lit under Cody Rogers. Met head-on with what, until last weekend, was the kind of hatred and nviolence towards the LGBT community he'd only heard of or read about, Cody is now determined to spearhead a movement of change.
In the state he lives, Oklahoma, their federal anti-discrimination laws do not protect the LGBT community. Because of that, his attacker was charged with the laughable crime of simple assault. Such a ridiculous charge could possibly bring him a sentence of cleaning up trash along the highway for a weekend. He couldn't be charged with what he should've been charged with because, in Oklahoma, it's apparently ok to hate members of the LGBT community, to be intolerant towards them, to commit acts of violence against them. That has to be the case; otherwise, there would be laws on the book to protect them. At the very least, they would've been included in the protection of the federal anti-discrimination laws, which would've made last week's unwarranted attack a hate crime. Instead, incredibly, they were excluded.
Cody has started a petition to get the wheels in motion that will bring about change in his state. Remember, this is the same state that, just a month ago, a teacher was going to fail her student for the crime of writing an essay about same-sex marriage. Thanks to your emails, letters, and phone calls!!, that teacher had a change of heart and there was a happy ending to the story. Now, we need those same numbers, and more!, to come to Cody Roger's aid and sign this petition!! Before we knew there was a Cody Rogers in the world, we showed Oklahoma that there is definitely power in numbers. I think they need a reminder.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)