PSA time.

[dealan311]

Right, so all week I'm sure (or at least I hope) you have heard the news about the four gay teenagers who committed suicide due to bullying. If you haven't, this pretty much sums it up.

Guys, there really is no excuse for this kind of hate to exist anymore. We know better.

If you want to help out, you can do everything from donating to the very worthwhile cause of the Trevor Project, which is a national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for gay and questioning youth, to doing something as simple as watching what you say and calling people out when they say dumb things. Language matters, and even the best people can say extremely hurtful things without thinking about it.

In conclusion: Burt Hummel, why aren't there more people like you in the world?

Comments

[cybertoothtiger.livejournal.com]

Ugh. This is all so sad and a terrible waste. I hate suicide for any reason, but when it's due to bullying? That's just tragic.

[dealan311.livejournal.com]

I know. It's damn waste because it could have been avoided if people would stop being such asshats.

[leigh57.livejournal.com]

So I have internet access for like ten minutes, which means I can't get even close to catching up on everything, but I just wanted to say that they're talking about this now to kids even N's age, and he's only ten. I brought it up the other day, because *I* wanted to talk about it with him, and he said, "Oh yeah. We were talking about this in school yesterday."

I also freak out on my students whenever they say anything related to "That's so gay." I know it's a small thing, but as you said, language matters.

It makes me really proud that N already routinely freaks out about the idiocy of DADT. Sigh. It's just all so effing sad.

[dealan311.livejournal.com]

Aiyah. It's both good and sad that kids are talking about it as young as N's age. Good because they're learning at a young age that words hurt as much as sticks and stones, but sad that they have such concrete examples of the ways in which everything can go wrong.

Oh believe me. I have had *plenty* of conversations with my cousins over the "that's so gay" thing.

DADT?

[leigh57.livejournal.com]

Don't Ask Don't Tell. N has a pretty impressive riff on that, and how he hates it and the ideology of everyone who supports it. Makes me proud:)

Oh, my students mock me, but whatever. I keep freaking out, and they don't say it in front of me half as much as they used to!

[dealan311.livejournal.com]

Oh wow I totally should have known that acronym seeing how much it's been in the news. Have I mentioned today btw how much I love your kids? They are awesome.

Hey whatever gets the job done, right? Change takes time, I guess, but that's no excuse to stop fighting the good fight.