Jamey Rodemeyer of Buffalo, NY took his own life after being bullied at school. Why he was bullied? Because he was gay. This poor fourteen-year-old boy cried out for help online, posting on his blog how he was being bullied at school and how the other kids would insult him for being gay.
Adding insult to injury, when he aired his frustrations and his pain about being bullied in his blog, students began to bully him online as well. Finally, the bullying became too much for the fourteen-year-old, who ended his life because of the pain he’d been put through by his fellow students.
This is a tragic event, and one that in this day and age should not happen. What is wrong with people, having to pick on those who are different? A gay teen should not feel as if ending it all is his or her only way out.
There is no reason to tease or bully those who are not exactly like you. So what if a boy likes another boy, or a girl likes another girl? Love is love, and it is a beautiful thing that everyone should get to experience no matter what your sexuality is. Being gay is not a choice you make, it is how you are born. Those who are gay cannot change it, or “pray the gay away” like some people might think.
This is 2011. Why can we not just let people be who they are? Those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender are just as beautiful and amazing as those who are straight. Some of them are perhaps even braver and stronger than us who are straight, because it takes courage and confidence to stand up and say that “I’m different, but that’s okay, because this is who I am”.
It takes real courage to stand up and be true to yourself, no matter what others might think. Imagine the hate people still spew over this, imagine what you would do and how you would react if you were in their shoes. Could you still stand up straight and be proud? I’m not sure a lot of people could.
For those LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) youths who are considering suicide as their only way out, there are people out there you can talk to. The Trevor Project is the US’ leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention to LGBTQ youth. Go to their website to learn more about this wonderful organization who does such important work. If you are in the US, you can also reach them by phone 866 4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7368).
If you are in Norway (like me), go to LLH’s (Landsforeningen for lesbiske, homofile, bifile og transpersoner) website for more information about the organization, their work and phone number and links to websites and places you can visit or call to talk to like-minded people. Or to their website specifically for gay youth, Skeiv Ungdom.
Follow everyone’s favourite drag queen Pandora Boxx’ advice:
Through dialogue we can begin to change things. Imagine if everyone who likes this page posted something like: “I support the LGBT community and I want everyone to know it!” Through one simple statement you can show support and create dialogue that could change lives.
You can follow Ms Boxx on Twitter (@ThePandoraBoxx), on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/thepandoraboxx) or through her website (http://www.pandoraboxx.com/)
This is serious, kids. Don’t let people bully, or be bullied. Try instead to be a friend, and maybe you’ll meet an amazing person you otherwise never would have met. Perhaps you could even help save someone. Reach out, show that you care. Let the world know that you won’t stand for people being bullied just because of their sexuality.
I support the LGBT community, and I want everyone to know it!
Tweet it, Facebook it, MySpace it, put it on a damn t-shirt. Just put it out there, and show your support and help create a dialogue that could save lives!
