This is one of my two contributions to the IT GETS BETTER Project that was initiated on September 21st 2011 by columnist and gay rights activist Dan Savage, in response to the suicide of 15 year old Billy Lucas, from Indiana, who ended his life due to being massively bullied for being gay. Billy's death was one of four cases of bullycide that have been reported about on the news during the last months.
Savage opened a YouTube channel "where Members of the LGBT community upload videos that explain how their lives got better after high school. The idea is to reassure teens who are being bullied because of their sexual orientation that the harassment won’t last forever."
(quoted from
http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/youtube-projects-social-good/ )
Well, I find the basic idea good, but it leaves a big gap open, that for me (if I were a gay teen struggling with a life full of harassment and abuse every day) would make it hard to come up with new strength and courage, to face my every day misery, without any idea of how to make it through all of that, except "tough it out - it's worth it, because life will get so much better one day."
Therefore, my own video is meant especially to those kids and teens out there who do not bully themselves, and who also are no bullying victims.
I believe that we do not enough, if we only try to send out a message to kids, teenagers and even young adults, who get bullied for either their sexual orientation, or also e.g. for belonging to an ethnic minority or for any other reason, and this message being that life will probably get better some time in the future.
We must offer concrete help and support today, and by that every one of us is needed, too, to do our part for this above mentioned promise will come true!
Savage opened a YouTube channel "where Members of the LGBT community upload videos that explain how their lives got better after high school. The idea is to reassure teens who are being bullied because of their sexual orientation that the harassment won’t last forever."
(quoted from
http://mashable.com/2010/10/05/youtube-projects-social-good/ )
______________________________
Well, I find the basic idea good, but it leaves a big gap open, that for me (if I were a gay teen struggling with a life full of harassment and abuse every day) would make it hard to come up with new strength and courage, to face my every day misery, without any idea of how to make it through all of that, except "tough it out - it's worth it, because life will get so much better one day."
Therefore, my own video is meant especially to those kids and teens out there who do not bully themselves, and who also are no bullying victims.
I believe that we do not enough, if we only try to send out a message to kids, teenagers and even young adults, who get bullied for either their sexual orientation, or also e.g. for belonging to an ethnic minority or for any other reason, and this message being that life will probably get better some time in the future.
We must offer concrete help and support today, and by that every one of us is needed, too, to do our part for this above mentioned promise will come true!
This means that
"the silent majority"
has to find the courage in themselves
to make a stand against bullies,
and become allies
of those who are
victims of abuse and harassment today.
"the silent majority"
has to find the courage in themselves
to make a stand against bullies,
and become allies
of those who are
victims of abuse and harassment today.
______________________________
.
.
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