Tennessee Bill: It’s OK To Bully Gay Kids If You’re A Christian Or A Republican

Seems that our bigoted friends are at it again in the great state of Tennessee. With an anti-bullying law already on the books, the bigots in charge (spelled GOP/Republicans) want to pass an amendment that will allow just about any person the right to bully anyone else, for just about any reason, and be lawfully covered in doing so. The hatred and bible-toting "Christians" (spelled GOP/Republican) just have to make sure that the serfs perform according to their plan of worldwide domination... or else!

via TPMmuckraker:

The proposed bill would amend the state’s current anti-bullying laws to specify that the anti-bully policy should “not be construed or interpreted to infringe upon the First Amendment rights of students and shall not prohibit their expression of religious, philosophical, or political views” as long as there’s no physical threat or threat to another student’s property.

I personally think that 2012 is going to be a very backward year concerning LGBTQ rights and the return to the days of open hatred, physical beating, law-enforced bullying, and so many other anti gay actions returning to life. Hopefully not, but it seems that state by state, the GOP gay-hate agenda is marching forward one step at a time.

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Calif teen to be sentenced for killing gay student

After three years of legal wrangling, a mistrial, and a final plea bargaining deal, Brandon McInerney has been sentenced today to 21 years in prison for the 2008 murder of fellow student, 15-year-old Larry King at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, CA.

McInerney                                             King

McInerney shot King - an openly gay student - in the classroom in front of other students after supposedly being harassed by him on several different occasions. This blatant murder raised the ire of LGBT groups across the globe when it recently ended in a mistrial (search here for the thread of this entire story for more information) over the issue of him being tried as an adult who committed a hate crime. Several jurors thought he should have been tried as a juvenile and others thought that it was not considered a hate crime.

The obvious fact is that he murdered a fellow classmate, in school, in front of other students with premeditation. At least some justice has finally been served today as he is sentenced to 11 years for voluntary manslaughter and 10 years for use of a firearm. The unfortunate thing is that it won't bring Larry King back. The flip side is that this case has brought to the forefront the issue of LGBT bullying, harassment and discrimination that runs rampant through our school systems nationwide. An epidemic that is slowly becoming more in the news and hopefully, one that will eventually be tamed to the point that we don't have to talk about kids killing each other or taking their own lives because they might be gay.

Hopefully this is the end of this unfortunate saga and Larry can rest in peace. We'll see.

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West Virginia Moves to Protect LGBT Students - Model for Other States

The great state of West Virginia has led the way in ending bullying against almost every group habitually discriminated against with the passage of new language by the W. Virginia Board of Education. These new regulations, enforceable across the state, very clearly state that:

"Acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying that are reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, or by association with a person who has or is perceived to have one or more of these characteristics, shall be reported using the following list: race; color; religion; ancestry; national origin; gender; socioeconomic status; academic status; gender identity or expression; physical appearance; sexual orientation; mental/physical/developmental/ sensory disability; or other characteristic."

This appears to be, on the outside, a model that other states can follow if they choose that will hopefully transform the current social non-acceptance of LGBT students, as well as those who fall under the categories specified in the new rules.

All I can say is...it's about time someone got the message!

 

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Friends say classmate killed self after bullying on sexuality

Jacob Rogers - December 7, 2011

If people could only understand how hard it is to report about another teenage life lost to bullying, the feelings of loss that the family feels, the memories, the tears...they all come back each and every time we lose another one...then maybe this would end.

Maybe if people - that means you school administrators - would start listening to these kids and take definitive action against bullying instead of sweeping it under the rug because "it's a phase...they're just kids", then maybe this will end. But adults don't like to be held accountable for their inaction. It's something they've passed on to their kids, and they in turn will pass it on to theirs.

By all account Jacob Rogers friends say that kids bullied him at Cheatham County Central High School for the past four years, but in the past few months it had become so bad he dropped out of school.

And Wednesday, December 7th, he ended his life. and I get to add another face, another name to my memories page.

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Students Suspended in Rodemeyer Suicide

Jamey Rodenmeyer September 18, 2011

As we have followed the sad story of Jamey Rodenmeyer, the 14 year old student who took his own life in September after posting an "It Gets Better" video, recent developments in his suicide resulting from bullying were made public following a rather long police investigation. Essentially police are not prosecuting any students who purportedly bullied Jamey, leading to his death. Only after a large public outcry of injustice and coverup by the school and police has it come to light that several students have been suspended.

While they have not been named due to their age, the suspensions seem rather trivial and show a lack of accountability on the part of police, school administrators, and others involved in determining where to place blame.

As seems usual with cases involving teen suicide resulting from bullying, this is just another example of how far we have NOT come in dealing with educating the right people about bullying, and have not learned to recognize the signs of those who cry in the nighttime, but suffer in the daylight.

We MUST keep pressing, keep writing, keep pushing until this monster is gone from our midst. Young people that we have lost to this terrible disease of ignorance and hatred must not be forgotten and their deaths not in vain.

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UPDATE: Brandon McInerney finally jailed after pleading guilty

McInerney                                          King

It will never bring Lawrence back, or lighten the pain of his family, but justice has at least been served in part with the jailing of Brandon McInerney for the murder of Lawrence King in 2008, in the classroom, in front of other students.

Last month a jury ended up with a mistrial due to the charge of this being a hate crime added to the murder charges. Even though over 100 witnesses testified in the trial, they still couldn't come up with a decision due to the lousy definition of what constitutes a hate crime. The clear and precise definition of what constitutes a hate crime is one issue that I've said this country needs to adopt nationwide. And further, it should be automatically applied by prosecuting attorneys and police when it meets the criteria until such time as it can be proven otherwise.

The reason this trial ended up on a mistrial was only due to the definition of hate crime. Now McInerney is facing a conviction of 21 years in jail for second-degree murder in addition to several other charges. Justice may have been served, but I doubt it and so don't some of the jurors who have spoken out concerning this case.

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16 year old teen activist for LGBT rights petition to be appointed as an advisor to the President

Caleb Laeiski, founder of Gays and Lesbians United Against Discrimination and a well known young LGBT activist from the age of 13 has already met with President Obama before on the LGBT youth Issues and has shown great leadership here in Arizona.

With the increasing issues the younger generation of the LGBT are now facing we think that having an advisor to the President is greatly needed. Please join me in nominating Caleb Laieski for this honored new postiion of Advisor on LGBT Youth Issues to the President.

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November is Anti-Bullying Week/Month : Nov. 13-19, 2011

October was officially recognized as anti-bullying month. However, that has been extended into November, and hopefully, even longer. 

Download and share this mp3 audio file. Ask that it be played in your school or send it
to your local radio station and request they play it as a public service announcement.

Here is what Rick Mercer of CBC Television's Rick Mercer Report said about
the importance of the annual Bullying Awareness Week!

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Cohoes High School holds anti-bullying presentation

COHOES, N.Y. - As Niskayuna Police and the FBI investigate threatening videos on YouTube, Cohoes High School takes on the growing issue of cyberbullying Thursday night.

Students, parents, and community members are invited to attend an anti-bullying presentation at the high school, starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night. The event will feature Jesse Saperstein, author of "Atypical: Life with Asperger's in 20 1/3 Chapters," speaking to the audience about his experiences with bullying and cyberbullying.



In June, a Cohoes teen became the first person to be charged under Albany County's new cyberbullying law.
Albany county passes cyberbullying law
Facebook page created for bullying

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Houston Chronicle Blogger Mom Says Gay Teens Should Stay in Closet to Avoid Suicide

A November 3rd  article from the Houston Chronicle Blogger, Kathleen McKinley, has incensed a lot of people, including me as a bullied, gay person. This rant goes way beyond rational thinking and blames the victim, instead of the bully, for being bullied and ending their own life as a result of it.

To think that someone could even think this way is beyond comprehension, logic, whatever you want to call it. Possibly the best way is the rantings of a bully (using Jesus as their namesake?)

Here is a little of her "Christian" thinking:

"...Am I mad at the hateful mean kids who bully and tease these teens? You bet I am. But I am just as mad at the idiotic adults who force our adult views on kids, and pull them into our adult world long before they are mature enough to handle it. The 13 year old that killed himself told his Mom he was gay. She said she already knew and hugged him. She said she just assumed that everyone else would be as accepting as she was.

Really? Have you been around teenagers? They are cruel and mean. They constantly tear each other down. It was bad when I was a teenager, I can only imagine what it's like now. No, I don't have to imagine how it is now. This is how it is now. Why in the world would you give teenagers a REASON to tease you? Oh, yes, because the adults tell you to embrace who you are, the only problem? Kids that age are just discovering who they are. They really have no idea yet. The adults tell you to "come out," when what we should be telling them is that sex is for adults, and there is plenty of time for figuring out that later. Figure out yourself first. Focus on the kind of person you want to be, not the kind of person you want to sleep with. A 13 year old should not be building his life around his sexual orientation. He should be being A KID ... We have sexualized our kids with movies, music, and culture, and now we have viruses like HPV running rampant before they even go to college. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. [...]

Let's let kids be kids, for God's sake. Remember the gay young boy's last message said, "How do you know it will get better?" He was a KID! Kids can't see around the corner. They just aren't mature enough yet. They don't see it getting better no matter how many times Lady Ga Ga says it will. So, enough with our politically correct campaigns aimed at kids.

It's killing them."

Of course any sensible, educated person (who follows and ascribes to this ***holes views of right and wrong) knows that by suppressing these feelings, especially those of making the choice to be gay, everything will be better and all will be happy.

I'm not sure what planet Ms. Kathleen comes from, possibly the same one as our Republican slate of gay-haters, but her thinking is dangerous to everyone who is being bullied for any reason and also dangerous advice to parents who don't open conversation with their children about these issues. As parents we are responsible for preparing our children to face the "real" world, one filled with hate, discrimination and violence against those who, whether by choice or not, are different.

Please read the full story for all the comments to follow her thinking as it becomes more idiotic and illogical, ending in a total mess of bullying crap. Where are those laws outlawing cyberbullying?

Following is an excellent reply from the long comment thread to this bully  :

Spoken like a woman who has never in her life met or had more than a twenty second conversation with a gay person. Sexuality is all about sex? Really? Kids aren't "sexual" at 13? Well, I guess all that psychology and a little hormonal shift called "puberty" must all be wrong.

You should be ashamed of accepting your kid for who they are? What the fuck kind of bullshit are you on, woman? Look, many people who were gay knew they were different even before they can clarify why. My best friend watched Elvira at age seven and knew she was attracted to her (she still is). She literally knew she liked girls before she knew what sex even was. She wasn't confused, she wasn't "mislead" or "coached"--it was something she knew, deep down. So what are we supposed to do, you idiot, when your kid tells you they are gay? Tell them they're wrong? Tell them they're "too young to know"? Yeah, that'll learn them, and not make them suicidal at all.

What are we supposed to say when they come home at eight years old and say, "Daddy, what does 'gay' mean?" Are we supposed to say "gay is a bad word" (Ooh, psychological damage when they get older--either self-hatred or scorn for others). Are we supposed to change the subject, so they think they can't trust us? Because we're obviously not supposed to simply state what gay is--their tender little brains couldn't handle it!



Dear Kathleen McKinley: Every single mental health expert, psychologist, child development expert and teacher with a bare minimum of education would shore me up when I say you are completely, totally, and dangerously wrong in absolutely everything you said. See attached video.

Edited by senselocke: superinsomniac at 11/03/11 11:48 PM

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Southwest Idaho schools throwout Student Club Rule

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- A legal group claims Idaho's largest school district rejected a measure to require a parent's signature for students to participate in school clubs amid pressure from a national organization that promotes equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

But the Meridian School District says the proposal was dropped because the vast majority of their student clubs do not currently require parental permission.

The Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based group of Christian lawyers, issued a statement Monday saying the district was "duped" by gay rights activists into ditching the proposed parental consent policy. The group claims the proposal was cut amid pressure from Lambda Legal and the Idaho Safe Schools Coalition.

Those organizations wrote the district in August, saying the proposed rule would be harmful to already vulnerable students.
 (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is a conservative Christian nonprofit organization with the stated goal of "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.

The Alliance Defense Fund established the Day of Truth "to counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda and express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective." The Day of Truth is held annually following the Day of Silence, which is organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The Day of Silence is the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network's (GLSEN) annual day of action to protest the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and their supporters. Students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBT students and their supporters. The Day of Silence has been held each year in April since 1996. The 2010 Day of Silence was held on April 16; in 2011 it was on April 15

ADF has announced that beginning in 2009, it was passing on its leadership role in the Day of Truth to an ex-gay organization, Exodus International, who had prepared the resources for the event. On October 6, Exodus International stated they would no longer be supporting or leading the Day of Truth.

On November 11, 2010, Focus on the Family announced it had acquired the Day of Truth event and was renaming it to the Day of Dialogue. The goal would remain unchanged.

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Anti-gay bullying — Does silence equal death? | Daily Record | dailyrecord.com

This article is a little one-sided in its idea that bullying in the schools is a unresolved issue in that schools across the country have no idea as to how to deal with bullying in school. I disagree, and in fact, have provided resources on this blog as to established programs that are available for not only schools in general, but very specific for students and administrators alike.

One of the longest and most in-depth programs is several years old and actually was established before bullying became such an issue. Dr. Phil McGraw's son, Jay McGraw,  created a school program meant to address bullying on levels and was instrumental in getting it into many schools across the country. He also has written a book on the subject. There are also many other in-school programs that provide sensitivity training for teacher and students in the form of assemblies, group discussions and one-on-one role playing.

Click on our Resources Page for more information and other programs.

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Bully's Brutal Assault of Gay Ohio High School Student Caught on Camera: VIDEO |Gay News|Gay Blog Towleroad

This is hard to watch...this bully ranks right up there with the one that shot and killed King in the classroom and after a jury trial, was found not guilty (re-trial is pending.) This big bully beat up another student for being gay after putting comments on his FaceBook page about 'fags', and did it in front of other classmates during school. Another student filmed it on their phone, but the bully was only given 3 days suspension while the student was treated for a concussion and broken teeth.

This is not supposed to still be happening! Not in our society, and especially with all the recent focus on school bullying. I've attached the video, but go to the story for more details.

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Missouri teacher under fire for suggesting more gay youth should commit suicide – LGBTQ Nation

This article, posted today on LGBTQ Nation from a student response to the recent suicide of 15 year-old Jamie Hubley of Ottawa, just floored me in that a teacher could have posted such hated-filled, way off the grid statements as he did on his FB page. The teacher, James Whitney from Joplin (MO) High School, comments that he doesn't know how they got there (his account was hacked into) and in an email statement responded that he doesn't discriminate against gays...but here it is right off the wall of his former student, John Gonzalez. (mouse over the dots for more info)

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Anti-gay Twitter users mock Stuart Walker’s death - PinkNews.co.uk

I know how frustrating it can be to read about this sort of thing, but there's that old 'Freedom of Speech' thing to contend with. But actually posting tweets and comments such as this tweet, "Another user, @Realist_Eman, wrote: 'Lool a gay Man called Stuart Walker got killed for being gay, that will teach people not to be gay.'," can really make the hairs rise on one's neck. Where do people get this crap from?

I firmly believe that people are entitled to speak their minds, but there has to be some line that can be crossed when those comments physically or emotionally affect others' lives. How or when that line is crossed is pretty grey in a homophobic society that encourages bullying in so many ways. Politicians bully, companies,leaders,schools,parents and students all bully to great extent. But at some point society has to say, as it is lately, that it's not right and you will be held accountable for your actions. However, therein lies the big problem. How can you hold people, like the ones who made comments such as these in this article, accountable for cyberbullying and causing emotional abuse on a family in grief when society supports that bullying? People are dying, are emotionally scarred for life, and some end up taking their own lives because of the stress and feeling that they are alone in their depression and humiliation.

The time has come to put an emphatic end to this attack. But the obvious question remains...how? At any rate, tweet this: "Rest in peace Stuart Walker; we're so sorry."

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More schools take action to stem anti-gay bullying | Latest National Headlines | News fr...

The awareness of bullying in schools, the passing of Same-sex marriage in New York, and the spate of "It Gets Better" video's from celebrities and other people have slowly begun to raise awareness about bullying and teen suicide. California recently passed legislation that ordered teaching to be incorporated into the classroom about LGBTQ contributions and the history of same. Even more in the news was the recent passing of DADT, allowing gays in the military to come out of the closet without fear of being thrown out of the service.

Although we have a long way to go, the California legislation is having an effect on school bullying and also intervening legally in cases where guidelines have not been followed.  For example, instead of a teacher simply telling kids to quit using a disrespectful name, stopping taunts is more effective when the teacher explains why teasing hurts and getting bullies to recall instances when they were taunted or acknowledge that they would feel hurt if they were, experts said.

"It's about making them realize what it's like," said Travis Brown, an anti-bullying speaker now on a 200-school tour.

Students must be told to intervene if they witness bullying and to accept others' differences even if they don't agree with them. That goes for teachers, too. It is illegal, for instance, to order a boy to wash off makeup if girls are also allowed to wear it.


There remains a long, slow haul to spread informative and educational programs across the country's schools, but with the help of the ACLU and other legal eagles watching over the growing movement, it will happen and we might, just might, see the near end of bullying as we know it now.

Now if we could get politicians to end bullying among their ranks and setting a poor example for the bullies of today.

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Spirit Day October 20th

October 20th - Spirit Day!

I hope that as many as possible wore Purple today to help focus attention on Spirit Day and a smattering of subjects, including bullying, teen suicide, gay marriage, and other LGBTQ issues. I wore my "It Gets Better" t-shirt so that I could talk to everyone I met about it. Guess what! It worked...and people in general, even in my red-necked, rural town of Vermont at least were willing to listen to me and wish the best for all those that struggle with any of the issues I mentioned.

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Another Suicide - Zach Harrington, Norman, OK

From: edgephiladelphia

A gay teen in Oklahoma killed himself following a "toxic town meeting he attended at which residents debated a resolution naming October "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender History Month." The rhetoric spouted at the meeting was "toxic," the family of 19-year-old Zach Harrington says. They maintain that the anti-gay remarks were so hurtful to the young man that they pushed him over the edge.

Zach Harrington -2011

In the end the resolution was adopted, but the one-sided debate of the town meeting had already taken its toll on the young man who was continually subjected to bullying in school. So we lost another young, promising soul to bullying in October of this year. There just seems to be no end to this, and what's more horrifying is that many people don't seem to care (until it touches their lives...which we all know is different.)

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Zachary Quinto, Actor, Out's Himself Over Death of Jamey Rodemeyer

On his website today, Zachary explains that the recent suicide of bullied 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer led to his decision to come out publicly:

"when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself – i felt deeply troubled.  but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life – i felt indescribable despair.  i also made an it gets better video last year – in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time.  but in light of jamey’s death – it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it – is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality.  our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country.  gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying.  parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance.  we are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world.  we are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government.  i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society – and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action.  jamey rodemeyer’s life changed mine.  and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner – i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me.  now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world.  that – i believe – is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other."

Anderson Cooper 360 Series - Bullying, It Stops Here

It's 2:30AM and I'm watching the Anderson Cooper 360 series on bullying. Although it seems to air at the wrong time for the people who really need to see it,  it's an eye-opening series with co-hosts Kelly Rippa, Dr. Phil, and  Rosalind Wiseman; best-selling author of “Queen Bees and Wannabees.” The series also features several students from the now famous Anoka-Hennepin School District, located in Michele Bachmann's district in Minnesota. Seemingly wise beyond their years, these students came on TV and told their stories of how the "neutrality policy" of this school district has not only places their lives in danger, but also fosters and creates a place where bullies are free to say and do whatever they please to other students, knowing that there are no consequences from the teachers and administration. In one story the very intelligent young man told of going to the bathroom and having another student pee on him from above in a stall. As his fellow student pointed out (he's African American), if the "N" word is used against him,  more happens to make the bully responsible than if he's called gay, faggot, or other demeaning words.

Dr. Phil pointed out that much of the bullying is the responsibility of the parents, further saying that it's not acceptable for teachers, administrators and parents to say that "it didn't happen on school grounds." His philosophy, and mine, is that bullying starts in the home and parents must be made responsible for the actions of their kids. The excuse that "they never said anything to me" doesn't hold water with Dr. Phil, who says that it doesn't make a difference what they don't say, it's the parents job to know what their kids are doing in their rooms, behind locked doors, what they are saying on the FaceBook page (a sponsor of the program) and MySpace pages, and who they are hanging out with and why.

In my very first blog about bullying I said the very same ting. Parents must take responsibility for the actions of their kids, whether they're a bully or being bullied. But this district seems to be one of the exceptions in that parents are almost equally divided in their thought that bullying is/is not an issue. Yet the rate of suicide among teens in this district is the highest in the country in the last few years, resulting in the deaths of more than six teens from bullying. Yet officials, including Bachmann, remain mute and unapproachable about changing the policy of neutrality.

In a short camera clip caught on tape one teacher actually reprimanded a bullied student in front of the bully because he didn't walk away or ignore the bully's taunting. It was a clip that would make anyone mad enough to want to shake that teacher and say, "WAKE UP STUPID," what are you thinking and saying by blaming the bullied kid for being pushed around and called names by others. Neutrality is a dangerous attitude and it must be changed. That's the goal of these segments and hopefully, along with a new program circulating around the internet that asks people to pledge to stop bullying, it will change. But as we know, change comes slow. Meanwhile our kids are dying an emotional, and often physical death while teachers, administrators, parents and politicians stand by and either ignore, or in the case of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, actually encourage bullying.

I encourage each of you to sign the Anti-Bullying Pledge on the internet and join the 73,000 people that have already signed. The pledge is available on this blog 24/7 or go to ac360.com to sign up.

 "Bullying: It Stops Here",  now...not later!