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Now that is scary. There are many things people engage in that by your scale should be accepted with open arms. Murder, child rape, incest and crime is also "normal". Think about it.
I'm talking about sexuality, I have no clue why you are comparing these things to sexuality... no clue at all....
3% gay does not constitute the norm, it constitutes a mutation.
Ok fair enough, you can call it a mutation but by you admitting it to being a mutation, you admit to it being natural? If you admit to it being natural than it can't be a choice as so many of your cohorts contend. Consider this, having green eyes is as a result of a mutation in genes as well.... shall we persecute individuals with green eyes or even blue for having recessive genes - after all - brown eyes are dominant - they are the norm.
You WON'T have a choice. After all, us gay folks, we were for the vastly large part raised in the very nuclear families that most others were raised in.
Ever heard of sticks and stones? Are children being taught that anymore? Children need to be taught to wear a little tough skin. Instead children (and adults for that matter) are being trained to be victims, to be offended at the drop of the hat. Both the bully and the kid that is overtly effected enough to take their life has need of some self esteem.
When you direct the education of teasing to any special interest group, you lose the lesson of “just be nice to othersâ€. No one likes to be teased and yes it’s harsh for the target. When you gear that “education†to special interest, most kids will see just them as whiners and tattle tales.
Sticks and stones will break my bones, names will never hurt me. That was well and good if the bullies only stuck to name calling. I was punched, kicked and choked at different times. I remember in second grade this one big kid would find me where ever I was and would choke me. Not that it matters, but he was a big black kid and did not like my red hair. In fourth grade, it was another big kid again and he would beat up all of us that were smaller than him. My step dad told me to stand up to him and stop being a sissy. I attacked that bully the next day and it felt good. We both got taken to the principal, but he got the paddle for picking on all of us smaller kids and I got a warning that that kind of behavior is uncalled for. Bullies also used threats of violence to take your money away, items of clothing or pens and pencils. I became a target because I would not give the answers away to tests or help them cheat.
It is very strange that you can harass a kid and get away with it but if you harass an adult you can be arrested and prosecuted in a criminal court.
Kids generally are unable to hire lawyers and the word of a minor isn't much use in court. The indifference of his teachers is all too common in the public school system. I expect this is one of the main reasons parents opt for home schooling and private schools. Since no link was provided, I can't really tell if the child was actually the target of gay bashing or if he was just on the receiving end of random abuse. Kids alway refer to each other as "f&g", "q#eer", "rump ranger" and the like regardless of their sexual orientation which may or may not have been apparent in this eleven year-old boy. Vouchers may have been the answer for this young man since his handlers at this school would be accountable for controlling abuse under those circumstances. I really don't know what to say about the family either. I get the impression this kid really lacked an advocate. I wish I could have talked to him. I'm sure no one ever took the time to explain that the reason these other boys attacked him as a group is that they are actually afraid of him individually, or that these punks can indeed be made accountable and their parents too. It is truly sad that he is gone and that cannot be changed. It is also sad that a pack of morons are allowed to single out a lone peer for their torment. If I were a public school teacher I would have gone on a mission with each and every one of these little creeps. I'm sure I would be fired at some point, but they would have a full and clear understanding of what being singled out and harassed daily really meant before I left.
Kids have been teased forever. Fat kids, skinny kids, slow kids, poor kids, kids with weird names, the list goes on and on. Some from each of these groups have committed suicide. Being teased because you are gay is no more serious then being teased because of any of the issues listed above. A child that resorts to suicide has emotional problems to begin with or maybe an unstable home. It is a tragedy when anyone takes their own life
I'm afraid I have to disagree with this point while the fat kids may have a similar experience being ridiculed because of sexuality is rather serious. While things have changed a great deal inthe last 40 years there is still a great deal of hate expressed towards gays. some come from family members that may no realize they are commenting about a brother , sister, child or other.
I understand the urge to paint it in the same light but I can assure you there is a difference.
Kids can be pretty cruel. I think it would be gret thing to have schools, teachers, parents and even kids stand up for those recipients of this least favored attention. It doesnt take much to change the direction of this cruel behavior.
It has been speculated that some 30% of child suicides are because of sexual orientation issues. In the past 20 years child suicide has more than doubled. 2.8 / 100,000 may not seem like alarge number but if it were yours it may feel disabling. That is approaching 1,000,000 / year.
I had a friend that I recognized the signs of suicide in her she was not a teenager but a 39 yo mother of 2, married and verry upset. I ended up calling her boss ( she worked for the police force) and I embarrassed her....she was really mad at me but it changed her thought patterns enough she re evaluated and realized she would have carried this deed out on her sons birthday.
I say run the risk, make a fool of yourself, risk their anger... it may keep them alive.
Here are some warning signs ( the one I recognize was the getting rid of the most cherished possessions.)
Warning signs that an individual is imminently planning to kill themselves may include the person making a will, getting his or her affairs in order, suddenly visiting friends or family members (one last time), buying instruments of suicide like a gun, hose, rope or medications, a sudden and significant decline or improvement in mood, or writing a suicide note. Contrary to popular belief, many people who complete suicide do not tell any mental-health professional they plan to kill themselves in the months before they do so. If they communicate their plan to anyone, it is more likely to be someone with whom they are personally close, like a friend or family member.
Individuals who take their lives tend to suffer from severe anxiety, symptoms of which may include moderate alcohol abuse, insomnia, severe agitation, loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy (anhedonia), hopelessness, and persistent thoughts about the possibility of something bad happening. Since suicidal behaviors are often quite impulsive, removing firearms, medications, knives, and other instruments people often use to kill themselves can allow the individual time to think more clearly and perhaps choose a more rational way of coping with their pain.
Suicide is a selfish act and one someone with experience and understanding would not opt for. Be aware, interfere.. if you won't be the hero then who?
The sad thing is, these kids never identified themselves as gay. There were too young to develop that concept and identity. It was simply their mannerisms and subtle behavioural differences. God forbid the education system provides sensitivity training on the subject. I mean parents are doing such a wonderful job of teaching kids not to hate (ROLLING EYES)
Well, the first thing about this story that really makes my blood boil is that I know how common this sort of bullying is in the public school system. The parents are wrong but even moreso are the teachers who did little or nothing to intervien. I think you may be jumping ahead with the sensitivity training since boys that age call everyone "f*g". I didn't see in the OP that the boy actually was gay and he was called other names.
Well, the first thing about this story that really makes my blood boil is that I know how common this sort of bullying is in the public school system. The parents are wrong but even moreso are the teachers who did little or nothing to intervien. I think you may be jumping ahead with the sensitivity training since boys that age call everyone "f*g". I didn't see in the OP that the boy actually was gay and he was called other names.
Exactly WHY are they calling everyone f*g and not H*NK*Y or the N word - because discrimation based on homosexuality is acceptable to many members of our society. That is why.
As for Teacher indifference - that i can agree with. - It's sad and has to be addressed or the future is darker than it should be.
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