A reminder about why we need the Day of Silence
Anti-Gay Bullying Drives 11-Year-Old to Suicide
Relentless taunting resulted in the tragic end of an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy, who hanged himself last week after being teased by his classmates.
As reported by PUBLICNOW.com, Sirdeaner L. Walker discovered her son, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, hanging by an extension cord in her Springfield home on April 6. Walker said her sixth-grade student at the New Leadership Charter School, was often the target of gay jokes and was threatened with physical violence on a daily basis. The young football and basketball athlete, who was also a Boy Scout, took his own life when anti-gay bullying and constant harassment became too much for him to endure. Since September, the boy's mother made frequents phone calls to the school's administrative staff and pleaded for them to address the situation but claims to have gotten minimal response.
Walker-Hoover's suicide occurred just two weeks before the National Day of Silence. Thousands of students will participate in the annual event by taking a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) bullying and harassment at school. . . .
According to GLESN, this is the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to anti-gay bullying this year.
More here
No child should be put in a situation where he or she feels that the only way to stop taunts is to commit suicide.
Our opponents are always whining about the alleged "gay agenda," but why is it that they never talk about helping to stop the hurt.
They give offhand comments like "well no child should be picked on," or "everyone gets picked on" and it makes me wonder just where their hearts lie.
And in our sadness over those who commit suicide, let's not forget those who don't necessarily harm themselves in a permanent manner, but whose lives are negatively affected by the taunts they are subjected to.
I knew an intelligent, bright young man who was openly gay - he couldn't hide his mannerisms and such. He was subjected to taunts and constantly picked so much so that he dropped out of school.
With no education to speak of, he continued to make bad choices until one cost him his life.
Now folks could say that he was responsible for his own life and the decisions he made - this is true. But I think we all have a little responsibility in each other's lives.
If we see someone stumble, we should go and help them up.
If we see someone drop some money on the floor, we should make that person aware of his or her potential financial loss.
And if we see someone being picked on or know of someone getting no love or support for any reason, we have a responsibility to do what we can to stop the taunts and provide the love and support.
That's exactly what folks are trying to do during Day of Silence.
How can anyone not support that?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
What's the deal with Governor Mark Sanford?
Again, not necessarily an lgbt issue per se, but still important nonetheless.
As I understand it, Governor Mark Sanford will be speaking at one of the tax day tea parties. And recently, he filmed a commercial explaining why he doesn't want to use monies from the stimulus package to help South Carolina's schools.
All in all, not bad for a man who, to my knowledge, has never even visited the "Corridor of Shame."
For those who don't know, the Corridor of Shame is the nickname they give rural schools along South Carolina’s Interstate 95 corridor; schools in which textbooks are torn and fragile, there is no heat, there are problems with sewage, and the buildings are in badly need of repair - schools that would benefit from the $700 million in stimulus money that Sanford doesn't want to give them.
Twice, South Carolina fell for Sanford's phony folkism and what do we have to show for it? A State House full of pig poop, high unemployment, and bearing witness to legislative fights that resemble the worst of an episode of Jerry Springer.
And now Sanford wants to ride that record to the White House with this teabagging party nonsense being the first step.
You know, it used to be that when politicians were aiming for the White House, they would have the good taste not to be so obvious about it.
Tuesday midday news briefs
Forgive me for not adding my usual commentary but this stimulus issue has me majorly teed off.
'True tolerance', except for both the true and tolerant part
Police investigate anti-gay attack at UVa
Washington State House Passes Transgender Hate Crimes Bill
Again, not necessarily an lgbt issue per se, but still important nonetheless.
As I understand it, Governor Mark Sanford will be speaking at one of the tax day tea parties. And recently, he filmed a commercial explaining why he doesn't want to use monies from the stimulus package to help South Carolina's schools.
All in all, not bad for a man who, to my knowledge, has never even visited the "Corridor of Shame."
For those who don't know, the Corridor of Shame is the nickname they give rural schools along South Carolina’s Interstate 95 corridor; schools in which textbooks are torn and fragile, there is no heat, there are problems with sewage, and the buildings are in badly need of repair - schools that would benefit from the $700 million in stimulus money that Sanford doesn't want to give them.
Twice, South Carolina fell for Sanford's phony folkism and what do we have to show for it? A State House full of pig poop, high unemployment, and bearing witness to legislative fights that resemble the worst of an episode of Jerry Springer.
And now Sanford wants to ride that record to the White House with this teabagging party nonsense being the first step.
You know, it used to be that when politicians were aiming for the White House, they would have the good taste not to be so obvious about it.
Tuesday midday news briefs
Forgive me for not adding my usual commentary but this stimulus issue has me majorly teed off.
'True tolerance', except for both the true and tolerant part
Police investigate anti-gay attack at UVa
Washington State House Passes Transgender Hate Crimes Bill
Peter LaBarbera is jealous of Wayne Besen
It's been a while since I've written about our friend Peter LaBarbera.
Today he and ex-gay fact falsifier Greg Quinlan attack Wayne Besen over an alleged incident that took place three years ago:
How fascinating that Wayne Besen (left) is given the opportunity to appear on FOX News, of all places [this YouTube clip features a hilarious Snickers ad that was pulled], to critique alleged “homophobic” attitudes and speech toward homosexuals — when he has such a well-deserved reputation for being one of the nastiest “queer” activists in the business. (Besen is the guy who came up with the deceptive smear “Porno Pete” to demonize yours truly — as if I have some prurient interest in homosexual pornography rather than a desire to expose the hyper-promiscuity celebrated within the homosexual male subculture. Wayne knows this is a lie but he continues to use it–strange conduct for the founder of a group called “Truth Wins Out.”) TAKE ACTION: forward this article by my friend Greg Quinlan to FOX’s Bill O’Reilly (oreilly@foxnews.com) and urge him to reconsider his use of an accomplished anti-Christian bigot (who especially hates public ex-gays like Greg) as a talking-head “expert” on “tolerance.
Allegedly, according to Quinlan, Besen violently accosted him at a National Education Association conference in 2006.
Now I don't know what happened and I could care less.
It seems to me that the only reason why LaBarbera brought this incident up is because he is jealous of Besen. It isn't the first time LaBarbera has asked his readers to write O'Reilly about Besen.
But I really can't blame him for being jealous.
After all, Besen has steadily been gaining more and more credibility.
He continues to be invited on Bill O'Reilly's show to talk about gay issues,
He recently spoke at a star studded event for marriage equality, and
His organization, Truth Wins Out, recently became the recipient of a $5,000 contribution.
In comparison,
LaBarbera couldn't get on O'Reilly even if he took a million pictures of naked gay men,
He hardly gets a mention from anyone except for One News Now and bloggers like Stacy Harp (who is Stacy Harp? My point exactly), and
What was the name of that college which invited LaBarbera to give a talk on the alleged "gay agenda?" The talk where supposedly less than 40 people attended. Again, my point exactly.
Someone should inform LaBarbera that jealousy is not a Christian virtue. And it makes you look petty and foolish.
Not that this would bother LaBarbera any. If he truly cared about looking foolish, he wouldn't started Americans for Truth in the first place.
It's been a while since I've written about our friend Peter LaBarbera.
Today he and ex-gay fact falsifier Greg Quinlan attack Wayne Besen over an alleged incident that took place three years ago:
How fascinating that Wayne Besen (left) is given the opportunity to appear on FOX News, of all places [this YouTube clip features a hilarious Snickers ad that was pulled], to critique alleged “homophobic” attitudes and speech toward homosexuals — when he has such a well-deserved reputation for being one of the nastiest “queer” activists in the business. (Besen is the guy who came up with the deceptive smear “Porno Pete” to demonize yours truly — as if I have some prurient interest in homosexual pornography rather than a desire to expose the hyper-promiscuity celebrated within the homosexual male subculture. Wayne knows this is a lie but he continues to use it–strange conduct for the founder of a group called “Truth Wins Out.”) TAKE ACTION: forward this article by my friend Greg Quinlan to FOX’s Bill O’Reilly (oreilly@foxnews.com) and urge him to reconsider his use of an accomplished anti-Christian bigot (who especially hates public ex-gays like Greg) as a talking-head “expert” on “tolerance.
Allegedly, according to Quinlan, Besen violently accosted him at a National Education Association conference in 2006.
Now I don't know what happened and I could care less.
It seems to me that the only reason why LaBarbera brought this incident up is because he is jealous of Besen. It isn't the first time LaBarbera has asked his readers to write O'Reilly about Besen.
But I really can't blame him for being jealous.
After all, Besen has steadily been gaining more and more credibility.
He continues to be invited on Bill O'Reilly's show to talk about gay issues,
He recently spoke at a star studded event for marriage equality, and
His organization, Truth Wins Out, recently became the recipient of a $5,000 contribution.
In comparison,
LaBarbera couldn't get on O'Reilly even if he took a million pictures of naked gay men,
He hardly gets a mention from anyone except for One News Now and bloggers like Stacy Harp (who is Stacy Harp? My point exactly), and
What was the name of that college which invited LaBarbera to give a talk on the alleged "gay agenda?" The talk where supposedly less than 40 people attended. Again, my point exactly.
Someone should inform LaBarbera that jealousy is not a Christian virtue. And it makes you look petty and foolish.
Not that this would bother LaBarbera any. If he truly cared about looking foolish, he wouldn't started Americans for Truth in the first place.
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