"It Gets Better" (Broadway sings for the Trevor Project)
 

This is such a great idea, I love it. Wish I knew about this earlier.

When I picked up the boy from school today, he eagerly pointed out the big PURPLE X's sharpied onto his hands and said, " I got a ribbon too".

It seems a young girl had made hundreds of ribbons and armed herself with purple markers and put her ass on the line ( in this area, it IS a risk) to get the word out about cyber-bullying and gay bashing.

I asked him if he knew what it was all about and surprisingly, he had a clue. Mind you, he is a great kid, but he is also a young man trying to fit into a mainstream school for the first time in quite a few years and he is a senior. I was impressed that he knew anything about it, as I rather doubt that X-Box live has a game regarding gay bashing.

We ( his mother and I) had a discussion with him a few weeks ago about an off the cuff comment he had made ( in my presence) to a guy from school. While standing in line at Wally world, he eyed a "snuggie" box and chuckles stating to his friend " that is soooo gay". At which point my reaction was to turn to him and say "yes, that is why I am buying you one in every color for Christmas".

After settling down a bit and discussing it with "mom", we sat down and talked with him about the impact of such "slang". I am fully aware that it IS just something that kids are saying all the time, however, so is the N word, the S word, the J word, the M word. None of them are helpful to any conversation except promoting hate and othering. He seemed to get it and while defending the "but I didn't mean anything bad by it" position, his accepting of the purple told me he does kinda "get it".

He did mention also that he heard several guys calling the young woman ( my new hero) a "rug cruncher". Said, he didn't get it. I explained that they were calling her a dyke in reference to sexual activity. He seemed genuinely confused, as I think a couple of these guys were folks he considered "friends" and I commented that what they said is EXACTLY what the entire "purple" thing was about.

We allowed the conversation to lull itself away after that and his comment that some people are just idiots. I figured that he got it enough, at least for this moment i time.

I'm working looong hours and enduring a dreadful commute on the job this week. After work yesterday I rushed to get to three consecutive meetings that each lasted far too long. When I finally got home I searched the chest of drawers for a purple work shirt. Then I searched everywhere else, and checked the drawers again. NOTHING! I ended up dying a t-shirt purple and got to bed at 1:30 AM. I left for work at 6 AM wearing my new purple shirt! Yay for me.

I said I was going to wear purple, and I wore it.

I'm really glad I managed to come up with something because no one else on the job site wore purple today. I spoke to a few co-workers about it and they had not heard anything about it. Sigh.

I wore purple today, as did my daughters. Best of all... I went to my salon for a haircut this evening, and every single person working there was wearing purple! Fabulous.

I wore purple - and I early-voted. :)

Second gay teen this month takes his life — another case of anti-gay bullying

Arkansas school board members' hateful anti-gay tirade on Facebook
 

An HRC sponsored petition asking for the resignation of Clint McCance, from the Midland School District in Arkansas.

Clint McCance: Resign

Send a message today!

You won't believe this. Clint McCance is an elected school board member for the Midland School District in Arkansas. By definition, he is charged with the education of children in his community. On the heels of a number of suicides by teens across this country, some due to anti-gay bullying, Mr. McCance took to Facebook to share with people exactly what he thought about National Spirit Day on October 20.

Here's what a school board official, guiding the education of our children wrote: "Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin [sic] it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed therselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE."

McCance's anti-gay rant didn't stop there.

In response to a post critical of his vitriolic messages, Clint McCance responded: "No because being a fag doesnt give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it."

These words come from a man who sits on a school board – someone who is supposed to serve as a trusted role model for all youth in his community.

Clint McCance's despicable words are unacceptable. Education officials in Arkansas have roundly condemned McCance's remarks, but that's not enough. Clint McCance must resign. Add your name to this call to action now.


To send message:
https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/...ion&id=959

I completely agree. I just sat trying to pick my jaw up in total shock after reading this. I hope more folks become aware of it and hit "send".

We lost another one!!!!
 

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com...10/11/05/14844

:mohawk:

Seems the parents showed zero respect for his desires even after death! Just sad!