Today is the National Day of Silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying in schools. I am proud to say that 15YOD was the organizer for her school’s event. I was almost in tears when I dropped her off at 7 AM with her flyers and her commitment to equality for all people.
In Alabama, the Safe Schools Coalition is working with educators to develop effective anti-bullying policies. If you are a parent of school-age children, you’re likely well aware that the name-calling starts early. My girls reported hearing “that’s so gay” used as a slur in 4th grade. And you probably know any kid who presents as different, regardless of actual sexual orientation or gender identity, can be a target for abuse — verbal and physical. Carl Walker-Hoover’s family knew that very well. It’s up to us and other like-minded people to do what we can to make school a safe place for the other Carls.
So speak up. (If you’re keeping silent today in solidarity with your students, you can wait till tomorrow. 
) Let school administrators know you support efforts to address bullying. Don’t let them sweep it under the rug for fear of offending what is likely to be a (vocal) minority of parents. Need some information before you get started? Click here and here for some resources.
Our children deserve safe schools. It’s as simple as that.
We’re on spring break this week. I bet they planned it that way on purpose
I bet you’re right.
Our high school’s morning announcement included a really wordy justification for permitting the students to participate. I wonder if there will be any backlash. This isn’t the first time they’ve allowed it.
This isn’t the first time they’ve allowed it.
Yes, but now there’s Tension.
My baby sister ROCKS!
I have a confession to make.
When I was 13 years old, a student at Republicanville Middle School, 35 long years ago, I yelled at my really stupid sister, “Hey, come on, you Queer!” I had no idea what I was saying. The carpool mom ratted on me, and my mom told me what was wrong about what I had said. I surely didn’t appreciate it at the time, but I am thankful for that mom today for not putting up with adolescent, hurtful insults. Of course, this was also in the day when we called each other “spaz” and “retard.” How far we’ve come!
As I recall using “queer” and “fruit” in middle school, we didn’t mean it as a slur on gays. “Guys, stop doing that, you’re so queer,” didn’t mean “you’re exhibiting such stereotypically homosexual behavior.” It just meant unjust, or attention-seeking, or mean-spirited, or a host of other negatives we were too lazy or ignorant to keep at the front of our working vocabulary. Of course, the point is that we were using words we knew were also used to describe gays as our catch-all negative, and that was wrong.
I remember now arguing with my mom that “queer” meant “strange”, and I didn’t understand what the fuss was about. Then she explained. I was a bit naive in the day.