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The National Organization for Marriage has produced another ridiculous video to fan the flames of hate and fear associated with the issue of gay marriage. Their initial video, A Gathering Storm, was so preposterous that it had good comedic value. It would seem that there is concern that gay people are going to start pouring out of the sky, like frogs in Charleston during hurricane season. Of course gay activists promptly made a brilliant parody.
The premise of NOM's most recent video is that children will be confused by the concept of gay marriage, though it seems that the concept of marriage isn’t likely to be confusing if they understand the concept of homosexuality. God forbid we teach children tolerance in a diverse society.
Gay, lesbian and bisexual teens and young adults attempt suicide in far greater numbers than other demographic groups. This group is also more inclined to experience depression and more likely to abuse drugs. A study, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggests that parental acceptance, or neutrality, with regard to sexual orientation could have an impact on reducing this rate. The study found that LGBT young adults and teens report a high level of rejection by their families and peer group as a result of their sexual orientation. Click here for more info.
I read an article by Peter LaBarbera dismissing the study in an article titled The Gay Youth Suicide Myth. He argues that the study is not based on scientific assessment and is merely a manipulation of the facts by rabid gay activists. Tell that to 11-year old Carl Walker-Hoover who hung himself on April 6, 2009 in Massachusetts after enduring bullying at school. Tell that to Jaheem Herrera, the 11 year old who committed suicide on April 16, 2009 after being relentlessly bullied at Dunaire Elementary School in Atlanta. Both children were being taunted, baited and harassed for being gay. Neither child identified as gay. Both boys were 11. Protesters gathered at the school Friday, May 22, to denounce Dekalb school system’s denial of bullying. Southern Voice quoted on protester as saying “Bullying is where it all starts — it leads to what happened to Matthew Shepard,” he said. “I was bullied as a child. And those [administrators] know damn well kids don’t use the word ‘gay’ except as a pejorative.”
As I mentioned in my tirade about gay marriage, the word “fag” is one of the first derogatory terms that children learn and are allowed to use against others. This is not a new phenomenon. It was the first derogatory term that I learned as a child. I have watched kids tossing this word at others when they are too young to grasp the concept. It is very destructive. Anti-gay bullying is common in schools across the country. After Jaheem’s suicide, Southern Voice published an article about the prevalence of this behavior in Georgia schools.
Students coping well in the Georgia school systems, particularly those targeted by harassment, consistently reported access to an understanding adult or peer group. Locally Atlanta Youth Pride caters to 13-24 year olds to provide an environment where children will “no longer feel alone, invisible, condemned or unsafe due to sexual orientation or identity.” They offer a hotline for kids that need to talk as well as a suicide hotline.
The ACLU is threatening to sue a San Diego county school that refused to allow a student to present a report on slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk until her classmates got their parents’ permission to hear it. The school contends that district policy requires that parents be notified in writing before their children are exposed to lessons dealing with sex. The presentation was about a gay historical figure not gay sex. Ultimately the student was compelled to make her presentation during recess to 8 of her 13 classmates. Would school administrators approach a report on John Maynard Keynes, Sappho or Oscar Wilde in the same way?
The ACLU recently facilitated a settlement between a student in California, who claimed she had faced anti-gay harassment and discrimination from teachers and school staff, and the Vallejo City Unified School District. “Rochelle Hamilton, who came out as a lesbian at 13, complained that among other forms of discrimination she was required to participate in a school-sponsored counseling group designed to discourage students from being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.” Full article
Aren’t there enough issues for teens to deal with? It is the time in your life when you are the most self-conscious about your place on the social food chain. Most teens feel misunderstood and want to be accepted for who they are, while they are figuring that out. What merit is there in encouraging children to attack people they perceive to be different? Homophobia, like racism, is a function of socialization. If you are raised to accept others, to treat everyone with respect, to embrace diversity and to open your heart to all, then the world becomes a far less intimidating place. I thank my mother for instilling this philosophy in me from birth.
The blatant attempt by the National Organization for Marriage to pander to people’s prejudices and fear are divisive and counter-productive. Fortunately society is changing, albeit slowly. That change is, indeed, reflected in the attitudes of children. I read a story this week about a Colorado third grader who organized a rally in support of same sex marriage as an independent class project. He was concerned about the issue after hearing anti-gay remarks on the playground and then learning about a same sex couple in his neighborhood that couldn't get married. His speech on the issue demonstrated a level of clarity and understanding lacking in many adults. This little man is my new hero.
Resources:
National Youth Advocacy Coalition
1-800-541-6922, ext. 12
TTY: (202) 319-9513
Open: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST.
1-800-541-6922, ext. 12
TTY: (202) 319-9513
Open: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST.
Youth Talkline (ages 23 and under)
1-800-96YOUTH
Open: Monday-Saturday, 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. EST. Tuesday, 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. EST.
1-800-96YOUTH
Open: Monday-Saturday, 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. EST. Tuesday, 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. EST.
Gay and Lesbian National Hotline
1-888-843-4564
Open: Monday-Friday, 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. EST.
1-888-843-4564
Open: Monday-Friday, 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. EST.
Trevor Suicide Prevention Line
1-800-850-8078
1-800-850-8078
Center for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV/AIDS/STD Line
1-800-342-2437
1-800-342-2437
HIV/AIDS Treatment Info Services
1-800-448-0440
TDD: 1-888-480-3739
Open: Monday-Friday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. EST.
1-800-448-0440
TDD: 1-888-480-3739
Open: Monday-Friday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. EST.
Covenant House's Nine Line (a crisis line for youth and their families)
1-800-999-9999
1-800-999-9999
National Runaway Switchboard
1-800-231-6946
1-800-231-6946
Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453
1-800-422-4453
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