There is a new movement, started (I think) by advice columnist Dan Savage, called "It Gets Better." It's for kids in school who are gay, bisexual, or otherwise different. They get picked on, or at least think they will be if they come out. I was there, boy howdy. But the message is, don't get depressed, don't get all down on yourself, it gets better. And this is the best video I've seen that expresses that.
I can't speak about any other high schools except the one I teach at. I have not seen any harrassment of gay students and there are many openly gay students at our school. We have or had a gay, lesbian and transgender club in our school and they put up posters throughout the schol and I didn't see anyone damaging the posters. So, maybe the attitude is changing for gays in school- not perfect, but better than we were in school.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input, Dan. Though my school experience feels recent, it was over 25 years ago. It really wasn't so bad in my school either, though being "out" simply wasn't done. I passed--mostly. Others didn't, and gym class was kinda torture for many of us. But it was more for being a skinny, uncoordinated geek than being gay. Open hostility toward gay people in my school just wasn't on the bullies' radar.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll bet it is easier these days for the most part. But we still hear about suicides, homicides and anti-gay bullying in schools quite a bit, so it IS a problem. The point of this campaign is that it gets better after high school. And that would apply to the geeky, the dorky, just about anybody that gets picked on in school. Kids need to realize that very shortly after high school ends, a lot of what seemed so dire simply goes away.