gayinnj:

RIP Matthew Shepard [ December 1, 1976 - October 12, 1998 ]

To many, Matthew Shepard is considered a martyr, a public symbol undeniably important not because of how he lived, but how he died. To a few others, Matthew Shepard was so much more. By sharing our stories, perhaps we can tell the world about Matthew Shepard, the martyr, as well as the son, the brother, and friend whose passing we mourn quietly every day.

-Michele Josue, Director of “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” (via)

gayinnj:

Why This is Important?

This is a joint petition by the Tennessee Equality Project and Gay-Straight Alliance Network’s Make It Better Project.

When several students at Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, Tennessee tried to start a Gay-Straight Alliance club after years of bullying, their principal said no. When the students circulated a petition and gathered 150 student signatures supporting the club, the principal banned petitions. When this brought local media scrutiny and the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the administration blocked the club based on its failure to secure an advisor. Although the students found teachers who seemed supportive and willing to serve as advisers, all eventually withdrew without explanation.

Now, according to the ACLU, Principal Moser has allegedly assaulted one student, Chris Sigler, for wearing a handmade shirt that read “GSA: We’ve got your back” – grabbing his arm and chest-bumping him while asking “Who’s the big man now?”

Despite the complaint filed by Chris and his mother, the Sheriff’s Department has failed to interview his sister, who witnessed the alleged assault, or his mother, who witnessed additional behavior from the principal…

Under the Federal Equal Access Act, students have the right to form a Gay-Straight Alliance club in public schools that allow other extra-curricular clubs. GSA clubs can be a lifeline for students dealing with bullying and harassment. The tragic deaths of many young people by suicide in the past year have illustrated the importance of safe spaces, resources, and anti-bullying campaigns for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. It is unconscionable for the district to erect barriers between its students and a safe learning environment, but Sequoyah’s refusal to allow a GSA – and the administration’s harassment of supportive students and teachers – amounts to just that.

SIGN THE PETITION (via) Change.org

gayinnj:

Jamey Rodemyer, 14, Committed Suicide in Response to Incessant Tormentors

Jamey had been bullied for years in school and online for not only his sexual orientation but also his weight and hateful speech of all kinds was sent his way. In May he came out to his friends as bisexual, and even made his own “It Gets Better” video to spread the message of hope he desperately wanted to believe in himself. But it seems that the hateful words only increased to an unbearable point, and feeling he had no one to turn to, on Sunday September 18th, only days before the anniversary of Tyler Clementi’s death last year, Jamey killed himself outside his home in Williamsville, NY.

You might have heard the news that Jamey was a huge Lady Gaga fan, even claiming that she was “the reason why I am alive.” The news of his death has left Gaga and people across the world both saddened and angry. Gaga is now pushing for President Obama to “make bullying illegal”, and the Paws Up Forever Project is circulating on YouTube to honor Jamey by discussing the harsh reality of suicide and the horrible bullying that has lead to so many lately.

So what can you do? Keep reaching out to the quiet kid in your class or dorm. Keep telling the ones you love that you are there for them and that they are amazing and beautiful. It might seem simple or even silly, but you never know how your words can heal over the ones that hurt.

thedailywhat:

Presented With One Comment of the Day: Finally.

[wapo.]

gayinnj:

• 13,000+ soldiers have been discharged under the law since 1993
• 4,000+ soldiers have quit in fear of being discharged
• $37,000 per service member is spent by the US government to discharge and replace them
• $1.3 billion dollars overall spent by the US government to enforce DADT
• 24 countries that already allowed gay people to serve openly in their military

Romeo and Juliet by Orson Scott Card

gayinnj:

September 11th People Profiles: “The legacy of Flight 93’s rugby hero”

Mark Bingham died Sept. 11, 2001. He was a passenger on United Flight 93 to San Francisco, and with a few other men on board decided to overt take the terrorists. The plane crashed in Shanksville, PA, saving the lives of people in the D.C. area where the intended target was.

During his life, Mark was out of the closet to some, but all knew him as an avid rugby player. Since Mark died, his mother, Alice Hoagland, has taken up promoting gay visibility within the sport and an avid LGBTQ community supporter in general. She helped found the San Francisco Fog rugby team, and her son is remembered with the Bingham cup.

“I may have lost a son but I’ve gained a very huge family and it makes me feel good every time I see them,” she says.

And by lame, I mean really lame. Idjit…

Just finished The Vast Fields of Ordinary - one of those “the last summer of childhood” kind of deals, with a dash of distanced nihilism… Got me a little depressed, although I don’t think that was the idea…