Bullying

I remember being the target of bullies in high school. Some of the comments suggested that I was a faggot, queer, whatever. Some of the comments by one individual suggested performing oral sex on him. I was even approached in the locker room by a naked jock who made sexual comments and suggestions to me. His gang of feeble-minded jerks thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. I was shaking after the encounter, mainly because of the general threat of violence by this guy's gang. For a teenager who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality, it scared me and made me feel like a freak and an outcast.

Needless to say, I hated grade school (where the harassment started) and hated high school even more. College was a little more accepting of who I was, though I wasn't exactly out of the closet then. I remember being blackmailed twice by two different students. One female, who wanted my position as an editor on the school paper, had seen me at a Gay bar with friends. She called me at home and told me she wanted me to resign from the paper, otherwise she would out me to everyone. Instead of knuckling under, I chose to take a chance and talk to the senior editor about it. It was extremely difficult to go into his office and discuss something I didn't feel comfortable talking about in general. After hemming and hawing for a few minutes, I just blurted out that I was Gay and was being blackmailed by a reporter on my staff.

I was surprised how he handled it. He told me he didn't understand the homosexual thing. He knew a few guys that were homosexual and thought they had a right to be who they were. He said no one had the right to blackmail someone the way this staff member was blackmailing me. He said he would take care of it. He fired the student and made sure that she never wrote for the college again.

Bottom line, no one should have to endure harassment because of who they are. I know there is a lot of ignorance in this world, but ignorance can kill. Words can hurt. Two out of three suicides of high school students are students who are Gay and have been harassed relentlessly at school.

Stop the ignorance. People cannot help how they are wired sexually. It's tough enough being Gay without all the stupidity that bombards you while you are trying to come to terms with it. You cannot change a Gay person anymore than a straight person can change into a Gay person. Just let people live their lives!

Stepping down from the soapbox now.