Speak Compassion

While bullying and violence continue to be a problem in this country for all youth, anti-gay forces have done zilch to solve this problem.  365gay.com is reporting today that two states, Florida and Iowa have anti-bullying laws on the table that are moving forward with protections for students perceived to be gay or lesbian.   It doesn’t really matter if the students are or are not gay, it is about how people perceive them.  Just so the anti-gay forces don’t try to claim this is a special rights thing, it covers all students, even if those students claim the ex-gay identity.

A father whose son was badly beaten in school by other students told the school board:

“For 22 minutes of my life I had to sit there and watch that clock tick by, and I had to contemplate I was going to have to go home and tell my wife we didn’t have a son no more”

It is proven by the science, over and over again that kids are bullied based on sexual orientation.   Many of these kids are not even gay, but seen as gay by their peers.   Anti-bullying laws would send a message that this violent behavior towards fellow students is wrong, yet anti-gay groups are against any form of anti-violence, anti-hate crime, or other that would reduce, stop or prevent violence against GLBT students, and even adults.

SO what are the alternatives?  What could we ask of anti-gay, especially religious organizations that respect their beliefs, yet stop the violence.   Would it even matter?

Anti-gay organizations see anything that protects gays as supporting the “lifestyle” as they call it.  They claim that anti-bulling laws are just a way for gays to gain acceptance in society by playing the victim.   Yet the statistics clearly show that no one is playing victim, this problem is real and exists.  No one is playing anything, they are suffering from something and it is violence.  They fall to realize that some level of acceptance is necessary to stop the violence, even if that is just tolerance.   But many anti-gay groups seem to have a zero tolerance for anything gay.   So what are they doing to stop the violence?

While anti-gay groups like Americans for Truth, Mission America and Exodus International propose that GLBT folks are pushing agendas in the schools, real kids are the victims of violence and torture and they are doing nothing to stop it.   They are also preventing anyone else from stopping it.   Does that mean they support it?   If you ask them they scream no, but actions speak louder than words. What are these groups doing to stop the violence…..not a fucking thing.

Previous coverage of this issue:

Conservatives refuse to stop the violence against gay youth

Making Schools UNSAFE for Gays and Lesbians

Exodus Youth makes insincere attempt to curb violence

The Climate of Hate Continues with Help from Anti-gay Conservatives

Hell and anti-gay violence for youth

And the mystery is over…………………….