I was bullied and made fun of for being different all through grade school. It was the worst feeling in the world and I definitely suffered from all the taunting and poking fun mentally and physically for many years. Since moving to NYC at 17 I have since realized how awesome it is to be unique. [Photo to the left is me at 15yrs dressed up a Drag Queen after wathcing the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert] More fun pictures below...If I could say one thing to the kids who harassed me almost everyday in school it would be "F*CK YOU, YOU F*CKNG FUCKS!! You didn't get the best of me!!!" Hopefully Obama's efforts w/ his "IT GETS BETTER" project will help some kids not have to go through the torture I did. Crossing fingers...
www.whitehouse.gov: Recently, several young people have taken their own lives after being bullied for being gay – or perceived as being gay – by their peers. Their deaths are shocking and heartbreaking tragedies. No one should have to endure relentless harassment or tormenting. No one should ever feel so alone or desperate that they feel they have nowhere to turn. We each share a responsibility to protect our young people. And we also have an obligation to set an example of respect and kindness, regardless of our differences.
This is personal to me. When I was a young adult, I faced the jokes and taunting that too many of our youth face today, and I considered suicide as a way out. But I was fortunate. One of my co-workers recognized that I was hurting, and I soon confided in her. She cared enough to push me to seek help. She saved my life. I will always be grateful for her compassion and support – the same compassion and support that so many kids need today.
In the wake of these terrible tragedies, thousands of Americans have come together to share their stories of hope and encouragement for LGBT youth who are struggling as part of the It Gets Better Project. Their messages are simple: no matter how difficult or hopeless life may seem when you’re a young person who’s been tormented by your peers or feels like you don’t fit in: life will get better.
President Obama is committed to ending bullying, harassment and discrimination in all its forms in our schools and communities. That’s why he recorded this message.
Last year, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services joined forces with four other departments to create a federal task force on bullying. In August 2010, the task force staged the first-ever National Bullying Summit, bringing together 150 top state, local, civic, and corporate leaders to begin mapping out a national plan to end bullying. The task force also launched a new website, www.bullyinginfo.org, which brings all the federal resources on bullying together in one place for the first time ever.
