not to be a threadjacker, but since you know me (at least online) I will say this: 30,000 people a year commit suicide. Bullying, intimidation and other forms of intense condemnation and derision by some bigger crowd or an individual can be the catalyst in many suicides. They're not all gay. I appreciate that being gay is a target that is bigger than a guy like me faces - a heterosexual, white male - but everything that we do that expresses out individuality when that individuality runs contrary to the larger group(s) paints a target on us for some form of admonition. In my case it was my views on guns, religion, and politically correct pedantry because of my tendency to write with the intensity of the emotions inside.
What I have in common with members of the gay community is that I am coming "out" as much as you are by expressing views that are not popular in whatever group we're coming out to; supposedly the "individual liberty" or "individual freedom" that we are all guaranteed by law.
All people who stand against the current risk condemnation by those that are in the main flow. I only wish to widen the discussion to be less topical, less specific to one group.
I don't mean to diminish those gay, lesbian, transgendered or bisexual people who are forced into whatever corner that causes them to turn on themselves, I'm only asking that we all remember that it's the process of bullying that is the enemy here. It is the social acceptance that if there is a larger crowd that says or does "A" or holds point of view "A", then it does just as much violence to the personal soul, the individual, the visceral being of whoever has the courage to stand up and say, be, or do "B" when they're made to pay an emotional, physical, or mortal price for their freedom to do so.
It makes me cry to see people marching in the streets on one side who scream "Freedom and liberty and individuality are what makes us great" and then across the street someone else expresses a different point of view which causes the aforementioned freedom loving individuals to run over and attack them.
and 'kids' aren't the only ones killing themselves. Adults who keep themselves alive with the proof that they've come this far, it's too much to give up now can be convinced they are wrong.
I've been in the dark and lonely end of that tunnel, and there is nothing greater to inspire someone who is thinking about suicide to get on with it than a person who mocks, belittles, ridicules or even accuses the despondend to keep their misery to themselves because the living (who are heaping on the scorn as they speak) dont' want to hear the whining and whimpering from the ones they're piling it on to.
Snafubar, it is a deep tragedy if anyone ever feels that suicide is the only response. I certainly do not intend to minimize the pain of you or anyone else. And people indeed can be deeply cruel to each other.
This video, is focused on one particular gruop. For gay kids, seeing healthy gay adults is an important way we can make them feel less alone. So we as gay adults have a responsibility to be honest and open so that the kids can see us and realize they do have option.
That doesn't mean that we don't also have a responsibility to help anyone, anywhere, who feels despair.
2 comments:
not to be a threadjacker, but since you know me (at least online) I will say this: 30,000 people a year commit suicide. Bullying, intimidation and other forms of intense condemnation and derision by some bigger crowd or an individual can be the catalyst in many suicides. They're not all gay. I appreciate that being gay is a target that is bigger than a guy like me faces - a heterosexual, white male - but everything that we do that expresses out individuality when that individuality runs contrary to the larger group(s) paints a target on us for some form of admonition. In my case it was my views on guns, religion, and politically correct pedantry because of my tendency to write with the intensity of the emotions inside.
What I have in common with members of the gay community is that I am coming "out" as much as you are by expressing views that are not popular in whatever group we're coming out to; supposedly the "individual liberty" or "individual freedom" that we are all guaranteed by law.
All people who stand against the current risk condemnation by those that are in the main flow. I only wish to widen the discussion to be less topical, less specific to one group.
I don't mean to diminish those gay, lesbian, transgendered or bisexual people who are forced into whatever corner that causes them to turn on themselves, I'm only asking that we all remember that it's the process of bullying that is the enemy here. It is the social acceptance that if there is a larger crowd that says or does "A" or holds point of view "A", then it does just as much violence to the personal soul, the individual, the visceral being of whoever has the courage to stand up and say, be, or do "B" when they're made to pay an emotional, physical, or mortal price for their freedom to do so.
It makes me cry to see people marching in the streets on one side who scream "Freedom and liberty and individuality are what makes us great" and then across the street someone else expresses a different point of view which causes the aforementioned freedom loving individuals to run over and attack them.
and 'kids' aren't the only ones killing themselves. Adults who keep themselves alive with the proof that they've come this far, it's too much to give up now can be convinced they are wrong.
I've been in the dark and lonely end of that tunnel, and there is nothing greater to inspire someone who is thinking about suicide to get on with it than a person who mocks, belittles, ridicules or even accuses the despondend to keep their misery to themselves because the living (who are heaping on the scorn as they speak) dont' want to hear the whining and whimpering from the ones they're piling it on to.
Snafubar, it is a deep tragedy if anyone ever feels that suicide is the only response. I certainly do not intend to minimize the pain of you or anyone else. And people indeed can be deeply cruel to each other.
This video, is focused on one particular gruop. For gay kids, seeing healthy gay adults is an important way we can make them feel less alone. So we as gay adults have a responsibility to be honest and open so that the kids can see us and realize they do have option.
That doesn't mean that we don't also have a responsibility to help anyone, anywhere, who feels despair.
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