Today, July 15 2015, Republican Senators told LGBT kids their lives don't have any worth by killing an Anti-Bullying Bill that would provide them with much needed protection. For those of you who may feel bullying is just a part of life, kids will grow out of it, or there are no lasting affects. I am here to say, YOU ARE WRONG!!!! Now normally I don't tell people they are wrong, well except for Vivian, but when it comes to the topic of bullying I have no problem saying it.
Bullying is something that stays with you, your ENTIRE life. Trust me I know and I feel I was a lucky one. I was lucky because I grew up in a time before the internet and social media. I was able to escape the outside world once I entered my house. I was also raised by two amazing parents who taught me to believe in myself and to never let anyone tear me down. Even with that the bullying I received still affects me to this date. I have a hard time trusting people and to a degree I don't have a feeling of self worth. These feelings touch my life every day: my relationship with Vivian, friendships I don't form, my professional life and too many more to list. All of this and I was for the most part sheltered and taught to stand up for myself. Most people that know me would never guess this, because for the lack of a better word I come across as an ass. Yes that is another side effect of being bullied. It's my defense mechanism; I don't allow any one to get close because if you are kept at arm's length or more you can't hurt me.
I can't imagine how my life would be if I was growing up with social media where kids could still bully me while I was inside the protection of my home. Or hearing about the government having an opportunity to stand up for me and choosing not to. I'm a 45 year old gay man who was bullied and I feel hurt by this news. This bill had to potential to make lives of not just LGBT kids but all kids better and in some cases save their lives. How many more news stories of bullied kids taking their own lives is it going to take for us to realize nothing good can come from protecting the bullies?
That is exactly what actions like this does it tells the bullies their actions will be accepted. On top of that it tells the victims of bullying their lives don't matter or that it's their fault.
So please it's time for us all Gay, Straight, Bisexual, and Transgender to stand up for our kids and tell the Bullies of the world NO MORE. To those that have been bullied remember there is help out there and don't be afraid to ask. Here are a few organizations I'm familiar with:
To read more about the Von Bs fight against bullying visit The Diary of a Drag Queen's Husband.