Recent suicides from bullying have made me sad, frustrated and angry. A high school student in Florida killed herself because a photo went viral; a young violinist at Rutgers killed himself because someone spied on him and posted a video, a Muslim girl in a veil was ridiculed by people who call themselves Christian, and those young men for being gay.
These are not isolated incidents. These are hate crimes directed at vulnerable people who are different and, in my opinion, frequently superior to what passes for ‘normal’.
In the early 1930s in Bayreuth, during the Wagner opera festival, a man was ranting, beating and eating the carpet in rage. He was considered a fool and the laughing stock in the town. The fool was Adolf Hitler. Years later, nobody laughed when six million jews, gypsies, gays, communists and aristocrats were killed. What if someone had stopped him instead of just ignored him?
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources including our nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital community and advocacy/educational programs that create a safe, supportive and positive environment for everyone.
The Make It Better Project lists tools to help as well as action to take with Congress.
Next Wednesday, October 20th, 2010, people are wearing purple for the seven gay boys who committed suicide due to homophobic abuse. Purple represents spirit on the LGBTQ flag. RIP Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase, Billy Lucas and Cody J. Barker. RSVP on Facebook and send in photos of yourselves wearing purple and we will post them on the blog. You can send photos to FashionSchoolDaily@gmail.com.
Please report any bullying, live or on the internet, to me or to Simon Ungless. The School of Fashion has zero tolerance for bullying and hate crimes.
– GPP
