Did you wear purple today?

[Magpie]

However to answer the OP , yes I wore purple. I was the only one that I saw that did.

Don't take it personally! The word didn't spread very far. A lot of us would have worn purple if we'd known.

 

[Eeyore5]

I am very sorry your brother and your family had to suffer through this pain.

We are in fact normal people. We( some of us, maybe most) have just been bullied and belittiled into thinking there is something wrong with us. Bullying does not only happen on a schoolyard. We do not wake up one day thinking that being gay is wrong and not normal out of the blue. It is due to the rehtoric that we are feed over and over.

However to answer the OP , yes I wore purple. I was the only one that I saw that did.

I think a lot of people didn't know about wear purple day or are like me and don't go for the wear a color thing regardless of the cause. Just not my thing I guess. Although I did wear purple yesterday - just not intentionally - grabbed the 1st warm sweater I saw. Its getting cold here. brrrr

I am sad that people bullied you. I hope your life is good now. I was horrible bullied for other reasons (nerd, mildly physically impaired) and am so thankful I am not a teen anymore (mid thirties now and starting to feel old ) and know that my worth isn't based on other people's opinions. I wonder if we will ever get to a point where bullying is eliminated for all people.

 

[SAHDad]

You said that by making it a gay kids issue that it minimizes the straight kids pain.

It's not about that at all, and to make it so sounds very resentful.


Would you say that bemoaning the pink ribbons is taking away from people suffering from other types of cancer and minimizing their pain?

I doubt it, and I think that anyone who has a problem with the "wear purple" day might want to look a little deeper at why they don't like it.

First, I really do not like your not-so-subtle insinuation that thinking this was a well-intentioned, but poorly-thought-out idea is due to some latent homophobia.

No, my objection is because yesterday, people wore purple to show solidarity with gay teens who are the victim of bullying. But for the kids who are picked on because of their weight, because they aren't athletic, because they are smart, because of their skin color, because they aren't attractive, or who are poor, or who dress in a different fashion, etc - there is no day of solidarity for them. As I said in my first post on this thread - wear purple to draw attention to teen suicide of all types, and I am there.

 

[PghLybrt]

I think a lot of people didn't know about wear purple day or are like me and don't go for the wear a color thing regardless of the cause. Just not my thing I guess. Although I did wear purple yesterday - just not intentionally - grabbed the 1st warm sweater I saw. Its getting cold here. brrrr

I am sad that people bullied you. I hope your life is good now. I was horrible bullied for other reasons (nerd, mildly physically impaired) and am so thankful I am not a teen anymore (mid thirties now and starting to feel old ) and know that my worth isn't based on other people's opinions. I wonder if we will ever get to a point where bullying is eliminated for all people.

Where i live I wasnt surprised that no one did, but saddened. Life is good and "it gets better". http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/

I agree that all bulling needs to stop. Most of us were probably bullied by someone at some point in our life. I think the difference with gay youth is that at times it can come from your own family and society finds that aceptable. Our schools teach us that being gay is something we should be ashamed of.

 

[Eeyore5]

First, I really do not like your not-so-subtle insinuation that thinking this was a well-intentioned, but poorly-thought-out idea is due to some latent homophobia.

No, my objection is because yesterday, people wore purple to show solidarity with gay teens who are the victim of bullying. But for the kids who are picked on because of their weight, because they aren't athletic, because they are smart, because of their skin color, because they aren't attractive, or who are poor, or who dress in a different fashion, etc - there is no day of solidarity for them. As I said in my first post on this thread - wear purple to draw attention to teen suicide of all types, and I am there.

Thank you. I choose to ignore that part of her post since I saw no point in arguing with her.

 

[Eeyore5]

Where i live I wasnt surprised that no one did, but saddened. Life is good and "it gets better". http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/

I agree that all bulling needs to stop. Most of us were probably bullied by someone at some point in our life. I think the difference with gay youth is that at times it can come from your own family and society finds that aceptable. Our schools teach us that being gay is something we should be ashamed of.

Trust me, lots of straight kids are bullied by family too. If it doesn't rise to the level legally defined as abuse, there is no intervention for the child.

 

[RadioFanatic]

Please tell your Husband that you met a New Yorker who's life is better off because of his work. My son was being subjected to taunts and when the pincipal heard that the insults included gay slurs she responded "That's illegal." she took swift firm action and my Son's school days have been better because of the action she took. I'm not sure that she would have acted as aggresively a year ago. Three cheers for your husband's work. You should be proud. Tell him a Disney Dad said "Thank You."

He truly appreciated your thanks. It has been something he has worked on for over ten years and was estatic when it finally passed and the Governor signed it. He said it is one of his most proud accomplishments bc he knows it will help protect our son. I'm sorry your son had to go through what he did; but am so glad that this has helped it stop.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I'm so glad to hear that even with the "smaller" amount of advertising that so many people wore purple yesterday!

I know I had mine on, and I was pleasantly surprised at all of the people in my town who were doing so, also.

 

[PghLybrt]

Trust me, lots of straight kids are bullied by family too. If it doesn't rise to the level legally defined as abuse, there is no intervention for the child.

Don't I know it! I have many friend in social work, I hear the horror stories about the worst of the worst. What I was saying is that it is socially aceptable to tease (for lack of a better word) your child about being gay. I bet in a majority of homes at some point you would have heard the phrase "You throw like a girl" "why are you acting like a girl" No one blinks an eye when you hear that. At the same time everyone is horified if a parent calls their kid stupid. ( I am saying both are wrong)

 

[Jennasis]

I did not, but only because I had no idea we were supposed to! I'm out of the loop I guess.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Add me to the minority.

I was bullied as a child/teen and it HURT and it was AWFUL. It was one of the worst things I can ever imagine. And I'm as straight as can be. My problem was that I was simply ugly. Just because people thought so. Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to stop looking at myself that way?!

I agree 100% with the comment that we need to stop focusing on high school being the best years of your life, because if I had believed that, I also probably would have ended my life.

This is NOT about being gay. It's about being tormented. And it doesn't make it easier to be able to look in the mirror and say, "well at least I'm straight".

And, well, I have commented more than once that it's frustrating that breast cancer gets so much discussion (and a whole month all to its self) when other forms of the disease are just as prevalent.

 

[SadieDog]

Yes, I wore purple yesterday.

 

[christiane]

To everyone who replied & supported "Wear Purple Against Homophobic Bullying" day, again a big I read all the replies & it was very touching to reach the different posts.

For those who feel that the day singled out one group at the expense of others, I'm sorry you feel that way. To you, I ask, what are you doing to support generalized anti-bullying. Do you work within your community, your church, schools, youth groups etc?

All movements start at the grass-root level, started by people who have been affected by the cause they support. Yesterday was about one particular facet of bullying. Anyone can start a movement and rally support. If you have a cause, do it!!

A few weeks ago, my family participated in our local Run for the Cure. There were thousands of people in a sea of pink. It is very likely that many people there have been touched by other types of cancers and I didn't hear anyone saying, "Wow all this support for breast cancer! How terrible that prostate/lung/bone cancer patients are being forgotten today!"

I find that the most involved community members are involved in many different causes. Please don't assume that because one cause is being championed one day, that we don't involve ourselves in others on a different day!

 

[DISNEYSIX]

I am very sorry your brother and your family had to suffer through this pain.

We are in fact normal people. We (some of us, maybe most) have just been bullied and belittiled into thinking there is something wrong with us. Bullying does not only happen on a schoolyard. We do not wake up one day thinking that being gay is wrong and not normal out of the blue. It is due to the rehtoric that we are feed over and over.:

Thank you for the very kind reply. Yes, gays are normal in the sense that people are "different" in their own way, but given the fact that the majority of people are heterosexual must put undue pressure on those that are homosexual. You cannot kiss or hold hands without raising an eyebrow. You cannot raise a child without being scrutinized and God forbid you try to become a union of two to escape the unjust tax and insurance laws that are levied against gay couples. Like you stated PghLybrt, bullying does not only happen on the schoolyard and it is a major reason why so many gays commit suicide.

 

[RadioFanatic]

Add me to the minority.

I was bullied as a child/teen and it HURT and it was AWFUL. It was one of the worst things I can ever imagine. And I'm as straight as can be. My problem was that I was simply ugly. Just because people thought so. Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to stop looking at myself that way?!

I agree 100% with the comment that we need to stop focusing on high school being the best years of your life, because if I had believed that, I also probably would have ended my life.

This is NOT about being gay. It's about being tormented. And it doesn't make it easier to be able to look in the mirror and say, "well at least I'm straight".

And, well, I have commented more than once that it's frustrating that breast cancer gets so much discussion (and a whole month all to its self) when other forms of the disease are just as prevalent.

I understand where you are coming from; however, it's okay to have one group, such as LGBT at a time. I'm more than willing to wear another color, on another day, for all who were bullied. It takes someone to stand up to make this an issue or else it doesn't happen. Someone did for those who were bullied for being LGBT, hence the purple shirts. You could start a cause for all who were bullied, picking orange shirts; and I would definitely wear it another day. Unless someone does it, it won't happen. I welcome you to start the cause, I would love to join. But I get tired of people complaining that "their cause" hasn't been properly represented and bc of that they won't help another cause, but then do nothing to start their cause themselves. This was a nice thread on whether you wore purple for support and I'm shocked at those who are complaining that one group shouldn't be supported bc their group was not.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I understand where you are coming from; however, it's okay to have one group, such as LGBT at a time. I'm more than willing to wear another color, on another day, for all who were bullied. It takes someone to stand up to make this an issue or else it doesn't happen. Someone did for those who were bullied for being LGBT, hence the purple shirts. You could start a cause for all who were bullied, picking orange shirts; and I would definitely wear it another day. Unless someone does it, it won't happen. I welcome you to start the cause, I would love to join. But I get tired of people complaining that "their cause" hasn't been properly represented and bc of that they won't help another cause, but then do nothing to start their cause themselves. This was a nice thread on whether you wore purple for support and I'm shocked at those who are complaining that one group shouldn't be supported bc their group was not.

But that's my whole point (and the point of others, as well.) Why do we have to separate the "bullied" group into subcategories? The bullied should be the group. As a whole. Bullies don't segregate... why should the bullied??

It's not like we're saying we don't want to support bullied kids because animal rights doesn't get enough support.

 

[bicker]

Bullying typically has a single direct effect: The effect on the person attacked. (There is also a different effect on the person doing the bullying, but that's another thread.) However, when bullying takes place because the person attacked is part of an identifiable group, then that bullying has a negative effect on that entire group, that effect being terror.

 

[christiane]

Thank you to everyone for all the great responses. I know the specific topic of this thread is now stale, but the bigger issue of bullying unfortunately will probably never be.

I just wanted to end this by saying that if just one LGBT teen looked around their community, felt the love & support and it improved their life, then everyone who wore purple should feel very proud.

Just as importantly, if there was one bully who made the conscious decision to stop their behaviour, it should make everyone doubly proud!