Make it Better

Huffington Post has declared that America is having an ‘Education Moment,’ fueled in part by the Obama administration’s ‘Race to the Top’ initiative and the new school reform documentary, “Waiting for Superman.” The focus on school reform is long overdue and I am relieved that its time has come. Let’s hope that a key element of reform will focus on school violence, most notably anti-bullying initiatives
Every September we see a range of feel good back- to-school stories, but this September was different. This past month the news was dominated by stories of young men who were driven to suicide after having endured vicious gay bullying, both in school and online. Between September 9th and September 30th, nine males committed suicide throughout the nation. So, as we commemorate LGBT History Month, we absolutely have to take time to remember 15-year-old Billy Lucas from Greensburg, IN, who committed suicide after being bullied by years. Classmates knew of the abuse and commented that many questioned his sexual orientation and picked on him because of the way he talked and dressed. Just last week, 13-year-old Seth Walsh died from injuries he sustained after he tried to hang himself. Like Billy, Seth also endured years of torment because he was gay. Asher Brown, a 13-year-old Houston area student, shot himself in the head after enduring years of torment. Asher’s parents contend that that they informed the school that their son was being bullied, but that their complaint fell on deaf ears. However, the school claims that they never received any complaints. Perhaps one of the most widely known stories is Tyler Clementi. Tyler, a freshman at Rutgers, jumped off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate used a webcam to broadcast live images of Tyler with another man. Sadly, these are only a few of the names of the young men whose lives have been cut short.
Schools and communities have to begin to do the hard work to ensure safe spaces for all of our children. We can begin by asking if we are sending the right messages to our youth. Considering that we live in the world of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ can we really expect children to trust us when we say we are committed to creating safe spaces at home and school? If we attend churches that attempt to ‘pray away the gay,’ should we be surprised when children feel lonely and alone?
Writer and activist Dan Savage has launched a new campaign that aims to reassure gay youth that they are not alone. The Make It Better Project and the YouTube series, It Gets Better provides web-based resources and support for gay youth throughout the nation. Make It Better is also organizaing a week of action from October 5 – 11 to remember victims of school bullying. To learn more visit http://makeitbetterproject.org/.
In the meantime, let’s take the time to listen and to care. We can start to make it better right here at home.