Don't let evil win ...
Folks,
We’ve been awash in a sea of media coverage of the suicide deaths of LGBTQ and LGBTQ-perceived youth over the past couple of weeks, and I've been awash in a sea of sadness about it.
This has spurred several video projects on Youtube, including Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject and also a wonderful project called Make it Better at http://makeitbetterproject.org/
I’ve been wondering how to contribute to this, and have been having a hard time figuring out what to say that hasn’t already been said brilliantly and by people far more influential than I am. So, I figured I’d just put down my thoughts here and see where it goes.
I’ve struggled with fear of being hurt by other people, as well as the feelings of being different and not worthy all of my life. I still do. Honestly. It didn't all get better once I got out of my teens. A lot got better, but not all of it.
As a teenager, I was much more on the effeminate side of things, plus I was the smart kid, and things were especially difficult for me as I tried to figure out who I was and what it meant to be attracted to guys. With slightly different circumstances, I could have been one of the statistics that are horrifying us today.
I was fortunate that when my life was being made very difficult by other kids, I had several teachers that took me in, stood up for me, and gave me a safe place to hang out during lunches. They gave me a place where I felt like I belonged. I was also very fortunate that they imbued in me a sense of learning and an appreciation for some of my gifts, intellectual and otherwise. Later in high school, I found myself befriended by kids who were stronger, more popular than I, or in the same boat as I was. I also joined some groups that gave me a sense of belonging, such as choir, the school musical productions, an inter-school group of kids that did volunteer work around Southern California by reaching out to other teens to help share tips for self-esteem, etc. It all got me through.
Here’s what I want to tell you. Yes, you, that teenager, that young adult, that older person that is remembering the pain of their younger years and is afraid to be all that they can be now. Yes you. The ones where are picked on, called hurtful names, bullied, beaten, threatened, and taking to heart the hateful things that are being said by insensitive politicians, and so-called religious leaders. Here’s what I want to tell myself too. Those people and ideas are evil. Pure and simple.
If we kill ourselves or let them make us feel like you we aren’t good enough, they win. Evil wins. I’m not exaggerating or speaking in hyperbole.
Don’t let evil win. Be strong, find help, reach out, read and educate yourself about the rich history of people who made loving, strong, lives for themselves despite being ostracized or loving people that they shouldn’t. Read about Alexander the Great. Read about the berdache in the Native American tradition. Read about the history of the LGBT in the United States. Find out how far we’ve come. Learn about Harvey Milk. Find the stories of the brave people who have made their lives about love despite the difficulties and dangers they faced. Investigate the rich history of the civil rights movement in this country. Find those of similar interests and learn to laugh, love and smile with the amazing gift that life can be. Trust me, those gifts and those people are out there. It’s going to be difficult, because life is difficult, and there is no magic wand that makes it better once you get out of high school, but at least you have more freedom to make your own way. But you can begin to make your own magic wand right now. Take action, no matter how small. Let’s make it better for ourselves and for the people that come after us.
To you people out there see somebody getting picked on or bullied or hurt. Help them. Find a way to make the world a bit brighter for somebody. Don’t let evil win. I’m begging you.
To those of you who are doing evil by hurting people. Stop it. Stop it right now. Find another way to deal with yourself. Get help for your own issues. Life is hard for you too. I get it. But I’m going to be honest here and tell you that if your friends or your god are telling you to hurt people that are different than you or that they are less than you or are abominations, find other friends and find another god. At the very least, stop listening to the force you call satan. I’m serious. If you don’t, you can kiss my ass and the asses of all the people you’re trying to hurt, because the compassion of the people you are torturing is running low, and we’re pissed. I'm pissed.
The bottom line? Stop the evil. Don’t let it win. Make the world a better place.
Travis
We’ve been awash in a sea of media coverage of the suicide deaths of LGBTQ and LGBTQ-perceived youth over the past couple of weeks, and I've been awash in a sea of sadness about it.
This has spurred several video projects on Youtube, including Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject and also a wonderful project called Make it Better at http://makeitbetterproject.org/
I’ve been wondering how to contribute to this, and have been having a hard time figuring out what to say that hasn’t already been said brilliantly and by people far more influential than I am. So, I figured I’d just put down my thoughts here and see where it goes.
I’ve struggled with fear of being hurt by other people, as well as the feelings of being different and not worthy all of my life. I still do. Honestly. It didn't all get better once I got out of my teens. A lot got better, but not all of it.
As a teenager, I was much more on the effeminate side of things, plus I was the smart kid, and things were especially difficult for me as I tried to figure out who I was and what it meant to be attracted to guys. With slightly different circumstances, I could have been one of the statistics that are horrifying us today.
I was fortunate that when my life was being made very difficult by other kids, I had several teachers that took me in, stood up for me, and gave me a safe place to hang out during lunches. They gave me a place where I felt like I belonged. I was also very fortunate that they imbued in me a sense of learning and an appreciation for some of my gifts, intellectual and otherwise. Later in high school, I found myself befriended by kids who were stronger, more popular than I, or in the same boat as I was. I also joined some groups that gave me a sense of belonging, such as choir, the school musical productions, an inter-school group of kids that did volunteer work around Southern California by reaching out to other teens to help share tips for self-esteem, etc. It all got me through.
Here’s what I want to tell you. Yes, you, that teenager, that young adult, that older person that is remembering the pain of their younger years and is afraid to be all that they can be now. Yes you. The ones where are picked on, called hurtful names, bullied, beaten, threatened, and taking to heart the hateful things that are being said by insensitive politicians, and so-called religious leaders. Here’s what I want to tell myself too. Those people and ideas are evil. Pure and simple.
If we kill ourselves or let them make us feel like you we aren’t good enough, they win. Evil wins. I’m not exaggerating or speaking in hyperbole.
Don’t let evil win. Be strong, find help, reach out, read and educate yourself about the rich history of people who made loving, strong, lives for themselves despite being ostracized or loving people that they shouldn’t. Read about Alexander the Great. Read about the berdache in the Native American tradition. Read about the history of the LGBT in the United States. Find out how far we’ve come. Learn about Harvey Milk. Find the stories of the brave people who have made their lives about love despite the difficulties and dangers they faced. Investigate the rich history of the civil rights movement in this country. Find those of similar interests and learn to laugh, love and smile with the amazing gift that life can be. Trust me, those gifts and those people are out there. It’s going to be difficult, because life is difficult, and there is no magic wand that makes it better once you get out of high school, but at least you have more freedom to make your own way. But you can begin to make your own magic wand right now. Take action, no matter how small. Let’s make it better for ourselves and for the people that come after us.
To you people out there see somebody getting picked on or bullied or hurt. Help them. Find a way to make the world a bit brighter for somebody. Don’t let evil win. I’m begging you.
To those of you who are doing evil by hurting people. Stop it. Stop it right now. Find another way to deal with yourself. Get help for your own issues. Life is hard for you too. I get it. But I’m going to be honest here and tell you that if your friends or your god are telling you to hurt people that are different than you or that they are less than you or are abominations, find other friends and find another god. At the very least, stop listening to the force you call satan. I’m serious. If you don’t, you can kiss my ass and the asses of all the people you’re trying to hurt, because the compassion of the people you are torturing is running low, and we’re pissed. I'm pissed.
The bottom line? Stop the evil. Don’t let it win. Make the world a better place.
Travis