Hey, it's me, QUISP, writing about a rather serious topic.
Ok, most of you have probably read my interview with smileNOW, which I am VERY glad was published. Although it was quite awhile ago when it was submitted, that's okay! =) I hope this article gets published, although I doubt it will, but that's okay, I can try, can't I?
Now, I am NOW in high school, and I NOW know some other homosexuals in real life. I read Wildfire9's article Why Can't We Be Friends?, and that made me think. We've all pretty much heard of people being bullied/teased/beaten up because of their sexuality and a whole number of other reasons. I myself, have never been subjected to very traumatic taunting. Sure, I've been called almost all the common slang words for homosexual there are, but that doesn't bother me, not when I'M the person who's being called it. I can deal with it, it truthfully doesn't bother me. I never make a "come-back" or anything like that, though, that just provokes them... and that could get ME in trouble. Anyway, I'm constantly seeing other people being called names, made fun of for whatever ignorant reason... I sit there, powerless to do anything, although I have consoled lots of people.
When you're gay, sometimes it's kind of a hard thing to deal with. Just you wrapping your mind around the concept, without the added stress of everyone else bugging you about it. The best thing to do is to talk to somebody about it. I "bottled up" my emotions for so long, ugh, I felt like I was literally going to explode. The problem is, when most people realize they're gay, they don't HAVE someone to talk to about it, which bothers me even more. I *try* to be there for whomever may need a shoulder to lean on, but then again, there's always going to be those people who don't have anybody to talk to.
There's not a lot I can say to necessarily STOP bullying, and stop people from being taunted. If someone is actually HURTING you, though, like physically, you HAVE to tell someone, no matter how embarrassing it may be. Go to a school counselor, phone the kids' help line, do SOMETHING.
But for everyone who may read this and DOES make fun of people, please don't do it. Nobody likes being demeaned in that way. Some people react to it more severely than others... most teenagers have enough to worry about without the added stress of people making fun of them.
But remember, don't hit someone back, or call him or her a name back. That doesn't do anything good, although I know how some people are kind of moronic and can't think of any other way to deal with things. I still haven't figured out how to deal with that. =S Anyway...
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." -- Mohandas K. Gandhi
Sorry, I love that quote, and I thought it kind of suited the article. Anyway, I hope you're not asleep now, LoL. Be considerate of people's feelings, be empathetic more than sympathetic... try to realize how THEY feel.
Its time for me to go. Bye!
-QUISP
