Will you be wearing purple?

With all the recent media attention on anti-gay bullying,  I feel I must speak up to show my opposition for anti-gay bullying..

In the last 45 days 12 kids that we know about, age 12 to 21, have committed suicide because they were bullied for being gay or perceived as gay. It truly breaks my heart to hear the stories. Life must have been very horrible for them to think that killing themselves would end their pain. I cannot imagine what was going through their minds right before the pulling of the trigger, tightening the noose around the neck, jumping off a 6 story bridge to a cold fast flowing river, cramming 30 pain pills into there mouth.  They all must have felt so helpless and defeated, like no one was there for them, no one at all.  Alone in a world where all they heard was how bad they were, how wrong they were, how they were an abomination to God, a freak of nature, dirty, sin laiden and perverted.

I want to share with you some of the hatred and rhetoric that one of the kids, Zach Harrington, sat through just hours before he went home and hung himself.  Zach, who was 19 years old, decided to attend a meeting of the Norman City Commission with some friends . The Commissioners were going to be discussing a proclamation to make October Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender history month. Zach went to the meeting to show support and participate in what was his first experience with city government. He and his friends were excited that the Norman Human Relations Commission had proposed this proclamation - a first for the city, who touts inclusion in their motto.
That excitement must have turned into fear for Zach after sitting through 3 hours of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX3ETx-fHXY&feature=player_embedded

Not all the comments during the public comment portion of the meeting were as terrible and negative as this misguided man, but the majority were and many of them were eerily similar. As it turns out, a few of the Evangelical mega churches had put out a "call to action"  and packed the commission chambers with its members to voice opposition for the proclamation. Over 300 people attended the meeting with the majority being the far right evangelicals. This is really what frustrates me...Where we all of the people who believe in tolerance and equality? Why weren't they speaking up? Could Zach still be alive today if the majority of the comments were in favor of the GLBT proclamation?

This coming week, Wednesday, October 20th, is a day that we can remember all these kids who are victims. Yes, I said it, victims. Victims of  intolerance and hate. Victim's of a society that traditionally hasn't stood up for them and demanded changes, including nondiscrimination and anti-bullying laws. Victims of lies and misinformation. Speaking of misinformation, the man in the video really needs to get his facts straight, no pun intended....

This is my CALL TO ACTION for you..This Wednesday, October 20th, please wear purple. By wearing purple you can show your support of G:LBT youth and opposition to anti-gay bullying.   By participating, you can take a stance and send a message that says, "I oppose anti-gay bullying" and "I will NOT stand by and allow anti-gay bullying to happen in my community".

Will you stand will me? Will you wear purple??

= ity ROCKS!


**here is a link to the entire 3 hour public comment section of the Norman City Commission.
http://normanok.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=163