It's not only teens, but you can also find this in adults. Recently a local man had brutally been taken off this earth because of his sexual orientation. This may not have happened in the local community, but the man Raymond Taavel, was still a local. This had brought many eye openers to some of those who were unaware of this hardships for these LGBTQ communities. To bring awareness to this recent death, a youth group was named after Raymond Taavel. A gay activist, this man was a public figure for the LGBTQ community of Halifax, and was on the route to try and make a difference.
Raymond Taavel was not the only one to be a public figure for the LGBTQ community. Another man known as Toby Dancer was a "Musical Genius" according to The Toronto Star. A man who believed he was not a man at heart but a women, and felt that his body did him no justice. Because of the hardships that Toby had to deal with Cheri DiNova had started the Toby Bill, also known as the "Bathroom Bill" that will allow transgender to have the liberty to be given the option to choose which they prefer to refer to as when entering a bathroom. This bill had been introduced before, but for the first time has reached the second reading in the House of Commons. Hopefully others also see that, it's time we stop labelling wether a person should be a man or women based on their reproductive systems, but based on their beliefs.
- Elysha
Works Cited
Aikens, Cameron. "Sault Ste Marie Gay Teen Stands up against Bullying : The Canadian National Newspaper." Sault Ste Marie Gay Teen Stands up against Bullying : The Canadian National Newspaper. The Canadian, 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. <http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/transgender/2011/10/18/1229.html>.
Cross, Allison. "Halifax Murder Victim Raymond Taavel Had a €˜lovely, Joyous presence." National Post. N.p., 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. <http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/17/halifax-murder-victim-raymond-taavel-had-a-lovely-joyous-presence/>.
Dunphy, Catherine. "Toby Dancer, 51: Musical Genius Died a Drifter." Thestar.com. N.p., 03 Dec. 2004. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. <http://www.thestar.com/news/obituary/atog/article/107917--toby-dancer-51-musical-genius-died-a-drifter>.
Purvis, Michael. "News Local." Communities. N.p., 13 July 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. <http://www.saultstar.com/2012/07/12/lgbt-youth-group-named-for-slain-activist-raymond-taavel-students-from-child-and-youth-worker-program-donate-funding>.
Thank you for blogging on this topic. It was a joyous event this past June when Toby’s Act – Bill 33 was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario which came soon after the passing of Bill 13, the anti-bullying law. I just wanted to add to your blog by saying that bullying also occurs within the LGBTQ community, perpetrated by people within that community.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, bullying and harassment are serious issues that many in the LGBTQ community face on a regular basis. It has always been a constant battle defending against anti-gay sentiment. What seems to be emerging now is gay-on-gay bullying. This often takes the form of cyber bullying. For example, there are dating websites that are specific to the sub-groups in the LGBTQ community. Members post profiles and receive comments from potential suitors. Responses to suitors who do not fit the requirements are often verbally abusive. This is typically based on the suitor’s age. In the gay community it is the common belief that over 30 is too old.
Thank You for your work!
Lisa
The first thing I thought about when I first read this article was that I cannot believe people are still bullying other individuals because of their sexual orientation. When I think about teenagers who bully other teens because of their sexual orientation is makes me wonder where they have received this feels? My initial thought is parents, maybe friends, authority figures. I have worked with some teens that have been bullied and beat up because they were gay or lesbian, and could not longer take the bullies and wanted to commit suicide. This problem seems to be growing because part of society is expressing to be who you are and be proud, while the other half frowns upon this. Why not allow same sex marriage everywhere and take away some of the stigma away from this issue. Why do we even make this an issue? I believe we all need to make steps to accept each other for who we are, and I believe that the government should also make those steps, allowing people an equal chance to succeed in life and achieve, without ridicule or bias.
ReplyDeleteChristine- Timmins
Bullying has become a huge issue among LGBT youth everywhere. The issue is something that needs to be dealt with now because it is costing people their lives. I have had the honor of meeting Cameron Aikens when I was attending Sault College. He gave a presentation about his life and what he has struggled through to my Child and Youth worker class. It was very inspirational to hear his story and what he overcame. The most inspirational part, to me, was that he is now advocating for other LGBT you. Cameron started the gay straight alliance at Superior Heights High School in Sault Ste. Marie. It always amazes me to see how people fight through so many hardships and come out so strong. My Child and Youth Worker class raised over $6000.00 for HARP (HIV/AIDS Resource Program) in order to create a youth group for LGBT youth. The group was designed to provide a safe place where these youth could go and feel included and not discriminated against or bullied. After reading your blog it shows that this is definitely needed in our city.
ReplyDeleteBritney (LGBT)
The amount of bullying people face in todays society is very upsetting to me, and it seems as though it is only getting worse. We hear about teens committing suicide due to bullying all the time - this should not be happening. The fact that someone can make another individual feel so bad that they see the only way out is to end their own life, is very heart breaking.
ReplyDeletePeople who identify as LGBTTTIQ face enough issues internally, they do not need to face issues externally as well. People need to put themselves in other peoples shoes sometimes, and imagine how they would feel being in that situation.
Being empathetic for people, and an advocate is the way to go...
Meagan (LGBT Group)
I still don't understand why people have a problem with people with different sexualities. People are people. They shouldn't be treated any differently than others. But unfortunately in this world there is really no such thing as equal. Today in schools there are groups forming called "The Gay Straight Alliance" bringing all people together to support everyone and praise who they are. This is spreading the word that students of all ages will come together to support each other. Even though this is going on, bullies still exist at any age, and will continue to exist no matter what we as a society do. This is just an unfortunate event that can in some cases be managed, but i don't think can ever be erased.
ReplyDelete-Alannah
Bullying is one of the most overlooked social issues in our society, and adults act like it's no big deal. The political agenda says they care about bullying, but in reality, they do nothing to stop it. There are tons of news stories that are out there where schools, teachers, and principals did nothing to the bullies until it went to far, and the child either got hurt badly or committed suicide. Today's generation just sickens me. As a kid who was bullied constantly throughout elementary school, I can relate to these poor souls. It's not fun, and it certainly doesn't make you want to go to school or get an education. However, things really DO get better. In high school, the bullying went down a significant amount, and now in university, I haven't had a hurtful remark said to me at all. I guess people grow up and mature with age, which makes me happy to believe that my faith in humanity is being restored.
ReplyDelete-Spencer (poverty group)
Even though I am aware of the violence and hateful acts that are directed toward the LGBTQ population, I am still so shocked that people can become so enraged and violent towards another human based on how they live. When in reality this does not effect them in any way. This cruelty is very barbaric and needs to end.
ReplyDelete-Denise
This is just so sad. Why does someone being gay seem to be such a threat to some people? People should not be "punished" or hurt verbally and physically because of who they love. It is that person's choice whom they choose to love. Something that also upset me, especially with men, that they think that just because a man is gay, he's going to hit on you. I would like to ask them what the threat of a gay person is? Do you hit on absolutely every girl that you see? No. The same goes for people who happen to be gay. As long as it doesn't effect your own well-being, it should not matter to you whether or not someone is queer. This was a great blog, thank you for choosing this topic.
ReplyDelete-Helen
This is a very sad topic to touch on because alot of people gay or not do get bullied. No one should have to feel that or be treated like that in any way. We are all equal and the golden rule is to treat others the way you would wanna be treated. Great blog elysha.
ReplyDeleteIm happy that you blogged on this topic Elysha. It shouldn't matter weather a person is gay, straight or bisexual. A person is a human being and everyone has similarities and differences. It shouldn't matter weather a man or women is interesting in the same sex, they still share the same feelings as everyone else. I like to go by the old quote "treat others how you wish to be treated." this is something that i have grown up with and think that it should apply to everyone no matter the sexual preference, their gender or race.
ReplyDeleteLorie