something has to be said

Suicides put light on pressures on gay teens via The New York Times -- something has to be said about the unnecessary violence and hate that has spawned too many suicides among LGBT youth in the US these past few weeks. Most of these kids caved in to the pressure of bullies who preyed on them for being gay.

Ellen DeGeneres said it best: "People's minds will change, and you should be alive to see it." And so we continuously live in hope. On YouTube, there's the It Gets Better Project, where people submit their own videos and testimonials to encourage LGBT victims of bullying to hang on because it will get better. Columnist Dan Savage, who launched the project, posted a video of him and his husband Terry relating how they survived bullying in their respective schools and communities when they were younger. I think the effort is inspiring. In a comment left on the Youtube channel, a mental health professional lauded the effort, saying it will "literally save lives." I will be praying for that, as well.


Dan and Terry's video -- ngl, this made me teary.

I'm uncertain if this is something we can relate to the Filipino LGBT experience -- I can't rememember something similar making it to the news (and maybe that in itself shows how this country's media views LGBT issues?), and I was fortunate enough to have come out as lesbian to a very supportive circle in college (who would have protected me from bullying the same way they protected me from heartbreak -- ah, I love you guys.) Not to mention that Andrea's family and mine have been accepting and supportive of us as well. However, I have heard of stories though, of friends getting disowned by their own families for being who they were and loving who they did and choosing to stand up for that love -- I guess to a degree the message of the whole movement does apply here too.

Some people we meet in life will give us a hard time -- they will make us cry, break our hearts, disappoint us, hurt us -- but that doesn't mean they are all life has to offer, and you have to stay alive and keep living so you could meet all the other wonderful people life still has in store for you. This applies to bullies, to oppressive families, to abusive ex-partners, to rubbish friends. They are meant to make us stronger, not to break our spirit.

I think it's important for people who have succeeded in overcoming such obstacles speak out and say it: Things get better, it's what they do.

(PS: Oh you should check out these vids once your connection allows YouTube. I'm crying and laughing at the same time, and for all the good reasons.)