A Not-So-Novel Approach to Fight Bullying in West Virginia

West Virginia high school senior Clayton Stover won’t stand for students throwing around the word “faggot” and “dyke.” Because words like those don’t just hurt, they KILL. We talk endlessly about schools not doing enough to keep gay or gay-branded students from being harassed. Now here’s a 12th grader — whose own schooling will come to an end in just weeks — leading the charge, evidence in hand, of what will happen if his own St. Albans High School doesn’t do enough to stop bullying in the hallways and classrooms. So he’s pushing an effort to amend the school’s diversity policy to include sexual orientation. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. But writing something down on paper is a short cry from training teachers and administrators how to fight intolerance, limit harassment, and begin an open-door policy for GLBT students. That comes next. But Stover putting a face on how damaging this harassment is to queer kids is a brave first step.

Elsewhere, Momlogic.com lists some sensible tips on where to start the anti-bullying crusade. Basic stuff, though yet to be implemented on a broad scale.