Oh for Christ’s sake: Tyler Wilson, an 11-year-old sixth grader in Findlay, Ohio had his arm broken Aug. 31 by a footballer-playing classmate at Glenwood Middle School after he and another boy began fighting with Tyler and calling him a sissy. How come? Because he joined a cheerleading squad.
Tyler mom Kristy is The Awesome: She’s proud of her cheerleading son. She also wants her son’s assailants to be prosecuted. “I want the criminal charges because I want this kid to know it’s not okay.” And that’s just what’s happening; the two alleged assailants now face assault charges.
Says Tyler: “It feels horrible that they can’t accept me for who I am. It’s my choice. If I want to be a cheerleader, I’m going to be a cheerleader. … I’m going to keep going. I want to make a lifestyle out of it.” And because Tyler is the coolest cat around: “I think it’s kind of sad because they won’t accept me for who I am. I think they’re jealous…that I get to hang around a bunch of girls.”
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Will Phillips/Tyler Wilson 2044!
Kev C
Tyler Wilson is the man. If he can’t do it, no one can.
Bobby in Seattle
I hate to say it, but stories like this make me wish I could catch the little sh*ts in action, when they try to pull this kind of crap on a kid.
I know violence solves nothing, but sometimes the thought of giving them a taste of their own medicine does seem appealing.
Comixbear
On the days when I keep hearing about our government denying our rights and right-wingers saying we shouldn’t exist, then comes along someone young like this who gives me hope for the future.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
What a sad fucking world we live in, that an 11 year old gets a broken arm for cheerleading. Next time a right-winger says we don’t need anti-bullying laws, show them this story.
Mr. Wilson is more of a man, than many adults I’ve met.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@Bobby in Seattle: These stories always make me think of my friend Kyle from elementary school. Kyle was about four foot nothing. He was the tinest little most adorable cutie you could ever imagine, he was also the queeniest little boy you could ever imagine. When Kyle opened his mouth a rainbow poured out with multi colored unicorns riding down it! His parents knew at a very early age that Kyle was going to have issues with those who would not accept him. They did nothing to attempt to assign a “gender norm” personality to their son. What they did do was at age four enrolled him in martial arts classes. Kyle took to the form like a swan to water, he loved the moves and kicks (of course :p) By age of nine he was a fourth degree black belt……
There was nothing more satisfying than us watching some kid at least twice Kyles size landing on his fat ass with a resounding thud, then sulking away all his bravado utterley wiped away…….
Serag
“I think they’re jealous…that I get to hang around a bunch of girls.”
I feel bad for him, but that is the same excuse that has been used by thousands of other closeted people.
ForeverGay
Terrible. Notice how two people attact a SINGLE gay kid to beat him up in the most brutal way. This is what happens in every anti-gay attack. Heterosexuals hate anyone who is not heterosexual, don’t want their ego bruised by a gay person and always want the playing field to benefit them that’s why gay people get ganged up on in every anti-gay situation from bullying to the ballot box.
I hope he can recover fully and the bullies get the maximum punishment.
Comixbear
@ForeverGay: Actually, there is no indication whether or not this kid is gay. To say that when he was interesting in cheerleading and acrobatics is stereotyping, assuming that only a gay male would be interested in those activities.
Henry Holland
@Comixbear:
Great comment. To not have stereotyping helps straight guys too, the many of them that *aren’t* jocks.
Hilarious
Honestly I feel bad for all of the kids involved. At this point all of the kids are too young to even have an opinion on the things they’re talking about.
It’s the parents of those kids who really are to blame and breeding more homophobes. Now two kids will have criminal records before age 18 for something they really don’t even understand. Sad, but as the mother said it’s necessary so they know what they did is wrong.
All that said this really isn’t even a gay issue, at his age he’s neither gay nor straight. Sexuality is damn near non-existent in kids before puberty. They only mimic what they see others(especially their parents) doing. There’s a small presence of sexuality, but it’s so innocent that “sexuality” doesn’t seem to be the right word.
Baxter
I’m not sure it’s helpful to label assault as “bullying”.
Wes
“Now two kids will have criminal records before age 18 for something they really don’t even understand.”
Are you serious? I think these kids knew EXACTLY what they were doing and why!
Hilarious
@Wes: Yeah kids are born homophobes. It’s not learned behavior.
Oh wait.
I never excused what they did I said it’s sad to see children with criminal records. I also said they deserved it.
mikebuc
Quit insinuating this kid is gay. He’s just wanting to participate in something he enjoys. Nothing more. As much as I hate to bring it up, George W. Bush was a cheerleader in college.
Kieran
I see Tyler’s Mom front and center…..but where’s his Dad?
Anthony
The fight this kid got into had nothing to do with him beibg gay or a cheerleader. Tyler was teased one time and beat up the kid that teased him. Tyler and his mom are making this story much more than it really is. He has not been bullied the whole year and never once by the kid that broke his arm. People in this town are standing behind the so-called bully. He is a good kid and has never been trouble before in his life for anything.
Hypocrites (John from England)
@Anthony:
Oh great the bullies pals are hear blaming the vulnerble 11 year old kid!
misty
@Hypocrites (John from England): You obviously do not know the true story or the individuals involved that are trying to tell their story, but no one will air! These 2 kids are good kids with no bad instances at school, unlike Tyler. They never made derogatory remarks to Tyler about cheering. He is lying and America will soon see! The whole case is being reinvestigated due to Tyler and his 5 friends he had w him that day lying! I hope you continue to follow the case to see the truth and the revealing of the real bully here! People that live here, and have kids that go to this school that know and are bullied from Tyler are aware of the truth and know the other side. How Tyler targeted a smaller child and threatened and bullied him on the way home from school and started the whole fight. How he was way away from his path walking home and walking in the path of the so called “bullies”..not leaving them alone. How after the fighting he left and came back and tried to kick the child in the face that wasn’t involved until this point as he was trying to tie his shoe. How the boy then blocked him and wrestled him resulting in him falling on tyler, thus resulting in the “broken” shoulder or arm(it seems to keep changing), that somehow has such great mobility! How Tyler is still bullying the targeted smaller child!!!! The lies need to stop! There are always 2 sides to a story America!
misty
@Anthony: Finally the truth!
Kevin
Well, he is s wussy, what kind of boy cheerleads.
Matthew-Tyler
@ForeverGay:
Where does it say that he is gay, just because he likes cheerleading does not make him gay.