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In honor of the occasion, Attitude EIC Matthew Todd spoke to Pink News about the need for such activism. And, not surprisingly, it's not the most uplifting exchange: I don’t think you can not feel moved and furious when you read accounts of the deaths of kids like Jonathan Reynolds, who was 15 and died by lying on a track in front of a train after he was bullied for being gay. And so it should. |
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A survey out of England indicates that young men face more homophobic bullying than their female peers. This should come as no surprise. As musician Quentin Harris suggested this morning, there's more pressure on men not to seem weak. Yes, he was talking about the hip-hop scene, but we say that's a pretty universal rule: men are meant to act like men, and those who don't will face the consequences. Lawrence King's widely covered murder perfectly highlighted the perpetual assault on feminine men. What a perfect time, then, for homo hip-hop artist, Q-Boy, to come out against bullying. And, on an even bigger scale, the uproar against Jay Leno. |
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» That's Gay.
The G-word remains the number one insult in the UK. [BBC] |
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» "Endemic"
A survey of British teachers called anti-gay bullying "endemic" in the nation's schools. "Gay" has become the most popular derogatory school yard insult, say teachers. They even used the phrase "conspiracy of silence," which echoes Bruce LaBruce's comments yesterday. [Guardian] |
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Sixty-five per cent of lesbian and gay school pupils have been bullied because of their sexuality, a survey has found. Those astonishingly high - and equally unbelievable - numbers are estimates based on a tally of 1,145 students. Regardless of their accuracy, the news that 30% of the guppies claim teachers bully makes one reconsider home schooling. |
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Anti-Gay Attitudes "Endemic"
Britain's Schools Health Education Unit also found that out of 150,000 students, 17% claim they've received death threats. One fearful 16-year old reported, I was once threatened by a friend’s brother over an instant message that he would beat me to death on the streets if he saw me or torch my house whilst I’m sleeping in it. Another student, meanwhile, says he can't tell teachers about the abuse because he doesn't want to come out. |