I don’t normally tout the stuff that’s going on in the part of the paper that makes this an 18-and-over publication. But this week, I am going to do just that, because Dan Savage has done a beautiful, amazing thing.

In response to a series of suicides by youngsters who have been bullied for being gay—or acting gay—Dan started the It Gets Better Project (www.itgetsbetterproject.com). He asked LGBT adults to send in YouTube videos describing how wonderful their lives are—in an effort to encourage teens struggling with anti-gay bullying to hang in there, because it gets better.

The goal of the project: We are the kids who have been bullied for being gay, lesbian, bi or trans. We pledge to stay open and strong. We are also the friends, family members, teachers, mentors and allies of anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t fit in, gay or straight. We pledge to talk to the kids in our lives to put an end to the hate, violence, and tragedy—and to offer advice on coping, strategies to make it better, and to remind kids that It Gets Better.

This project is badly needed in a world where Boyd K. Packer, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormons), tells the world that being gay is “impure and unnatural.” (Full disclosure: I am a former Mormon.)

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, after the Human Rights Campaign (a prominent LGBT-rights group) delivered a petition—with some 150,000 signatures—denouncing Packer’s remarks to the LDS church, an LDS spokesman remarked that the church shares common ground with the HRC regarding a desire to stop anti-gay bullying.

While it’s true that the majority of LDS folks would say they are opposed to anti-gay bullying, this remark is total bullshit regarding the church as an institution. It’s insane to say being gay is “impure and unnatural” on one day, and then say that you’re opposed to anti-gay bullying on another.

Dan Savage sums things up better than I ever could in this week’s column; find it on Page 56. And I recommend checking out www.itgetsbetterproject.com.

This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2010.

6 replies on “Lack of Equality = Bullying”

  1. One question – Why isn’t Dan Savage’s column here in the online version of the Weekly like The Mexican?

  3. Margarine is “impure and unnatural” compared to butter. People eat it anyways. I dont see any fighting about that lol!

  4. LeonardH,
    I have a question for you and “coach” Dave. If two adult humans go into a room and agree to kiss each other, in their own room, behind a locked door, with mutual consent; what makes you or Dave think you should have anything whatsoever to say about it? If you have that right over them then you don’t have any problem with me haivng that right over you and your partner do you? Let me know when you and your partner are feeling fisky and planning on a little intimacy in your own house and I will stop by and let you know what I consider to be acceptable behavior. I, not you or your partner, will decide what type of sex you can have based on my personal relgious beliefs. Seems reasonable huh?

  5. One can and will agree that homosexuality is unnatural, which it is, but not personally want to see others harmed or harrassased. Just because it ended up on Earth does not make it natural. That’s about as good as you’re gonna get it from the conservative straight world. Otherwise known as the vast majority of us.

  6. Society should take the time to work on the source of this tragic issue, not the symptoms. It is time to end the censorship (http://www.endcensorship.com) and allow full disclosure on what homosexualty is and where it comes from (http://www.failuretodisclose.com). When you look for the common denominator in all these suicide cases, you will find PFLAG, GLSN, and other “gay” affirming organizations.

    It is time to allow freedom of information so those with unwanted Same Sex Attraction can get the help they want and deserve instead of using their tragic stories as fodder for political gain. Read more at the followng link. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedc…

    In the not to distanct future, schools, mental health professionals, and “well intentioned” organizations like PFLAG will be held responsible for the damage they do.

    http://www.parentsofgaychildren.org

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