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"Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors."
--The Book of Common Prayer
It was the cruelty of their fellow students that
drove several young men to take their own lives last month
rather than endure the bullying and harassment they received
for their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Billy
Lucas, 15; Seth Walsh, 13; Asher Brown, 13; and Tyler
Clementi, 18 are only the most recent victims of bullying
and harassment whose deaths by suicide have made headlines.
It has only been because of their tragic deaths that we have
learned of their suffering and desperation and the failure
of schools and teachers to protect them. Countless other
children and teenagers suffer at the hands of bullies
without help or hope and often in silence.
According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network’s (GLSEN) 2009 National School Climate Survey,
approximately 89 percent of students heard “gay” used in
a negative way. About 61 percent of students felt unsafe
at school because of their sexual orientation and about
40 percent felt unsafe because of how they expressed
their gender. Even more frightening, approximately 85%
of students were verbally harassed because of their
sexual orientation. About 40 percent of students were
physically harassed at school because their sexual
orientation, and nearly 27% because of their gender
expression.
The recent rash of suicides cries out for our voices
and advocacy on behalf of children and teenagers who
have been bullied, harassed, and discriminated
against in their schools. We are called to speak out
against the cruelty perpetrated against vulnerable
students in schools that are unaware of their
suffering or unwilling to act decisively to put an
end to such suffering. We will take this opportunity
to remember those who took their own lives to escape
the agony of bullying by asking policymakers and
schools administrators to focus on protecting our
children in school.
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Also in Oasis Youth Web Site:
Up • Clergy and faith leaders say “No More Bullying!” • Resources for Churches • Safe Schools Improvement Act
·LGBTQ
Youth News Blog
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