Last Thursday I attended the anti-bullying talk with Jamie Nabozny. He's this incredible guy who was harassed in high school for being gay, and then sued the school from not properly protecting him from this harassment; it was a landmark case in LGBT rights. But throughout the presentation of the movie and the questions and answers videos there were several things I noticed, several things that really interested me in this presentation. One was that he was wearing a wedding ring, which is kind of irrelevant, but it just makes me happy to know he is happy and with someone despite what happened to him early in life. He didn't let it close him off. Second was that I really came to admire him more and more as he spoke because of what he was really saying. He dedicates his life not just to telling his story and trying to protect people part of LGBT community but also people who are being bullied everywhere. I like that he focused not only on the gay kids that were being bullied but on the straight kids as well. Because no one should feel unsafe in the school they are in. School is supposed to be a comforting and safe environment, one where you can come to learn and be with your friends. And I just think it's so horrible that some people aren't given that, some people have to come into the school full of fear everyday because of bullying. And so I think he's strong, really strong for speaking out for the people are too scared to speak out for themselves. One of the last things I noticed happened during the question and answers part, one girl from the audience asked if he was okay, if the things that happened to him in the past still hurt him. He was very honest and said that no, he's not fully better but after years of therapy he is mostly there. He gave us examples of being in a crowded school hallway and feeling uncomfortable or sometimes being scared to go to the bathroom (a majority of the assault he received took place in a bathroom) by himself. He also said he could probably never go back into the bathroom in his old high school. But what I noticed most was when he said something a long the lines of 'the pain they crated left scars that are getting better but the words they said to me made ones that will probably never go away.' I'm sure I'm just romanticizing here, but it was definitely a long those lines. Something like that, it's kind of beautiful and tragic all at the same time. There's the old phrase that 'stick and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me', and to be honest I think is an utter lie. Words will always hurt and they will always leave deeper scars than any physical scar anyone will ever know, or at least in my experience.
Overall I loved the presentation and I wish I could somehow make it possible for every school to see this, for every person just to hear someone's story, someone like Jamie, and really understand it. There is so much hate in this world, but I think there's a lot of love too. And if people just take the time to step back and see all the hate that is here then maybe they can their attitude, maybe they can see, no human being deserves to be treated inferior because of who they are attracted to.
Fin.
-Keshia
Currently Reading The View from the Seventh Layer by Kevin Brockmier
*This is a bonus assignment I has to do for my psychology class, I really didn't spend much time on it, because we're getting credit for doing it, not for making it amazing. But it was late and I hadn't posted anything today and I just want to print this off and go to sleep, blog shall be better tomorrow*
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