I hope you are all aware of the horrific deaths of 9 young men in the month of September due to bullying regarding their sexual orientation. Nine young people who did not have the support of their communities to make them feel safe and loved for who they are, without regard for their sexual preference. There is a project on YouTube called It Gets Better begun by advice columnist Dan Savage. This project involves videos made by members of the LGBTQ community telling young people that the junior high and high school years will be over soon and they have rest of their lives to live free of bullies. Their lives will get better.
If you know a young person who is having trouble with bullying due to their sexuality or who needs support going through sexual identity issues, refer them to Positive Images, a Sonoma County nonprofit that for 20+ years has been home to LGBTQ youth and their families. www.posimages.org
It Gets Better Project http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject
Thank you to Rachel, Library Associate @ Healdsburg and Central, for the information in this post.
