When I clicked on the link to PutThisOnTheMap.org, I had no idea what I was about to see. Ten minutes later, I was grinning.

Like some of the people in this promotional video for the Reteaching Gender and Sexuality campaign, I am transgender. Like everyone who is lesbian, gay, bi, trans or some other gender/sexuality minority (or has been mistaken for someone who is), I have dealt with trans-and homophobia.

Put This on the Map is a queer activist organization, which sponsors the Reteaching Gender and Sexuality campaign. This national campaign educates people about LGBTQ issues through workshops for young people and adults and screenings of its award-winning documentary Put This on the Map.

The Reteaching Gender and Sexuality campaign is teaching people that being heterosexual shouldn’t be assumed, that we don’t all neatly fit into a girl or boy box and that having knowledgeable, supportive adults who provide safe spaces and protection from bullying should be the norm. Visit PutThisOnTheMap.org, if your school or community could use some reteaching.

—Leo Johnson, 15, Contributor

I recently watched an episode of ABC’s What Would You Do? about homophobic bullying. The show hires actors to play out morally questionable situations in public to observe how people react. This episode featured a guy being pushed around and ridiculed for being gay by three other guys, while most passersby ignored what was going on.

After watching the show, I got the impression that someone being picked on for being different while the majority of people just go about their business was supposed to be surprising news. Honestly, I wasn’t all that surprised. I may not be gay, but I know from experience what being a victim feels like. Getting hit and insulted can be a painful experience that often leaves a lasting social and emotional impact on victims.

In an ideal world, people would be altruistic and caring about everyone. But in the real world, people often only care about what affects them and the people they know. So why should we expect heterosexuals to stick up for gay people or passersby to stand up to bullies?

Well, bullying isn’t something that only applies to gay people. Ironically, we are all part of a minority in one way or another. Whether we’re part of a religious minority, an ethnic minority, don’t have values held by the mainstream or we just think or act differently than most, we are all potential victims of bullying. Therefore, the best way to ensure our safety against bullying is to stop it as a whole—not only when our friend is the victim, but also when anyone we come across is being victimized. Bullies provoke fear in individual bystanders, so people don’t take action when they see someone being bullied. But if we realize our power as a group and stand up to bullying, the bullies will be powerless.

—Connor Dolan, 18, Staff Writer