“Make sure you know your partner. You might think he or she is perfect. But they might have a sexual history before you, and they are too shy to let it out.”
Pretty pink princesses or muscle-bound superheroes? Monster trucks or sparkly ponies? Go into just about any toy store, and you’ll notice that half of it is pink with toys for girls and the other half has brightly colored toys meant for boys. Is that really fair? Does our gender really have all that much to do with what kinds of toys we should like? A group of sixth graders in Sweden don’t think so.
The students had been learning about gender roles in school and felt that the 2008 Toys “Я” Us Christmas catalog portrayed outdated gender images by having girls and boys playing with separate kinds of toys. Boys were featured playing with very active toys in busy settings, and girls were usually pictured sitting and playing passively. The sixth graders decided to file a complaint with the Swedish agency that polices marketing and advertising in order to voice their concerns about the gender messages they were seeing in the catalog.
The agency agreed with the students and recently issued a statement, saying that they felt Toys “Я” Us’s advertising materials showed a very narrow-minded view of gender and excluded kids of all genders from enjoying a range of toys. There are no fines or penalties associated with the statement from the Swedish agency, but the students raised their voices and called attention to issues of social and gender inequality in media and advertising. Their actions won’t revolutionize the world, but these Swedish young people are a reminder that there is power in the voices of youth. How are you going to use yours?
Lots of schools have an anti-bullying policy to protect students from name-calling and harassment. So, why do phrases, like “that’s so gay” and “faggot,” often go unchecked in schools? This kind of rampant homophobia in so many schools can lead to tragic results.
Eleven-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover hanged himself last week after students persistently bullied him in school. Carl was harassed daily and was often called “girlie,” “gay” and “fag,” according to his mother. Check out the video below for a CNN report on Carl’s suicide:
It’s ironic that Carl would have turned 12 on April 17th—the same day as this year’s Day of Silence (DOS). Thousands of students are expected to participate in this year’s DOS, a day to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. If you want to stand up and fight discrimination, then be a part of DOS: Wear red and remain silent throughout the day, unless called on to participate in class. Your silence will send a message that homophobia and LGBT discrimination has to stop.
Have you or your friends said “that’s so gay” when you really meant to say something is bad or stupid? You might laugh or think it’s no big deal, but saying “that’s so gay” is insulting to gay people and anyone who has gay relatives or just cares about gay people.
Can you imagine trying to come out when people are tossing this obnoxious phrase around? Coming out is tough, so why make it harder for GLBTQ people to be themselves by saying “that’s so gay?” Just knock it off!
This Saturday is National Coming Out Day. If you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual or a straight ally, this is your day to be out and proud. And if you hear someone say “that’s so gay,” don’t just stand there. Say something about it!
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) teamed up with celebrities like Hillary Duff to create ThinkB4YouSpeak.com, a site with info on how you can get involved to end GLBTQ harassment in your school. Check out one of their TV ads below:
Most people don’t even blink when they see kissing between a guy and a girl—opposite-sex lip-locking is taken for granted. But a kiss between two guys is a different story. Who would think that an innocent guy-on-guy kiss in a mayo commercial would cause a controversy? Check out the commercial below:
The ad was supposed to run in the UK for five weeks, but Heinz pulled the commercial after just one week. Why? Apparently over 200 people found the ad offensive and felt it was “inappropriate to see two men kissing.” Thankfully, Heinz changed their mind and decided to run the ad anyway.
Isn’t it kind of hypocritical that an innocent kiss between two guys in a mayo commercial is cause for controversy, but Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”—a song about girl-on-girl kissing—is a worldwide hit?
On February 12, 15-year-old Lawrence “Larry” King was shot at E. O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California. The gunman was Larry’s classmate 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, according to police. Larry died later in the week after being taken off of life support. According to classmates, Larry identified as gay and sometimes wore feminine clothing, jewelry and makeup to school. Brandon was one of a group of students that harassed Larry because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.
What may have started as verbal harassment, like name-calling and making threats, turned into physical violence and ultimately Larry’s death. The reality is that every day, thousands of teens across the country like Larry are bullied and harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression.
Ellen DeGeneres made a rare statement about GLBTQdiscrimination and spoke out about Larry’s death on her talk show. See what she had to say:
Senseless and shocking school shootings have left many teens afraid and wondering “Could this happen at my school?” The truth is that yes, it could. But there are ways we can prevent shootings like the one that happened in Oxnard, California. You can help put an end to bullying and harassment of GLBTQ people in a few simple ways:
1) Listen up. If you pay attention to the words people use you might be surprised. A lot of people say things like “that’s so gay” and “no homo” all the time without ever realizing that they are creating an unfriendly environment for GLBTQ people. Harassing people with words like “faggot” and “dyke” is extremely hurtful and can easily turn into physical harassment. So, before you say “that’s so gay,” stop and think about the meaning behind those words. Read up on how these hateful words have affected the lives of teens in school.
2) Speak out. If you know someone is being bullied and harassed because of his or her sexual orientation or gender expression, tell someone, preferably a trusted adult. You might think this issue has nothing to do with you, or you might be afraid that if you get involved, people will harass you, too. But NOT taking action can lead to continued harassment and even violence. Let the end of discrimination and violence begin with YOU. Check out some ways that you can speak out.
3) Improve sex ed. Fear and intolerance of GLBTQ people is usually due to belief in stereotypes and misinformation. Not all sex ed classes cover sexual orientation and gender. But if they did, they would give teens accurate information and a chance to explore how they feel about these topics. Think changing sex ed in your school is impossible? Check out this story on how one teen changed sex ed all over Chicago!
Visit the “Remembering Lawrence King” MySpace profile and add them as your friend to show your support. Find more ways to make a difference in your school and get information on GLBTQ issues and other teen sexual health topics like sex, relationships and birth control at Sexetc.org.
Logo and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) teamed up to produce a public service announcement aimed to end GLBTQ discrimination. Check it out:
Pretty pink princesses or muscle-bound superheroes? Monster trucks or sparkly ponies? Go into just about any toy store, and you’ll notice that half of it is pink with toys for girls and the other half has brightly colored toys meant for boys. Is that really fair? Does our gender really have all that much to do with what kinds of toys we should like? A group of sixth graders in Sweden don’t think so.
