“After surviving anorexia, I've decided to dedicate my education and studies to psychology so that one day I can help other teens who have gone through what I have.”
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?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard Katy Perry’s hit single “I Kissed a Girl,” a song about girls kissing girls and sexual experimentation. If you haven’t heard it yet, pay attention to the lyrics and check out the video below:
Sexual experimentation is a normal part of being a teen, and, like Katy says, it’s “just human nature.” It’s a way to explore your sexuality and find out what you like or don’t like sexually. But we have to wonder: Would we ever hear a song about boys kissing boys on the radio?
There’s a belief in our culture that two girls together are hot, but two guys are not. Girls are given much more freedom than guys to express themselves sexually, and, as Katy puts it, most people think girl-on-girl kissing “ain’t no big deal, it’s innocent.” The same isn’t true for guys, though, and lots of people believe that guy-on-guy kissing is just plain wrong.
It’s awesome to hear a song on the radio that celebrates girls kissing girls. Isn’t it time we break down the double standard and accept guys kissing guys, too?
Ryan Phillippe was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to talk about Stop-Loss—a new movie about the controversial subject of troop redeployment to Iraq. But host Jay Leno was too busy cracking jokes about Ryan’s role as the first openly gay teenager depicted on a TV soap opera to hear about the film. Take a look at the clip:
Give me your gayest look? Is that for real? Why is being gay the punch line of so many (not funny) jokes? And why didn’t Leno take the hint that Ryan was uncomfortable? The jokes were really lame. Having a laugh at the expense of gay people is just plain ignorant.
Avenue Q playwright Jeff Whitty had an interesting response to Leno’s humor. “I’ve gotta ask: Would you ask a guest to make their ‘blackest face’? Their ‘Jewiest face’?” Probably not.
Leno, you’re in the Sex, Etc. doghouse for making bad jokes at the expense of gay people.
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:
On Tuesday, February 12, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot at school by a classmate. He died later in the week after being taken off of life support. Lawrence, who attended E. O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, California, identified as gay and sometimes wore feminine clothing, according to classmates.
The 14-year-old, who allegedly shot Lawrence, has been charged with murder and a hate crime. The alleged attacker was one of a group of students that bullied and harassed Lawrence because he sometimes wore makeup and jewelry to school.
It’s so horrible to live in a world where GLBTQ teens face discrimination, threats and violence from peers because of their sexual orientation and gender expression. If you know someone in your school is being bullied because of his or her sexual orientation or gender expression, speak up! Take a stand against discrimination and let hate speech end with you.
MTV and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) teamed up to produce a few short videos aimed to end GLBTQ discrimination. Check them out:
