When is the last time your feelings were hurt because of someone else’s words? My answer is—not so long ago. For as long as I can remember, classmates have laughed about my last name, “Fung-Wiener,” and it took me years to embrace my name as a goofy representation of my culturally diverse background. Most teens deal with bullying in some way during their high school experiences. Haven’t you?

The Bully Project is a grassroots movement that uses local campaigns, video projects and social media “to build an alliance of students, parents, school staff, policy makers and engaged citizens to create a positive environment in schools where everyone feels safe and respected.”

At the heart of The Bully Project is a documentary of the same name, directed by celebrated filmmaker, Lee Hirsh. The film spotlights the stories of five different American teens and families in their homes and at their schools. Through these stories, The Bully Project searches for the answers to questions we’ve all asked ourselves: Why do we bully each other, and how can we stop it?

The Bully Project film is scheduled for broad release in U.S. theaters soon. But we don’t need to wait for the movie to learn how to make a difference! On the project’s official Web site, bold letters beckon teens across the nation to “JOIN THE MOVEMENT” by signing up to hear about their latest news and initiatives.

So think about it—when is the last time bullying affected your life, or that of a friend or family member? You’re not alone. It happens all the time to teens all over the nation, but bullying doesn’t have to go on like this forever. We have the power to stop it. So check it out. Speak up. Join the movement.

—Hannah Fung-Wiener, 16, Staff Writer

Fans of the X-Men comic series, which debuted in 1963, might know that the mutants struggle against anti-mutant sentiment has been called a metaphor for the civil rights movement. The series has recently begun addressing the struggle for LGBTQ equality in the X-Men series, Generation Hope.

Commentators have pointed out the connections that can be drawn between gay teens and the X-Men. The X-Men come into their powers during puberty, and many LGBTQ people accept and embrace their identity during their teen years. And both groups feel ostracized for their differences.

Generation Hope #9, which came out this summer, even discussed the issue of gay teens who die by suicide. This is a sensitive issue, which has been in the national spotlight since the death of Tyler Clementi last year. Check out the comic for yourself to determine how well X-Men writers handle this difficult topic.

—Taylor McCabe, 19, Contributor

Rise Against—a hardcore punk band I’ve always associated with screaming about heartbreak and partying—recently surprised me. The Illinois band took on more poignant subject matter this year, and MTV took notice. Rise Against’s anthem of LGBTQ acceptance and hope—“Make It Stop (September’s Children)”—has been nominated for the 2011 Video Music Awards’ Best Video With a Message.

The lyrics and video make it clear that the song’s goal is to help end homophobia. The message is delivered powerfully: at one point, lead singer Tim McIlrath lists the names of the teens who died by suicide almost a year ago and stresses their young ages (between 13 and 18). Clips from the It Gets Better Project cut into the music video and highlight the happy lives led by many LGBTQ adults who were bullied as teens.

The video ends hopefully with its three main characters—bullied LGBTQ teenagers—deciding against ending their lives. The viewers get a flash-forward into the teens’ happy futures to come, and the implication is that the It Gets Better Project’s powerful message of hope convinced those teens contemplating suicide to change their minds.

Rise Against deserves more than a spaceman statuette for “Make It Stop (September’s Children).” The group merits widespread recognition and respect, both from fans and those (like me) who’d normally give them a pass. The group took on an important subject often ignored by mainstream musicians. Even the song’s lyrics make this clear: “children shamed for those they chose to kiss… we’re calling for/ insisting on, a different beat/ a brand new song.”

—Meg Gibbon, 19, Contributor

TGIF! It’s finally Friday morning. You’ve just sat down in first period English, and you can’t wait to talk all about your upcoming plans for the weekend. Grinning, you tap your best friend on the shoulder, eager to share the news. After five minutes of non-stop chatter, you stop and take a breath.

“So, what do you think?”

As you stare expectantly at your friend, you can’t help but notice that she has been oddly quiet the whole time. In fact, as you take a quick glance around the room, you realize that the entire class has been strangely silent this morning. With the exception of a few people, everyone else is either gesturing or passing notes. True, it is first period, but it has never been this quiet before. What is going on?!

You must have a confused look on your face, because your friend pulls out a small card. You quickly skim over it, catching bits and pieces of the message: “Not speaking today. Bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Building awareness.” Suddenly, it hits you.

This Friday, April 15th, is the National Day of Silence. On this day, students and teachers all over the nation will “take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools,” according to the Day of Silence Web site.

Sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), this event raises awareness about the harassment LGBT students often face by showing teenagers how it feels to be silenced by bullying. Visit DayofSilence.org for event information, posters, stickers and speaking cards to help spread the word at your school.

Take this day to make a statement and make a difference. Silence, after all, is golden.

—Cynthia Lam, 17, Staff Writer

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