When It Doesn't "Get Better"

I think all the "It Gets Better" Youtubes done by celebrities - homosexual and heterosexual - are admirable.  The reaching out by adults to teens and young adults facing the horrendous treatment of society for simply being who they are is helpful.  It is.

But while it may momentarily bolster the heart of a bullied, traumatized, picked on, abused teen, it does nothing to stop those who dish out the hatred.

And the Cafe Of Ignorance is open 24/7/365 serving up hatred, bigotry, demonization, and hurt.

Case in point, yet another beautiful young soul has chosen to end his life - suicide somehow being the better option - than stay and endure the constant abuse of those in his high school who have been raised to hate "the other."

Kenneth Weishuhn Jr., was only 14 years old, a freshman in his Iowa high school. 

And one month ago he did the brave thing - he came out to his friends.

Or those he considered his friends.

He soon found out that friendship is fleeting, and those he thought he could trust, were actually cowards, bigots, bullies.  Let me repeat one of those for emphasis:

COWARDS.

That's better.  Big, fat, ignorant cowards.

According to his sister Kayla, "People that were originally his friends, they kind of turned on him.  A lot of people, they either joined in or they were too scared to say anything."

He was picked on at school, tormented via his cell phone, and the shitstains even took their abuse online, creating a group of anti-gay assholes, including his former friends.

Things escalated to Kenneth receiving death threats via his cell phone.  DEATH THREATS.  For simply being who he was born.

His heartbroken mother said he told her, "Mom, you don’t know how it feels to be hated."

No, Kenneth, you're right.  To be hated, targeted, hunted down over something you have as much control over as you do your eye color?  No, I have no idea.

But I do know that shitty teens do not get to be shitty teens without falling from some pretty shitty parental orifices.  Hatred, bigotry - it's all taught.

No child emerges from the womb knowing how to hate.  No baby knows anything about sexual orientation, color, religion.  ZERO.  It is all taught in word and deed by those who raise that child.  By those who stand by taking pride on putting another bigot into the world.

Those people, and their offspring, are a blight on humanity. 

I do not care what your storybook tells you, how you choose to warp your religious beliefs a la Westboro, how you were raised by your equally ignorant parents - YOU. ARE. WRONG.

And you deserve the bullying.  You deserve the condemnation, the derision, the pain.  You deserve to be driven into a hole where you can no longer hurt innocent people.  Because YOU are THE OTHER.  And you are on the wrong side of history.

Being gay, lesbian, bi, transgendered is not a disease, not some insidious "thing" that is out to touch or alter your lifestyle.  It is not a virus you can catch.  It is simply a person.  Just like you, just like me.  A beautiful, multidimensional person who simply wishes to live their life.

Do you need my approval to be fat?  Will my derision stop you from shoving another plate of cheese fries in your maw?  How about I start a campaign against YOU because of your eye color?  Send you death threats because you have red hair?  Should my opinion of your choice of footwear mean anything to you?  How about if your spouse is an asshole?   Should my view have any bearing on you choosing to stay and endure their douchebaggery? 

No.

It's none of my business, and frankly, what you shovel down your gullet does not affect my life in the least.  If you like flip flops, wear them.  I don't give a shit, and I am not going to start a Facebook page hating on you for your choice.  Want to stay with someone who won't even allow you to change your diet?  Fuck it.  Stay with them.  Doesn't affect me AT ALL.

Just as being gay doesn't affect YOU.

My daughters have been there when someone finally came out.  He was loved that day just the same as he had been loved the day before.  He was never treated any differently by them, by me, by his group of incredible friends.  Ben is my son, born in my heart.  And I would take a bullet, step in front of a train to protect him from anyone who would intend him harm.

That goes for a young man in Carson's circle who has recently come out.  He is wonderful, beautiful, talented, amazing - and yes, gay.   And woe betide ANYONE who would try to utter the slightest slur, hurt him, marginalize him - they would immediately face the wrath, bravery, and muscles of Carson.  With my full backing.  If I got a phone call from the school telling me she stood up to, and knocked down, someone who was tormenting him?  I'd serve the punishment with her.  Because far too few teens, hell ADULTS, stand up for what's right.

We live in Texas.  You can't swing a dead cat here without it hitting a herd of ignorant, bigoted shitkickers.  It's the same in any state.  And it's sad.  Because they have been taught to hate.  Raised to believe it is ok to belittle someone different than them.

They are wrong.  Dead wrong.

I take that back. 

They are ALIVE wrong.

Kenneth is the one who is dead.

Sadly, the bigotry that tortured him lives on.

Comments

[Chicky (Kathy)]

Couldn't have said it better.

[Robin in NM]

When I first started my blog - roblogin-robin@blogspot.com, one of my early posts was "Some of my Best Friends Are" about WHY that is a bigoted statement. I wrote it about racial minorities and why my BIL is a bigot. But it applies equally well to those who will accept ONE member of a minority group, but not others. Until and unless we can accept people as people, it applies to us all. In conclusion, I said, "I will be humanist--Most of my best friends are people. (a couple of others are cats!)" Since then, I have expanded my boundries to include a dog!

[Nikki]

These cases are tragic and sad and piss me off. Yes, I imagine in time it does get better. But when you are 14, 4 years is too long to wait. My heart breaks for his poor parents. I sure hope to God there isn't one of those candlelight vigils at his school with all these kids crying and carrying on like he was their best friend and they have no idea how this happened. That sort of hypocrisy is galling.

[Linda L]

Kenneth looked like a beautiful human being. We are the losers when such a person leaves this world too soon. This just breaks my heart.

[Dee-Dee]

As always...well said.

[Jodi]

Preach on girlfriend!!!!!!