Tag: anti-bullying

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Documentary “Bully” opens today in LA and NYC

After months of controversy over the MPAA rating for Lee Hirsch’s chronicle of the bullying epidemic, the powerful, heartbreaking documentary is finally being released unrated.

I speak to this because I personally dealt with being bullied – verbally and physically – when I was young.  I look back and realize I lost several years of moving forward because I was concerned with how my peers treated me in middle and high school. 

I got past that, clearly.  And learned to not only own myself, but to respect everyone who might be perceived as “different.”  As a matter of fact, I celebrate diversity today because of my experience – in great part because I experienced what I did.

Bully opens today in Los Angeles and New York, with more cities to be announced soon. Please go – and take your kids.

For more information go to TheBullyProject.com.

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Movie “Bully” will be released without film rating

Via press release: After a recent plea to the MPAA by BULLY teen Alex Libby and The Weinstein Company (TWC) Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein failed – by one vote – to get the film its deserved PG-13 rating, TWC is choosing to move forward with releasing the film unrated by the MPAA on March 30.

Furthering proof that the R rating for some language is inappropriate for a film that’s meant to educate and help parents, teachers, school officials and children with what’s become an epidemic in schools around the country, the fight against the rating continues on. The outpour of support by politicians, schools, parents, celebrities and activists for the film’s mission to be seen by those it was made for – children – has been overwhelming. Nearly half a million people have signed Michigan high school student and former bullying victim Katy Butler’s petition on Change.org to urge the MPAA to lower the rating.

Said BULLY Director Lee Hirsch, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real. It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.”

I think this looks like a very important film for kids – especially – to see. I’m hoping the theater owners will watch the film themselves and realize the message and power a movie like this can have.

I was bullied like the kids in this film were when I was in school. Big ways, small ways. It made going to school an experienced I dreaded some days.

The idea that adults and kids would work together to change the toxic atmosphere in some schools is fantastic. And kids today need to see that.

Go see the movie on March 30. And take some kids with you.

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Kentucky anti-bullying law voted down

The House Education Committee voted down an anti-bullying bill Tuesday that identified classes of students who might be harassed by their peers.

The vote came after parents and friends of teenagers who killed themselves to end incessant school bullying told lawmakers about the need for stronger protections for all students.

Several lawmakers on the panel contended that existing anti-bullying laws are sufficient. Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, said House Bill 336 was an attempt “to achieve equality by making some people more equal than others.”

He said the measure was not about bullying, but “about gay rights in our schools.”

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, disagreed.

She said the bill provides protections based on a student’s actual or perceived race; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity; physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability; and other distinguishing characteristics, as recommended by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

More at Kentucky.com

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Colin Farrell and gay brother join anti-bullying campaign in Ireland

Actor Colin Farrell wants to end antigay bullying in Ireland, saying he witnessed attacks on his gay brother, Eamon, when they were younger.

Both Farrell brothers have joined forces with Stand Up! Don’t Stand for Homophobic Bullying, a campaign launched last week by the Irish LGBT youth organization, BeLonG To.

“Each individual, as a member of his and her community, must Stand Up! In the face of this appalling brutality that plagues our schools,” Colin says in a statement. “In effect, bullying is no less than the systematic doling out of pain upon the innocent. It is literally laughing in the face of somebody as they fall into increasingly grave danger. It’s not my place to draw parallels, but we have had enough of such hardships. The world has.”

He continues, “Whether it be the attacking of gay students, which I witnessed first hand happening to my own brother, or students who are in the minority as a result of race or religious beliefs or any other such characteristic that separates them from ‘the norm,’ it is all wrong and has no place in a just and compassionate country such as I know Ireland to be. We have always been praised as being the friendliest and most welcoming race in the world. My wish is for us to prove it daily, in the school yards and playgrounds across this Great Land of Ours.”

Eamon and Colin Farrell
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GLEE episode movingly highlights LGBT youth bullying and suicide

For those who missed it, last week’s controversial mid-season finale episode of “Glee” may have shocked fans, but one LGBT youth advocacy group has seen a number of benefits as a result.

As Entertainment Weekly is reporting, The Trevor Project saw their web traffic spike and their phone calls triple after the episode, which depicted former bully Dave Karofsky (beautifully played by Max Adler) attempting suicide — to the tune of Young the Giant’s “Cough Syrup” — after being outed as gay to his classmates.

“What was great about the show is that they worked in conjunction with us so we knew in advance that there was going to in all likelihood be an increase in volume,” Trevor Project co-founder Peggy Rajski tells EW. “What happened was the volume went up about 300 percent, but we were ready.”

The Trevor Project is ready to help LGBTQ youth who feel they may be in crisis. If you feel you need help, please reach out 1-866-488-7386.

In high school, I weighed a lot of what raced through Dave Karofsky’s mind in this episode.  All those moments compacted in the quick video above that led to his suicide attempt happened to me at some point.  But lucky for me, I kept moving forward.

The phrase “it gets better” has, thankfully, entered our daily lexicon.  But it’s not a cliche, it’s the truth.  I want to encourage everyone to think about the power of our words, because you never know when you may be teasing the next Dave Karofsky.

Forward.

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Ben Cohen declares November 14th “StandUP Day” to stop bullying

Juan Martinez, Ben Cohen and Byron Beck StandingUp Against Bullying at NIKE Portland


Today is StandUp Day. Don’t know what that is? Well, then let’s have rugby legend Ben Cohen tell you:

“It is time to stop the bullying. Young people’s lives are being ruined and all it takes is the right person at the right time to stand beside them when it matters most to make the difference.

The 14th of November marks the death of my father, Pete, who although he is no longer here, has been a massive influence on my life and one of the reasons that I felt compelled to start StandUp.

Our aim is to bring awareness to the average person on the street who may not realise the harm that is being caused by bullying. By becoming aware, they may just be able to notice when something is not right and so stand up when needed before it is too late. The concept is simple, but very powerful.

I will be asking people to stand up with me by wearing their StandUp T-shirt or wrist band, by telling at least one person about StandUp, posting or tweeting about how they are standing up, or simply changing their profile picture to the StandUp logo for the day. It is time to stand up against bullying and I am proud to be able to ask you to stand up with me.”

Ben is currently on a tour of the US in support of his StandUp Foundation — the world’s first foundation dedicated to raising awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying, and funding those doing real-world work to stop it.
(source)

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National Organization for Marriage supports Michigan law legalizing anti-gay bullying

“Are some major political players openly now asserting that protecting gay children from bullying—a worthy goal—requires giving the government the right to prohibit thoughtful and civil expressions of religious or moral viewpoints?  What would become of our democracy if we accepted this reckless premise?”

“I hope Michigan’s effort to civilize children by repressing bullying becomes a landmark of a new effort to genuinely address the legitimate concerns of parents—including parents with gay teens—without heavy-handed use of government power to repress and exclude Christian views on sex and marriage.”

– NOM president Brian Brown, applauding the Michigan state Senate for approving a bill which allows bullying which has a “religious or moral” purpose.
(via joemygod)

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Anti-Bullying ‘Seth’s Law’ Passes California Senate

From Care2.com: California’s senate lawmakers passed a bill last week that will require schools to specifically enact policies against bullying related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bill, known as AB 9 or Seth’s Law, passed the Senate in a 24 to 14 vote late Thursday. The California Assembly passed the bill in June on a 52-26 vote. The legislation now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. He is expected to sign the legislation.

AB 9 is designed to ensure that every school in California implements anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies and programs that include actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, as well as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, disability, and religion. The law is also designed to give parents of children in California’s schools clearer knowledge of what to expect from school administrators when they are handling instances of bullying and ways of reporting concerns if parents think school administrators are not acting appropriately.

Seth’s Law is named after 13 year-old Seth Walsh who, because of pervasive anti-LGBT bullying, attempted suicide and died as a result of his injuries last year.