So, New Year's Day is over. The parades, etc. are on today, and then it's January. For glbt people who are struggling with the whole coming out experience, for those people who are judged by others, have lost family or friends because of it, the holidays can be very hard. I know things are better than they used to be. I see people who are in their 70's and have been with their partners for 30+ years and I am in awe of how they made it through all those times, because we all know that it was very difficult to be gay in the past. It still is in some families and/or places, but think of 40 years ago, the dark, smoky bars were the only place to go to be yourself. Even today, I think that I like to go to gay events because it's easier to be ourselves when we are all gay. I am with a partner but it's really not easy to totally be myself around straight people, even friends. I find they are very accepting, but physical intimacy is another story - affection, etc. So, keep me posted on what you know to be true out there. I work in schools and know that the bullying and judgment by other students toward "perceived gay students" can be very harsh, no matter how hard the staff come down on "bullying." I actually do a lot of training in the elementary schools, as young as kindergarten, re: how we treat each other. Children are often the product of their parents' beliefs, and there are still parents out there with racism, bigotry, and narrow ideas. Kids often tell us their parents say "If he's mean to me, I can hit him." Goes against school policies. So, one day at a time, one child at a time. The positive student behavior is trying to help students think in a positive way about themselves and others, but the fights continue, the name calling continue, etc. I hope to do more of the peer support model - find the mature students who can influence other students. Dan Savage has the book "It Gets Better" and I think that's true for many students who feel unaccepted, unloved, different.
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