Humanity needs to get better. Period.

In the past few weeks the It Gets Better campaign has blown up all over the internet, causing various celebrities to record themselves reaching out to gay teens who are being bullied in their schools. Where I do believe in gay rights and I think these people have their hearts in the right place, I have some major issues with this entire campaign and the circumstances which caused its formation.

First of all, the trigger for this particular blog was a post on PerezHilton.com where he reported on a gay kid who was beaten on his school bus while two adult, school officials were present. After the report, Perez wrote, "And to that 14-year-old, we say this: IT GETS BETTER!" True. It most likely will--once you graduate college. But what are we doing about these bullies? The media and the parents of these kids who are victims of taunts and sometimes violence keep putting all of the pressure on school faculty to make the difference. I've said it before, and I will say it again--kids are smart enough to hide their evil bullshit from adults, plain and simple.

In most cases, a group of jackasses intent on tormenting that child who is considered "weird" or "different" will wait until an adult's back is turned. They are not going to carry out acts of violence where they can get caught. Their lack of compassion for their fellow human being may display their ignorance in a fine way, but there's a difference between ignorance and stupidity. You can be ignorant and still be cunning. Why can't the media speak directly to the parents of these kids accused of torturing their classmates to the point of suicide? Do the important lessons of respect, kindness, and love not get taught directly in the home? The parents in these cases should be questioned and confronted. Who are these people and how are they raising their children? Because that is the problem. All of this responsibility cannot be put on the schools. Meanness is a learned behavior, and it is learned, in most cases, in the home.



Also, as my roommate stated this morning, all of the videos posted as part of this campaign are recorded by celebrities--actors, public figures, musicians. Not to downplay their intentions at all, but these people are rich and famous. Of course it got better for them! I really hope the videos are working, but perhaps getting some every day, average Joes to record messages will make an even bigger impact. Surely there are some Starbucks baristas, some struggling artists, some grad students, some secretaries, some office interns, who feel the same way-- it gets better because you will find people who accept you for you.

And lastly, I feel great sympathy for the families of these kids who have decided to take their lives rather than deal with the pain of being tormented daily. I've heard their stories, their complaints to school officials for months, even years. I cannot judge them in any way, because it is not my place, but I do know that, if it were my child and I had the ability to do so, they would be home schooled. I would do everything in my power to make that child's days better. If you can't feel safe sending your child to school, it's a sad thing, but you probably shouldn't send them. Don't trust others with your own child, trust yourself.

The It Gets Better campaign is a great thing, a wonderful thing. But, as a sometimes cynic myself, seeing only celebrities spreading the word can be a bit off-putting. And I can see how it could be translated as, "Hey, kid. It gets better. Just endure this torment and this hell long enough to make it big, then every one will love the fact that you're gay." We should be teaching acceptance to the bullies, not tolerance to those being bullied.