>> ^quantumushroom:

Should be titled, "Liberals furious their opponents still have freedom of speech."

I believe that laws to prevent bullying are not worth the limits to freedom of speech.

So I am someone who posts a lot of gay videos.

I am a 56 year old straight woman who is patently appalled by the way gays have been treated in our society and I am thrilled that some progress is being made towards full acceptance of LGBT folks as human beings.

You know how to get the "gay" videos to stop?

Repeal DOMA. Vote to allow gays to marry in all states. Support anti-bullying programs in your local schools. Be outraged by their treatment and tell your pastor and your friends that you are outraged.

I love this site. And I love that one of the biggest trolls here, someone who loves to rile someone with an inflammatory comment or two or three, is the easiest pushover for a cute kitten video. That sums this place up in a sentence -- smart, irreverent and has a heart.

I do feel sorry for religious folks on this site -- it can be pretty rough. I wince at some of the comment streams. But this is where you are, my friend. Move on to the next video. There is always a next video.

>> ^Asmo:

>> ^ForgedReality:
omfg awwwkwaarrrrdd..... Even his headphones are gay....
But seriously folks... "Don't stand for it... But yeah stand up for it.. and yeah we're gunna show people standing. Basically, we're as confused as the kids in this PSA."

Don't stand for it, stand up against it I think is the message you're looking for... ; )


>> ^FlowersInHisHair:

>> ^ForgedReality:
omfg awwwkwaarrrrdd..... Even his headphones are gay....
But seriously folks... "Don't stand for it... But yeah stand up for it.. and yeah we're gunna show people standing. Basically, we're as confused as the kids in this PSA."

I don't think the idea is that all the kids who hold hands are gay, but that they're standing up for their gay friend. Get it? I thought it was pretty simple.


How. THE FUCK. Do you people not recognize sarcasm? Seriously.

>> ^ForgedReality:

omfg awwwkwaarrrrdd..... Even his headphones are gay....
But seriously folks... "Don't stand for it... But yeah stand up for it.. and yeah we're gunna show people standing. Basically, we're as confused as the kids in this PSA."


I don't think the idea is that all the kids who hold hands are gay, but that they're standing up for their gay friend. Get it? I thought it was pretty simple.

>> ^NaMeCaF:

>> ^Payback:
Sorry, the kids in my highschool had no where near this level of courage or compassion. Mutants.

The thing is, this is so unrealistic and over the top that no kids in any highschool would do this.


Well, I'm pretty sure they're going for melodrama, not reality, but I still have real doubts you could get any highschool anywhere to show enough backbone to even euphemistically achieve this.

>> ^ForgedReality:

omfg awwwkwaarrrrdd..... Even his headphones are gay....
But seriously folks... "Don't stand for it... But yeah stand up for it.. and yeah we're gunna show people standing. Basically, we're as confused as the kids in this PSA."


Don't stand for it, stand up against it I think is the message you're looking for... ; )

>> ^Payback:

Sorry, the kids in my highschool had no where near this level of courage or compassion. Mutants.


The thing is, this is so unrealistic and over the top that no kids in any highschool would do this.

Thanks for the promote. This is quite lovely, isn't it? The innocence of holding hands.... could it be any more clear that the bullying has to stop?

Man, am I mad at bobknight33.

Although I am beginning to be aware that being mad is not matching the spirit of this PSA. Oh well. I am enjoying being pissed off, I guess.

In reply to this comment by siftbot:
Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Sunday, April 3rd, 2011 7:37am PDT - promote requested by Skeeve.

http://videosift.com/video/Irish-Anti-bullying-PSA

A little note to @bobknight33 in the vid description

Winston, you're seriously going to try to turn this into a religious argument? I'll just say that I am a moral agnostic atheist who did not need any sort of deity to tell me what was right and wrong and leave it at that. For now.

For the "violence is not the answer" crowd, I say that violence is an answer, but rarely the right one. You guys keep going on and on about what we should do to keep kids from bullying each other. I agree that bullying needs to be stopped, but that has nothing to do with Casey's situation. Casey did not have the option of starting an anti-bullying campaign as he was being punched in the face. If you have a better solution for Casey then please let us know.

Don't want schools safe for all kids. It is okay to bully gay kids. Otherwise, our feelings might be hurt.

I wrote that in the middle of watching this. I am really curious what their "neutral" anti-bullying program is.

They want to protect the "innocence" of their kids. More like the ignorance. Put your fingers in your ears and say loudly "lalalalallalallallala.' That will make gay people and their families go away.

Huh. The hate crimes thing I missed completely.

Surely they can use that as a basis to get these stupid school administrators off their collective asses and have some real anti-bullying measures within schools??!!!

Frosts my bee-hind.


>> ^dgandhi:

>> ^bareboards2:
I wonder what Barney meant by two down, two to go. Do you know?

The hate crimes bill, which included protection on the basis of sexual orientation/identity passed a year or so ago, and DADT repeal was just passed, so that's 2 down, leaving only marriage rights and protection in employment, both of which are likely to be settled by the courts, which means the Roberts court will probably crush them.
If only we could pass the ERA.

Dan Savage has spoken repeatedly to this point, which has been brought up a lot in response to the It Gets Better Project.

If you are funny looking, or speak differently, you most likely go home to a supportive environment. Gay teens are more likely to be thrown out of the house, or more heartbreakingly, run away from home because they fear their parents' reaction. And certainly you never go to church and get told that you are sinning just for being yourself.

If you have red hair or a lisp, you don't face that kind of systemic bullying.

Gay bullying can be familial, societal, religious. Hence a suicide rate that is 4-6 times higher than teens in general.

And hence this particular It Gets Better Project.

So that is why isn't more encompassing. All folks who get bullied can take comfort from these videos -- after all, it will get better for them, too, when they get out of high school.

If you have three minutes, watch this short It Gets Better video.

http://videosift.com/video/It-Gets-Better-with-great-music-and-SHORT

It illustrates what Dan Savage means about family life. It has a happy ending though. Thank goodness.



>> ^spoco2:

This is entirely, and completely fucked up, and should never happen. But it is a little off that there is this campaign against anti gay bullying/bashing, when it should be anti bullying/bashing for any reason.
Do people who get bullied for being funny looking, or speaking differently, or just being 'different' get less support than someone who is gay?
I'm not suggesting that it isn't true that gays get bullied a lot more than non gays, but really shouldn't it be more encompassing?

This is entirely, and completely fucked up, and should never happen. But it is a little off that there is this campaign against anti gay bullying/bashing, when it should be anti bullying/bashing for any reason.

Do people who get bullied for being funny looking, or speaking differently, or just being 'different' get less support than someone who is gay?

I'm not suggesting that it isn't true that gays get bullied a lot more than non gays, but really shouldn't it be more encompassing?