sundries

[rm]

Good morning. Four hours of sleep. Did I really do this every day for a year? On one hand, I don't feel so bad. On the other, I think being the best me I can be involves at least six a night. Wow, this is crap.

Moving along. Last night was the opening party for the New York Musical Theater Festival which is what all of those 2am thinky thoughts were about. I probably have buckets of more thoughts honestly, but feel, irritatingly, the need to spare you (or my dignity). Also apparently Catherine Martin and John O'Connell were there, but didn't put in public appearances that I noticed, alas (understandable for a number of reasons, but I'm a big fan of their various work too, particularly Martin's, so cue minor *sadface*). But! What I really _have_ to tell you about is this amazing musical performance we were treated to of this ridiculous song about how you can't sing opera if you're a country star. It was above and beyond, but I need to wait until I can do it justice.

redstapler and I are currently having the most hilarious, least appropriate conversation in EVER. And it's all because she just texted my phone with "Waffle House."

Hey, Austin people, check in. Also does anyone have any current reliable news from UT? First I heard there was one gunman who shot himself and no one else. Then I heard there was a second, then a third, and then that the third wasn't real. So, take a moment to say hello people and give us the news.

I am a not a guest of the Duane Reade, nor is eating my dinner a job. I am old fashioned about service and feel really strongly about these. Marketing is a gorgeous art, so's service. But man, it's crap when the two meet.

The clean-up crews for New York's tornadoes aren't local, so getting to come here for this type of job is a bit novel.

Anti-gay bullying claims another life.

A Minnesota school district that has had four recent suicides due to anti-gay bullying is being challenged on its "neutral stance" on queer issues and being urged to protect its students, thus far to no avail. Thanks to pgdudda for the link.

I want to take a second to note here, that if I were able to find every instance of a young person who killed themselves each day because they are queer or because they've been bullied for being perceived as queer, there would be No Room For Any Other Content On This Journal.

This is not a new rash of suicide amongst gay youth. Rather, statistics show that gay teens attempt suicide at at least four times the rate of their straight peers. And that doesn't even take into account those kids who are targeted with anti-queer slurs who may not have any queer identity.

The cruelty which we too often ignore, tolerate and encourage in our youth, that we say is just a part of growing up, is killing kids EVERY DAY in and adjacent to our communities.

An 11-year-old male cheerleader has been beaten up by bullies and had his arm broken. Yup, you guessed it, more anti-gay bullying. He doesn't plan to give up cheerleading, though. He also has his mom's support and the football team did send him a card.

Student body vote for a homecoming king is overruled by school administration because winner is trans.

For the first time, the portion of adults 25 - 34 who have never been married exceeds that that have.

Comments

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

The cruelty which we too often ignore, tolerate and encourage in our youth, that we say is just a part of growing up, is killing kids EVERY DAY in and adjacent to our communities.

Thank you for those links. Each of those stories is just so damned heartbreaking and so, so necessary to be told.

In return, I offer what must unfortunately be an extremely vague positive on the front of school response to anti-LGBT bullying. Which is that just today I got to see a very strong response by a school such that not only are the bullies being held accountable, but the school is actively working to make sure the bullied student experiences school as a safe place to learn. It's one case versus far, far too many where nobody steps up or even speaks up, but I found it encouraging nonetheless. Now to get more schools to recognize the importance of making sure they are safe environments for everyone to learn, and to make sure that's true before someone is hurt or driven to suicide.