Podcast: Emmy Award Nominations, Bullied Teen Convicted, 'Straight Pride' Gets Smackdown, Kevin Spacey

In this week's podcast:

• The 2019 Emmy Award nominations have been announced and there’s good news for lots of LGBTQ artists

• A gay high school student in NYC has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing two of his bullies

• 'Straight Pride' organizers get a smackdown by Netflix's legal team

• Out rapper Lil Nas X keeps breaking records on the Billboard charts

• Charges against Kevin Spacey are dropped after his accuser invokes his 5th Amendment rights

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Mayor Pete Buttigieg Has The Perfect Answer To A Young Girl's Question About Bullying

Mayor Pete Buttigieg addresses how to handle a bully

Mayor Pete Buttigieg drew questions from a fishbowl at a town hall appearance in Iowa City last night, and ended up offering advice to young person who had been bullied.

Eleven-year-old Rebecca Johann told ABC News that she has experienced bullying and wanted the mayor’s advice on how to handle it.

Addressing Rebecca and the other 600 attendees at the Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, Buttigieg admitted he had faced bullying himself.

He began his answer by giving props to the girl for being willing to discuss about the subject. “Part of the advice I’d give would is to be willing to talk about it, so I think you’re leading the way on that - thank you for raising the question,” he said.

“I had experiences with bullying when I was growing up,” Buttigieg told the young girl. “Everybody who’s different can be bullied. And the secret is - everybody’s different in some way.“

“It’s tough, it can make you feel angry, it can make you feel worse, and it can bring out the worst in you, too,” he added.

“The first thing you’ve got to know is you have nothing to be ashamed of,” drawing applause from the crowd. “And the second part, this is a much harder part to remember is that the person who is bullying you probably has something a little broken in them, and it’s part of why they’re trying to get your attention.”

Referencing the current occupant of the Oval Office who’s made a career out of trying to bully folks, the 37-year-old candidate added, “I think it really matter that we have a president that doesn’t show that type of behavior - it’s one of the reasons I’m running for president.”

And the crowd goes wild!!!

“So, the hard part, if you really want to pop that balloon and take the air out of that bully, is to turn to a bully and ask if they are ok.,” continued Buttigieg. “And they won’t know what to do with it.

Watch the clip below for the rest of Mayor Pete’s answer.

It’s worth noting that the mayor directly addressed young Rebecca for the entirety of his response. He didn’t ‘play to the audience’ or make the moment about himself.

#Leadership

Public Debate Of LGBTQ Legislation Can Lead To Rise In Homophobic Bullying

A new study shows that public debate over LGBTQ laws can lead to an increase in homophobic bullying.

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University and Columbia University collaborated on the study published in the medical journal Pediatrics on Monday.

The researchers crunched data that included survey results from almost five million middle and high school students in the state of California from 2001 to 2015.

Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage via state constitutional amendment, was approved by Golden State voters 52% - 47% in November 2008. It was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013.

The scientists looking at the survey results found that as the debate around Prop 8 began to heat up in 2008, incidents of homophobic bullying among young people began to spike.

During the 2008/2009 school year, homophobic bullying increased 10.8 percent. In the same time period, bullying related to ethnicity, race, religion or gender declined.

Stephen Russell, senior author of the study, told local NBC News affiliate KXAN, “We think that young people don’t hear what adults and lawmakers are talking about, but they do.”

Russell, who has studied the health of LGBTQ young people for nearly 20 years, points out that incidents of homophobic bullying actually exceeded the estimated number of students believed to be LGBTQ at the time.

“The data are telling us that straight kids are getting bullied for this, too,” said Russell. “It’s all about what the bullies perceive.”

The rate of anti-gay bullying began to decline in California after debate on Prop 8 subsided, and has continued to decrease every year since that time.

The study found that rates of homophobic bullying were lower at schools where there was a Gay/Straight Alliances on campus.

The data indicated that anti-gay bullying was below 10 percent at schools with a GSA versus nearly 13 percent on campuses without a GSA.

(image via Depositphotos)

News Round-Up: April 23, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• Who else is feeling springtime in the air? Graphic artist Silverjow captures the mood perfectly (above). He shares that he was inspired by the cherry blossoms in Japan as well as the stylish peeps heading to work in their business suits :)

• Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, the brothers accused of attacking actor Jussie Smollett and later cleared when prosecutors announced Smollett had orchestrated a hoax to advance his career, are suing Smollett's legal team for defamation.

• Donald Trump's son-in-law and presidential adviser Jared Kushner suggested Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was more harmful to the US than Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Kushner downplayed Russia's efforts to interfere with the 2016 election as "buying some Facebook ads."

• Voter turnout for young voters during the midterm elections was the highest in four decades.

.@AnneKFlaherty reports: Young people behind the highest midterm turnout in four decades per Census data

"Among 18- to 29-yo voter turnout went from 20 percent in 2014 to 36 percent in 2018, the largest percentage point increase for any age group — a 79 percent jump."

— Serena Marshall (@SerenaMarsh) April 23, 2019

• Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old high school student in Huntsville, Alabama, took his own life after suffering from homophobic bullying from classmates. The Center for Social Equity found 89% of LGBTQ students report being bullied.

If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of suicide, please consider reaching out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386.

• A major faith-based foster care and adoption contractor for the state of Michigan, Bethany Christian Services, announced it will place children in LGBTQ homes, reversing course following a recent legal settlement.

• Politico reports that Donald Trump has ordered administration officials to boycott the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the annual fundraising gala attended by the White House press corps and scheduled for this Saturday. For the third year in a row, Trump has announced he will not attend, and instead hold a political rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, describing the dinner as “so boring and so negative.”

• Flipping the script from Trump's negative, let's end this Round-Up with Salt Cathedral's upbeat tribute to folks who work hard for what they want: "Go and Get It" featuring guest artists Big Freedia & Jarina DeMarco.

The bouncy, euphoric electronic track features playful pop vocals along with sunny horn samples on a bass-heavy track.

Salt Cathedral say, ”‘Go And Get It’ is our hustler anthem. Since we came to this country we worked to open doors constantly by hustling like crazy. Having Jarina and Freedia be part of this and bring their magic into it makes the message and emotion extra powerful. We hope for people to feel inspired and go and get the shit that they want in their lives.”

Teacher Fired For Reporting Homophobic/Racist Flyers At School

(image via Twitter)

During the last week of March, homophobic and racist flyers began to appear throughout the hallways of McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

According to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, the flyers read, “It’s great to be straight. It’s not OK to be gay. Black lives matter only because if it weren’t for them who would pick our cotton.”

“Join the kkk,” concluded the message, which seemed to be signed by “the confederate kid club.”

#hideous

When the flyers were brought to the attention of Kaycee Cook, a substitute teacher and co-sponsor of the school’s gay/straight alliance, she contacted Wyoming Equality. The advocacy group works to protect LGBTQ people in the state.

The executive director for Wyoming Equality, Sara Burlingame, told the press that she had heard about the flyers from several members of the community.

“This is unacceptable,” she said in a statement to Queerty. “It does not reflect the values of Cheyenne. We’re not going tolerate this. And we’re going to show up and support our LGBT youth and our black youth with unwavering pride and support.”

Even the mayor of Cheyenne, Marian Orr, got wind of the flyers and tweeted her support to Cheyenne youth writing, “Tonight, my heart is the heaviest it’s been since taking office. This is not right. To the youth in our community: You are loved. You are valued. We need you to take us forward. You are Cheyenne.”

Tonight, my heart is the heaviest it’s been since taking office. This is not right. To the youth in our community: You are loved. You are valued. We need you to take us forward. You are Cheyenne. https://t.co/NSvk0MRkKv

— Mayor Marian Orr (@gofishwyo) March 28, 2019

When the Wyoming Tribune Eagle contacted Principal Jeff Conine about the flyers, he seemed to downplay the issue saying there were only two flyers found and that they were removed before the school day began.

But others, including Kaycee Cook, told the Eagle that the flyers were “all over the school.”

In fact, anti-LGBTQ bullying has been reported for weeks at the school with little done to tamp down the hate.

Some students say they stopped going to the school’s GSA meetings because a group of boys began verbally harassing and bullying the members of the group.

One student who preferred to remain anonymous said the boys openly called themselves racists and homophobes.

There are even reports of teachers calling same-sex students holding hands “disgusting.”

Cook says she’s taken the issue to supervisors for weeks without any results.

Here's where it really gets messed up, though.

On March 27, Cook received an email from Principal Conine firing her.

(image via Wyoming News)

“I am notifying you that due to incidents that have occurred at McCormick you are no longer welcome as a guest or a substitute teacher in our building,” read the email.

Cook told the press she believes Conine’s actions were in retaliation for contacting Wyoming Equality.

The Laramie County School District 1 issued a statement about the debacle, which read:

“In the midst of an investigation regarding inappropriate flyers that were posted at McCormick Junior High yesterday, (LCSD1) is offering support to our LGBTQ and black students who were reportedly targeted through the incident.”

When contacted by the Eagle, Principal Conine told reporters he wasn’t prepared to make a statement about the email.

Since last week, at least one of the student's responsible for the hateful flyers has been identified. LCSD1 Superintendent Boyd Brown told Wyoming News that the student would be "disciplined in line with district policy."

Additionally, it looks like Cook's dismissal will be reversed and she should be reinstated at the school soon.

What a debacle.

Study Shows Increase In School Bullying In Trump Country

(photo via Depositphotos)

In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, teachers reported an increase in bullying and name-calling in classrooms across the country.

A new study in Virginia, published by the American Educational Research Association, now shows data that supports those stories.

Using data from a school climate survey involving over 150,000 students across Virginia, Francis Huang of the University of Missouri and Dewey Cornell of the University of Virginia compared responses from 2015 and 2017.

The researchers found increased reports of bullying in the 2017 responses in areas where Donald Trump won more votes over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

In the areas where voters favored Trump, middle school children reported bullying rates 18% higher than in areas where Clinton had been favored.

Those same students were found to be 9% more likely to report teasing or name-calling based on ethnicity or race.

Looking back at the 2015 responses, before the presidential election, the data showed “no meaningful difference.”

A psychology professor at the University of Florida, Dorothy Espelage, whose work focuses on school safety and bullying in middle and high schools, wasn’t surprised by the study’s findings.

"Anybody that's in the schools is picking up on this," Espelage told NPR. "You don't have to be a psychologist or a sociologist to understand that if these conversations are happening on the TV and at the dinner table that these kids will take this perspective and they're going to play out in the schools."

Last September, non-profit group Youth Truth released a report that showed 33% of students say they had been bullied in the past year. That represented an increase from two years earlier when only one in four students reported being bullied.

That survey included over 160,000 students across 27 states.

Melania Trump: "I'm The Most Bullied Person In The World"

In a newly released interview excerpt of First Lady Melania Trump speaking to ABC News reporter Tom Llamas (set to air on Friday), she defends her work with her 'Be Best' anti-bullying initiative saying she sees herself as a victim of bullying.

Yes, the wife of one of the world's richest men and president of the United States feels she is one of the most bullied people in the world.

Are you f*cking kidding me???

In the clip, she shares, “I could say I’m the most bullied person in the world. One of them — if you really see what people [are] saying about me.”

EXCLUSIVE: First lady Melania Trump says her “Be Best” policy platform targeting online bullies is personal. “I could say that I’m the most bullied person in the world,” she tells ABC. https://t.co/iiEv5Z3ijv pic.twitter.com/CWZ7g9by27

— ABC News (@ABC) October 11, 2018

It is stunning to read this as the world recognizes National Coming Out Day. A day when so many closeted LGBTQ people of all ages stand up to be their authentic selves even in the face of brutal physical and emotional bullying.

And the First Lady says she's "the most bullied person in the world?" Who or how is she so powerfully bullied? Folks tweet mean things at her?

Normally I leave the family members of politicians alone, but this is really ridiculous.

I've seen bullying in my time. Trust me, a few mean tweets are nothing to being stalked in high school, threatened verbally on a daily basis and physically attacked in front of your classmates.

The citizens of the Twitterverse were none too taken with Ms. Trump's woe-is-me act.

Melania trump, living with the most notorious bully in the world, says she's the most bullied person in the world.

If you sleep with a shark, don't be surprised when you wake up with your arm chewed off. #BeBest https://t.co/LUeOLq5VrT

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) October 11, 2018

Melania? You are maxed out.😇 pic.twitter.com/JEXdyumxwT

— Barry Ybarra (@ybarry45) October 11, 2018

#MT @krassenstein
Melania Trump thinks she's "most bullied person in the world."

Michelle Obama was literally called a "monkey"& an "Ape". Some people even said that she was a man, who murdered Joan Rivers to cover up her sex change.

Michelle never complained a SINGLE TIME!

— McSpocky™ 👽🖖 (@mcspocky) October 11, 2018

Well that explains why her #BeBest campaign doesn't seem to actually do anything. It's not an altruistic anti-bullying campaign to help others who are bullied. It's a self-serving "don't be mean to me" campaign. Weaponized victimhood to avoid responsibility. Classy as always.

— Heather Hughson (@HNHughson) October 11, 2018

Two Teens Get Slap On The Wrist After Choking A Student Into "Apologizing" For Being Gay

Will Mayrick (image via Facebook)

Two teens in the UK, who choked a student during a Tube ride in London until he “apologized” for being gay, have basically walked out of court with a slap on the wrist.

Will Mayrick, 20, says he feared for his life after two attackers grabbed him in a headlock, squeezing the breathe out of him, during an evening out with four of his friends.

The photography student today said the hideous ordeal might never have happened if the teenage perpetrators had undergone LGBT education classes at school.

Mayrick told the press that the Government needs to make LGBT studies a requirement. “It’s clear that there needs to be a better support network in schools,” he told the Evening Standard.

In the end, both attackers (aged 16 and 17) were given 12-month referral orders and each ordered to pay fines of about $27 for "victim surcharge" and $200 for "compensation."

After the sentencing, Mayrick withheld judgement of his assailants saying, “They were so young, and I can’t help but think that if they had had some sort LGBT education then the attack might never have happened.”

According to a recent study by Stonewall, 55% of secondary school teachers and 42% of primary school teachers say they don’t stand up to homophobic language every time they hear it.

Additionally, 86% of secondary school teachers and 45% of primary school teachers polled said students in their schools had experienced homophobic bullying.

News Round-Up: March 21, 2018

(via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Handsome dog, right? The pup's a cutie, too ;)

• The most anti-LGBTQ Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives barely eked out a win over his primary opponent in Illinois. He now faces (no exaggeration) a Republican whose a devout Neo-Nazi.

• Cell phone video shows a gay teen in Oklahoma getting his head bashed into a school locker by a bully.

• For the first time in decades the National Rifle Associations has a net negative approval rating.

• Included in the undercover recordings of Cambridge Analytica executives was one of the top ranking bosses suggesting spreading gay rumors about candidates was an effective method of bringing them down.

• Political analyst Stu Rothenberg spoke to several insiders who predict the Democrats will win between 30-45 seats in the House during the fall mid-term elections, more than the 24 seats needed to take control.

• In a somber Instagram post, insanely handsome Superman star Henry Cavill shares the news that his facial hair is, sadly, no more. #ShavedButNotForgotten

#ShavedButNotForgotten

A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on Mar 21, 2018 at 2:10am PDT

Burger King PSA: Folks Stand Up For Bullied Burger More Than Bullied High School Junior

Fast food restaurant Burger King created this public service announcement in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month that seeks to find out why more people will stand up for a bullied Whopper Jr. than a bullied high school junior.

For the spot, the company hired actors to play the bullies and the victim during a busy time in a Burger King restaurant. While the teenager is getting bullied, employees served "bullied" Whopper Jr's to patrons.

The patrons didn't hesitate to complain about the burgers, but practically no one addressed the bullying going on right in front of them.

As one kid shares, "It's just easier to do nothing."

From Burger King:

Scrawny. Short. Ugly. Fat. Weird. 30% of school kids worldwide are bullied each year and bullying is the #1 act of violence against young people in America today (Source: nobully.org). The BURGER KING® brand is known for putting the crown on everyone’s head and allowing people to have it their way. Bullying is the exact opposite of that. So the BURGER KING® brand is speaking up against bullying during National Bullying Prevention Month.

Visit NoBully.org to learn how you can take a stand against bullying.

And watch below to see how many customers actually step up for the high school junior.

NYC: High School Student Bullied For Sexual Orientation Turns On Tormentors Killing One, Injuring Second

Abel Cedeno (center)

A Wednesday morning history class in the Bronx turned deadly as 18-year-old Abel Cedeno, who has been reportedly bullied regarding his perceived sexual orientation for weeks, snapped and stabbed two of his tormentors.

From the New York Daily News:

Horrified classmates howled in disbelief as Cedeno flew into a homicidal fury, plunging the serrated stainless steel blade into the chests of Matthew McCree, 15, and Ariane Laboy, 16.

The knife-wielding Cedeno just “went crazy,” said witness Jomarlyn Colon, 16. “Everybody just stood back. A few of them were holding Matthew. A few of them were holding towels on the wound.

“All the kids were crying and screaming.”

McCree, who started the deadly confrontation by flicking a pencil at Cedeno, was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital after the 10:50 a.m. stabbing spree in a fifth-floor classroom, cops said.

Laboy was in critical condition at the same hospital after he was slashed while coming to McCree’s defense.

Cedeno was charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

This marks the first murder to take place inside a New York City school since 1993.

News Round-Up: November 30, 2016

Fitness model Nick Sandell

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Who can ever get enough of fitness model Nick Sandell?

• After closing all LGBT charities and legally banning sexual lubricants (because they "promote" homosexuality) earlier this year, the government of Tanzania has now banned all HIV/AIDS outreach programs.

• After years of physical and verbal bullying, 13 year old Tyrone Unsworth of Australia committed suicide last week. "Faggot," "fairy," and "gay boy" were daily taunts Tyrone heard at school until he took his own life.

• Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, opposes same-sex marriage, opposes protections for transgender folks, says LGBT rights cost too much and wants to completely cut off all federal funds for Planned Parenthood. Sounds like a great guy, huh?

• Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is prepping legislation to extend legal protections for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. This is in anticipation of Donald Trump revoking the executive orders by President Obama which has protected over 700K young people to avoid deportation.

• More from calendar season! Today, we've got out singer/songwriter Tom Goss offering up his "beefcake" calendar. Head over to his official website to order.

A Lesson On How To Defend Yourself From A Hate Crime

My friend Patrick Boyd's Facebook post has gone viral after he successfully stood up for himself against a bully in front of his own NYC apartment building.

What did I learn today? Something I've actually known for awhile but will share since it was necessary to put it in to action today.

The lesson? Mace. Mace is a brilliant self-defense tool as it doesn't even have to be utilized for it to be effective and yield the desired results. The very idea of mace sprayed in one's face is its own psychological weapon.

Case in point, today. Right outside of my building a man in his late 20's called me a "faggot" out of the blue. After attempting to ignore him and enter my building he shouted "I'm gonna kick your ass" and other expletives as he walked across the street.

That was my "oh, hell no" moment. I parked my scooter, turned around, reached in my coat pocket, and challenged him by saying, "If you're going to do something, do it. Whatever you think you're going to do, bring it." The angry man begins to walk across the street, accepting my proposition.

As he gets close to me I raise my bottle of magic juice and point it in the direction of his face. He stops dead in his tracks. I say, "oh...something the matter? I though I was about to get my ass kicked?" A small crowed has now gathered. "You gonna to spray me," he shouted. I respond, "Yes, I'm gonna burn your eyeballs right out of your F'ing head." A moment of silence follows. I continue, "still waiting for that ass kicking."

I end the confrontation by saying, "oh, so since you see I can DEFEND myself, no ass kicking. Ahhh...not so tough now are ya?" Light applause from the crowd as he walks away mumbling and grunting to save face.

No violence, no guns, no punches thrown, and no eyeballs burned out of someone's head. Just an @sshole finding out he's not as tough as he thinks he is. All thanks to a little can of mace that fits in your pocket that I didn't even have to use. (And yes, it's legal)

Stick up for yourself brothers and sisters. Trump has unleashed a Pandora's box of unbridled hate, racism, homophobia, sexism, and xenophobia. I for one am going to fight. And now is REALLY not a good time to f#ck with me.

I should mention that along with being way talented, Patrick is also built as solid as a wall.

You'd be an idiot to threaten him.

Campaign Ad: "Bully"

A new campaign ad from the Hillary Clinton campaign juxtaposes Republican Donald Trump with iconic movie bullies sending a message that Americans shouldn't let Trump bully his way into the White House.

Opening with a textbook definition of a bully — “A blustering, overbearing person who puts down or intimidates others” — the clip overlaps the taunts from bullies from well-known movies with jeering comments Trump has made on the campaign stump.

The spot then focuses on a moment from a town hall earlier this year where Clinton was asked by a 10 year old girl, “What are you going to do about bullying?”

Clinton asked the young girl, “Can you tell me a little bit more about why that’s on your mind?”

“I have asthma and occasionally I hear people talking behind my back,” said the fifth-grader.

Clinton responds to the little girl saying, “I really do think we need more love and kindness in this country. That’s why it’s important to stand up to bullies wherever they are and why we shouldn’t let anybody bully his way into the presidency because that is not who we are as Americans.”

It's funny how people see what they want to see in the world. Trump supporters see a "leader" while I see a man who would embarrass the United States with his dark and overbearing angry tone.

Others say Clinton has led a negative campaign while this is the message I see from her.

There are a lot of bullies in this world. The last thing we need is one in the White House. pic.twitter.com/M0owOglPjy

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 17, 2016

Tyler Clementi's Roommate Gets Bias Convictions Overturned

Today, former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi, who's anti-gay bullying led his roommate Tyler Clementi to commit suicide, saw his 15 count conviction overturned due to a change in state law in New Jersey.

Folks in the LGBT news world are stunned.

From NJ.com:

The appellate court sided with Ravi's attorneys who had argued he never should have been charged with bias crimes and his convictions should be reversed. The court also ordered a new trial saying Ravi could not have received a fair trial as the bias evidence "permeated the trial."

"It's far from over," Ravi's attorney Steven Altman said Friday morning. "I'm extraordinarily pleased with the decision. I haven't spoken with the Ravi family yet, but I can only imagine they're pleased as well."

The appellate decision arrives four years after Ravi's conviction on several counts of bias intimidation and other charges following a highly publicized trial in New Brunswick, which put a national spotlight on cyber bullying.

Clementi, of Ridgewood, who was Ravi's dorm mate at Rutgers University when the two were freshmen, jumped off the George Washington Bridge several days after the bullying incidents in September 2010 in which Ravi set up a remote webcam that spied on Clementi while he was having an intimate encounter with another man.

Ravi was not charged in Clementi's death and his defense maintained the webcam incidents had nothing to do with Clementi's decision to commit suicide. He was sentenced — and has already served — his 30-day sentence, three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.

After Ravi's conviction in 2012, the state Supreme Court in a separate case struck down part of the state's bias crime statute that focused on the victim's state of mind. According to that case, it is the defendant's state of mind and intent that is important, not the victim's.

The appellate court said the prosecution conceded in its oral arguments four of Ravi's bias convictions should "be void as a matter of law," and, accordingly, dismissed those charges with prejudice. The court also dismissed Ravi's conviction on hindering his own apprehension and tampering with witnesses.

Home of openly gay teen in Michigan targeted for vandalism

A openly gay 16 year old student has become the target of vandalism to his home in Vienna Township, Michigan.

From NBC25:

The parents and the young man are speaking out tonight---saying they will not suffer in silence.

“Over here you can see the red and black paint from the arrow,” says Melanie Peabody while pointing out the damage to her home.

She and her husband tried to wipe away the graffiti but the traces are still there.

“I’m mad. My son's not safe,” says Peabody.

A homosexual slur was spray-painted on her Vienna Township home with an arrow pointing to her 16 year old son's bedroom.

“It does hurt,” says Levi Peabody who attends Clio High School. “As much as I don't want to admit it, it does hurt that someone would dislike me that much to do something to my window,” adds the high school sophomore.

The Peabodys believe classmates of Levi are behind the act.

“I want the kid that did this to get caught,” says Levi’s mother.

The Peabodys have even installed a security camera in their bedrooms to try and catch the culprits but more importantly to let people know, they will not stand for this.

(via Towleroad)

Anti-bullying PSA: "I Will Survive"

Some folks over at Adweek are saying the idea of "revenge" as a message to stop bullying sets in motion a cycle of the victim becoming the oppressor.

Thoughts? Is it not really that deep and just a message delivered with a bit of comedy?

Or is this not the right tact to take in breaking the cycle of bullying?

Ohio man sentenced to five hours with sign declaring "I Am A Bully"

An Ohio man, Edmond Aviv, was ordered to spend five hours at a street corner with a sign declaring he’s a bully said his sentence was unfair and the judge who gave it to him ruined his life.

Municipal Court Judge Gayle Williams-Byers ordered Aviv to display the sign for five hours Sunday. The judge selected the wording for it:

“I AM A BULLY! I pick on children that are disabled, and I am intolerant of those that are different from myself. My actions do not reflect an appreciation for the diverse South Euclid community that I live in.”

Bravo to the Judge Williams-Byers.  My opinion is - if you do it, if you say it - OWN it.  Be the icky, bigot you are.  And be proud of it.  Otherwise, adjust and learn that the world embraces and celebrates every kind of person.  

(via Politico)

World Vision bows under pressure regarding position on hiring same-sex married employees

I recently reported on an announcement by Christian charitable organization World Vision's decision to allow hiring same-sex married employees.

Now, under pressure and boycott threats by religious groups, World Vision has reversed course and decided against the new hiring practice.

Via World Magazine:

Board member Stephen Hayner, president of Columbia Theological Seminary, replied to an email inquiry from WORLD this afternoon concerning the outcry from evangelicals over the original decision: “The Board of World Vision is just concluding a meeting and will be releasing a statement shortly reversing the decision that was made. It was never the intention of the Board to undermine our firm commitment to the authority of the Scripture.”

Over the past two days, many major Christian leaders, churches, and evangelical bloggers had responded with shock and dismay over the group’s decision to embrace the unbiblical practice, and some Christians had wondered whether they could continue supporting the group’s popular child sponsorship program.

The haters were quick to gloat:

North Carolina: Bullied nine year old can bring his "My Little Pony" backpack to school

Nine year old Grayson Bruce, a student in Asheville, NC was taunted by his classmates for wearing a "My Little Pony" backpack.

When his mother addressed the situation, the school told her Grayson couldn't wear the backpack because it is a "trigger for bullying," basically putting the blame on Grayson for the bullying.

The story has gone viral over the past several days, attracting the attention of national news outlets and more than 70,000 Facebook supporters rallying behind the #SupportforGrayson hashtag.

Now, the school has reconsidered after meeting with Grayson's mother on Thursday.

The Buncombe County School District released a statement Thursday in response saying:

"We have appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Bruce family and discuss the issues. We sincerely regret that the issue of being told to leave the book bag at home was perceived as blaming Grayson. While that was not the intent, the perception became reality. We support Grayson bringing the book bag to school.

"We discussed a number of options to consider in moving forward for Grayson. All of the options discussed included a safety transition plan and an allowance for Grayson to bring the book bag to school.

"Every situation with young children is a teachable moment and we will use this example in our efforts to address a wider issue of bullying. The Bruce family has committed to working with us to improve and enhance our anti-bullying programs.