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A young gay man is constantly and violently bullied by his classmates.
He asks his school administration for help.
They say he needs to “tone down” his flamboyant behavior, and stop wearing girls’ clothes.
We saw this story in California in 2008, when Lawrence King was ultimately murdered by a classmate who had been tormenting him for months. School officials, defense attorneys, and commentators all maintained that Lawrence shouldn’t have worn high heels and lipstick – that his outrageous get-ups enraged his murderer. That he, Lawrence, held the responsibility to prevent his murder – not the boy who murdered him, or the school that failed to protect him, or the culture that made him a target. Apparently, Lawrence should have "toned it down."
In Indianapolis this month, we’re seeing another young victim of bullying: Darnell “Dynasty” Young.
Darnell is 17 and openly gay. He was frequently bullied by classmates – they hounded him, harassed him, followed him, threw rocks and bottles at him.
He told school officials at least ten times.
They told him to “tone it down.”
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by Mimi Melles, Program Manager, International Youth Activist Network
In June 2012, world leaders will be gathering for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (also known as the Rio+20 Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to shape how the world should reduce poverty, advance social equity, and protect the environment.
Protecting young people's sexual health and rights can help us reach all of those goals — but will decision makers listen to the facts?
The time is now…for you to act NOW to sign our petition calling on leaders at Rio+20 to make young people's sexual health and rights a part of the conversation.
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