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| "Toning It Down" Isn't A Solution |
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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. 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.” So, Darnell Young’s mother gave him a stun gun. And, the next time he was cornered by six violent students, he brandished it. The result? Arsenal Tech High School suddenly located its zero tolerance policy and expelled Darnell. Ten reports of bullying, a group assault on one young person, and the result is that young person is expelled. No penalties for the bullies – they ran off while school police arrested Darnell. Sure, pretty much no one thinks stun guns should go in kids’ backpacks. Many, even most may agree with Darnell’s expulsion, and the school district is certainly sticking by it. No student should bring a weapon to school. But - and this is the critical point that keeps getting overlooked - no student should ever feel they have to bring a weapon to school to prevent being assaulted. Beyond their lack of responsiveness to reports of bullying, the school's behavior is also in violation of Title IX. A 2010 letter from the Department of Education specifically stated that bullying a student who is perceived as acting outside traditional gender expectations is against the law. In fact, a school that doesn’t take specific actions to combat such bullying is also in violation of the law: The Department of Education's own letter highlights a case not dissimilar to Darnell’s and how it must, by law, be handled. It notes: “In this example, the school had an obligation to take immediate and effective action to eliminate the hostile environment. By responding to individual incidents of misconduct on an ad hoc basis only, the school failed to confront and prevent a hostile environment from continuing.” Nowhere does the law state that the student first has a responsibly to “tone it down" and magically prevent their own bullying. Indianapolis school officials say they have an anti-bullying policy - and they claim to take bullying seriously. That may be true, though the state does seem to be having some problems. What they lack is a law that specifically protects LGBT students. Anti-bullying laws with specific language barring bullying on the basis of gender expression and/or sexual orientation better protect LGBT students by creating a culture that rejects homophobia and creates safe spaces. We must also remember: culture matters too. While legal actions can and should be taken, it’s a change in culture that is really needed. A homophobic culture is why LGB students are four times as likely as heterosexual students to feel unsafe at school and five times as likely to have been in a fight. It’s what makes it OK for students to hound a gay teen through the streets and what leads to grown adults also attacking that teen. It’s what makes it so repulsive, so unacceptable, for a boy to wear lipstick and heels that he ends up dead. And, pervasive homophobia is what makes people say a victim of anti-gay violence should just “tone it down.” The story shouldn’t end with Darnell’s expulsion -- that is why we are calling on Congress to finally get serious about preventing bullying and pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act. LGBT young people have no responsibility or imperative to “tone down” their gender expression or hide their sexual orientation. We have the responsibility to protect these youth in schools and to teach students the value of accepting and valuing all people. TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act to help stop bullying around the country. |
