Today is October 20, Spirit Day, and I am wearing purple in honor of the many gay teens who have committed suicide in recent months due to bullying. I must confess that as a kid I was a bully and to this day I still regret whatever impact I may have had on other kids. I thought it was cool and I wanted to fit in. I know now as an adult that bullying shows nothing but exactly what I was trying to avoid, weakness.
We are all equals and we all deserve to be treated with respect regardless of sexual orientation. Being a teenager was hard enough, add in the stress of any form of bullying and I can imagine some days it probably seems unbearable.
Lets all wear purple and make it a priority to try to change the mindset this world sadly still has. Gay, lesbian, straight, we ALL deserve the same rights and respect.
I was surprised to read that you were a bully in school. I’m guessing that you realized before you left school that you were having a negative impact. I’m proud of you for talking about this and for admitting your part in the problem. I’m also proud of you for trying to be part of the solution.