GRITtv: F Word: LBGT Hate Crimes Are in the Headlines ...
It made headlines when an 18-year-old Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after two other students posted a video of him having sex with another man online. It made news when a "pack" of gang members was busted for attacks that included the sodomy and torture of two teens in The Bronx. It made news when the Republican candidate for governor in New York delivered a speech claiming he thinks homosexuality is a perversion and gay pride parades are "disgusting." And when Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina reiterated that gay people (and unwed mothers) should be banned from teaching in public schools. It makes news. There's also a body count: From Richard Kim in the Nation Magazine: In September alone the body count includes Billy Lucas, a 15-year-old from Indiana who hanged himself after repeatedly being called a "fag" by his classmates; Asher Brown, a 13-year-old Texan who shot himself after his fellow students performed "mock gay acts" on him during gym class; and 13-year-old Seth Walsh from California who hanged himself from a tree in his backyard after being teased for years for being gay. It makes news but what will make it change? Three local churches here in lower Manhattan, are participating in Dan Savage's 'It Gets Better' project this Sunday, to give gay youth hope for the future by telling stories and sharing courage. We'll be bringing you news of the 'It Gets Better' campaign here on GRITtv next week. Want to take part? Post your videos, or your news, at our Facebook page. Distributed by Tubemogul.