So Gaga wants to meet with Obama about bullying

[MFB]

If a kid can't tell his parents then he is simply keeping a secret (or lying) to them and that is a whole other issue. Parents should accept their kids independent on their sexuality and if they don't there's nothing anti-bullying laws can do to help it anyway. Besides, bullying is bullying, a kid doesn't have to say they are being bullied because they are gay. Additionally, this isn't only about being gay so chill out with pigeon-holing the whole issue to gays.

A. Do you REALLY think it's THAT easy to tell someone you're gay? I mean, and I'm making a big assumption here, most parents want to see their kids grow up and find a girl/guy to love and have kids of their own so they can their kids can experience the other side of the fence. In this case, telling someone your gay shatters that entire dream and they no longer have kids of their own unless it's by adoption (males) or a sperm donor who they say "Yup, good enough for this sole purpose."

B. It's VERY easy for a parent to not be supportive of their kid, and on something as large a scale as sexuality, yes they could very easily say "You're not gonna be gay in this household." How well do you think that shit would go over in the deep South that's full of fucking bible-thumpers? It'd probably end as well as a blacks did in the old days and they'd be run out of town or worse.

C. Generally, the more information you can give about WHY you're being bullied or HOW you're being bullied, the more helpful it is. Saying "Mom/Dad, I'm being bullied" won't be taken as seriously as "Mom/Dad, I'm being bullied for having a different sexuality/race/gender" etc... The first one is pretty much 'boys will be boys' whereas the second portrays 'This should be taken care of now'

Sorry but you lost me. How is suicide ever a viable option??? If I were this hypothetical kid I would prefer to run away and live elsewhere barely making ends meet than to kill myself!!!

Boy wouldn't that be fantastic if everyone thought that way, but unfortunately people want an immediate escape from shit like this and that's where suicide comes in. People commit suicide to get away from their problems, and unfortunately they don't think of the long term effects of it versus it being considered a temporary solution. It's temporary in that, you get away from the bully, but you also never get to come back and you cause tremendous pain to those you love and who loved you back.

Oh yeah, because being gay deserves more attention and help than some poor black, white, or hispanic kid being beaten daily cause of their race??? Come on now

They should be treated as equal, both are being bullied for being different due to things that were not of their choosing. (I'm of the school of thought that homosexuality is hard-wired from birth and while you might later find girls attractive as well in the same sense, you'll still find men more attractive than girls so you can't change it.) No one gets to CHOOSE their race like it's a fucking spawn loadout in Call of Duty or something, you play the hand you're dealt.

 

[Rev2010]

I too believe sexuality is hard wired in the brain during fetal formation. However, your post says nothing on the topic of how anti-bullying laws will help any of that. Gay or not, how will the government help??


Rev.

 

[MFB]

I too believe sexuality is hard wired in the brain during fetal formation. However, your post says nothing on the topic of how anti-bullying laws will help any of that. Gay or not, how will the government help??


Rev.

That's because I stated on the first page I feel bullying shouldn't be legislated by the government, giving us one more law to know when most laws were based on common sense (back when it was common) and proper education of kids should solve the problem in itself; however the problem here is that not every kid IS properly educated, or isn't going to care that he shouldn't bully people and the it will still happen.

 

[Konfyouzd]

... And back to square one.

 

[MFB]

... And back to square one.

I didn't intend to further the argument or anything, but those statements jump out at me to the point where I was in like awe of what I was reading.

 

[GalacticDeath]

I can definitely see where you guys are coming from. But if you had that much fame and popularity, wouldn't you try to try to promote some good with it. I agree that her opinions aren't any more important than anyone elses, but she's a celebrity so they're gonna be heard no matter what. It seems like she has good intentions.

It's true that speaking to Obama probably won't do much but the act of speaking to him or wanting to speak to him about this issue in my opinion says a lot. If her goal is to raise awareness on the issue and get people to think about ways to stop bullying, then she's already accomplished it. I mean, we're talking about it right now aren't we?

 

[chronocide]

Whether you're serious or not I don't know, but I don't think you're far from right. Kids are too brave these days, they need a good slap.

Few teachers would use corporal punishment were it available. And those that would you don't really want to be teachers anyway.

In Britain it had fallen totally out of use nigh on two decades before it became illegal because teachers simply didn't desire to hit children.

 

[murakami]

Few teachers would use corporal punishment were it available. And those that would you don't really want to be teachers anyway.

In Britain it had fallen totally out of use nigh on two decades before it became illegal because teachers simply didn't desire to hit children.

i think any good parent doesn't want to hurt their own child, but if their kid were to step out of line it's only logical to set them straight... and if a talk is not working sometimes you have to hit them to realize that what they're doing is not acceptable.

in this day and age, parents are too scared to hit their kids or just don't care. i think that is a problem in itself.

 

[chronocide]

Frankly, I think you're a pretty shit parent if you can't keep your kids under control without hitting them after they're infants anyway. I think there are plenty parents that are too soft, but it's the lack of harsh words, not the lack of physical chastisement that's the issue.

 

[Explorer]

Personally, I'd rather see Dan Savage, who has put so much work into the "It Gets Better" stuff to help prevent GLBT suicide, get to meet the President than Lady Gaga. Not only has Savage been more involved and invested, but it will leave Lady Gaga more time to pursue her bid to replace Freddy Mercury in Queen.

----

The point was made earlier that if you treat violence against gays or people of other races as a hate crime, it will drive a wedge between those targeted and those targeting.

I'm still waiting to see the modern Nazis and the current Klan reconcile with those whom they've historically targeted. Otherwise, I suspect the enthusiasm regarding such reconciliation is a bit misguided and ill advised.

 

[AxeHappy]

Frankly, I think you're a pretty shit parent if you can't keep your kids under control without hitting them after they're infants anyway. I think there are plenty parents that are too soft, but it's the lack of harsh words, not the lack of physical chastisement that's the issue.

The biggest problem I see is parents making threats and not carrying through.

It only takes a couple of times doing that before kids figure out they don't need to listen to you.

Always ALWAYS! carry through on any threat you make. Or don't make the damn threat!



Seriously though, there are some kids who need to be hit. There a huge difference between discipline and beating though.

 

[tacotiklah]

Personally, I'd rather see Dan Savage, who has put so much work into the "It Gets Better" stuff to help prevent GLBT suicide, get to meet the President than Lady Gaga. Not only has Savage been more involved and invested, but it will leave Lady Gaga more time to pursue her bid to replace Freddy Mercury in Queen.

----

The point was made earlier that if you treat violence against gays or people of other races as a hate crime, it will drive a wedge between those targeted and those targeting.

I'm still waiting to see the modern Nazis and the current Klan reconcile with those whom they've historically targeted. Otherwise, I suspect the enthusiasm regarding such reconciliation is a bit misguided and ill advised.

As a bi guy, I can safely say that Dan Savage needs to be hit by a fucking truck. He harasses and bullies bisexuals by saying shit like that we're all really gay and need to stop pretending otherwise, and just pick a side already. Or that we're all just sluts that want to sleep with everybody and are incapable of having a monogamous relationship.

I respect his passion for advancing Lesbian and Gay rights, but seems to forget that there's a B and a T in LGBT. He'd be the LAST guy I'd want fighting for any kind of rights when it comes to me.

 

[Guitarman700]

As a bi guy, I can safely say that Dan Savage needs to be hit by a fucking truck. He harasses and bullies bisexuals by saying shit like that we're all really gay and need to stop pretending otherwise, and just pick a side already. Or that we're all just sluts that want to sleep with everybody and are incapable of having a monogamous relationship.

I respect his passion for advancing Lesbian and Gay rights, but seems to forget that there's a B and a T in LGBT. He'd be the LAST guy I'd want fighting for any kind of rights when it comes to me.

My thoughts exactly. He's as much of an intolerant nut bag as the rest.

 

[Explorer]

Hmm. The impression I always got was that one can't tell from the professions of a younger person if that younger person knew where they stood. I think he addressed this somewhere. Hold on... here:

Bisexuals by Dan Savage - Seattle Pullout - The Queer Issue: You're Doing It Wrong - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper

Regardless of that issue, my point was that I can't think of anyone else whom I'd view as being as vocal as he was in getting "It Gets Better" going, and that LG is definitely not the first person I'd choose to have in for a meeting with the President.

For what it's worth, I do remember someone submitting a letter to Dan about a decade ago by a bisexual man where he asserted that "the common wisdom" about bi men is that they are actually gay. I don't remember Dan making a blanket statement about bisexuality in the way you remember, but have definitely read his comments on situations where men were in marriages, hadn't come out to their wives, and were just looking for something on the side.

----

Anyway, back to my main point: Gaga is not my choice of spokesperson, due to her appearing to be a Joannie-come-lately to the issue.

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

You know who would be my choice of spokesperson?

 

[Explorer]

Oh my god! I totally forgot about him!

And, of course, he is willing to use one of my favorite SS.org descriptors. Behold!

 

[Guitarman700]

Takei is my hero.

 

[tacotiklah]

Takei is my hero.

Same here. Thats the guy Id want spearheading the talks with Obama. The man is a genius!

 

[Loomer]

George Takei fucking rules. That is all.

 

[Jontain]

I was smacked (across the backside) as a kid and I like to think i turned out pretty well. Parents need to be able to smack their kids but as mentioned there is a difference between smacking to enforce disapline (which works really damn well and in a day when you hear about more kids lashing out and hitting their parents who are left defenceless for fear of child services, it needs to be brought back in a big way) and hitting children to vent frustration (which obviously does nothing at all to help that childs moral understanding).

People of any age learn that if the result of doing something is pain then you dont do it, and as a child who was disiplined in this way I can safely say that (for me) I respect my parents for doing it as I look around at other people of my generation and cant believe how immoral they are, causes great concern for the future really...