The Openarms Youth Project featured in the New York Times and located in Tulsa, Oklahoma had a “It Gets Better” rally to show support for the area’s LGBT youth in response to the epidemic of teen suicides in response to being bullied for their actual or perceived sexual orientation.
I personally attended the event and the stories that were shared and program was incredibly moving. A friend of mine, Professor Laura Belmont, was interrupted by a group who loudly drove their truck parallel to the rally and screamed unintelligible gibberish while she tried to speak. I heard something to the effect of “Lesbians… blah! blah! blah!” Laura responded gracefully and humorously, and continued on but it was a fine example of why those teens need our support. The teen years are hard enough without being isolated as some kind of pariah, and even assaulted, for your actual or perceived sexual orientation.
Please read the comments at the end of the article as another example of just how necessary it is to work for changing the climate of hate, willful ignorance and intolerance that exists here at ground zero that is ripe for needed change.
