NOH8 Photo Of 11-year-old Texan Targeted By Anti-Gay Bullies Goes Viral

[TexasTowelie]

RAYMONDVILLE, TEXAS -- Vanessa Tijerina-Arguelles posted the above photo of her 11-year-old son, Jesus "Jesse" Franco, on Facebook on Friday morning and marked it with the hashtag #NOH8.

Since being reposted by the NOH8 Campaign a few hours later, the photo has been shared more than 83,000 times on Facebook.

As you can see, Jesse is holding two signs saying although he's not gay, he's been the victim of anti-gay bullying at his school in Raymondville, Texas, near McAllen. School officials have refused to do anything to stop the bullying, and have in fact punished him for defending himself, according to Jesse's signs.

The signs read:

"HELLO! I'M JESUS (JESSE) FRANCO. I'M NOT GAY. STILL, I GET CALLED GAY AND FAGGOT AT MY SCHOOL EVERY DAY. RAYMONDVILLE (TX) INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES NOTHING. MY PARENTS & I HAVE TRIED 2 GET THEM 2 DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE LAST TIME I WAS ATTACKED, I GOT 2 DAYS OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION FOR OVERCOMING THE BULLY, DEFENDING MYSELF. PARENTS OF THESE KIDS ARE BULLIES 2. MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE SCHOOL DOESN'T ACT & THE KIDS(S) DON'T STOP? PLEASE SHARE SO OTHER KIDS, LIKE ME, CAN SEE THEY ARE NOT ALONE. THE SCHOOL MAY VIOLATE MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MY RIGHT TO (SILENT) PROTEST; THEY HAVE GIVEN ME NO CHOICE, NO HELP. THANK YOU. NO H8."

Jesse's mom, Tijerina-Arguelles, wrote the following when she originally posted the photo:

"My son is 11 years old. His school district is in a community that is a pro-bully, anti-victim community in EVERY aspect. Where victims should be of a concern (law enforcement, government, school district), and be protected. The latest insult was a gay slur, a shouted gay-bashing during lunch in the cafeteria, followed by ooohs. With faculty present. My son has a learning disability, he was caught off guard and unable to react. The bully who did this is a notorious bully, his mom is a nortorius bully. Both the mother and her son have cyber-bullied and gay bashed my boy. Enough is enough."

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2014/11/noh8-photo-of-11-year-old-in-texas-who-was-targeted-by-anti-gay-bullies-goes-viral.html#.VGjKLrFCfx4.twitter

Cross-posted in the LGBT Group.

[Gothmog]

1. I grew near this part of the state

This does not surprise me

[Scuba]

2. Kick. Haters aren't restricted to Texas, either.

[saintsebastian]

3. I E-mailed the Raymondville ISD Superintendent

I sent an e-mail to the superintendent expressing my concern. I'm currently a father, and am contemplating a career in education, so I felt compelled to reach out in some fashion. An excrept:

I am writing you to express my wishes that you act with the fullest extent of your administrative capabilities to protect Jesse and provide for him the proper learning environment that all students deserve.

On a side note: I don't understand why the author of Jesse's note feels compelled to clarify that he's not actually gay.