Time: The Bullying of Seth Walsh: Requiem for a small town boy

[kevinbgoode]

Time magazine covered the funeral Friday for 13-year-old Seth Walsh, the young man in Tehachapi, CA who tried to hang himself from a tree in his backyard and died several days later from those injuries. Walsh was reportedly constantly teased and physically attacked for being gay, even long before he ever defined himself at all. According to Time, nearly 600 people showed up for his funeral - a touching celebration of the young man's life - but also testimony to how easily a community overlooks the fear and hostility regularly foisted upon anyone who is "different."

Eleven-year-old Shawn Walsh paid a poignant tribute to the brother, just two years older, that he had lost. Gripping a microphone as he stood at the altar of the First Baptist Church in Tehachapi, California, Shawn joshed that his brother could be "a pain in the butt" at times but that Seth was "the best big brother in the world, no, the galaxy." Wearing a yellow plaid shirt, Seth's favorite color, Shawn then, without mentioning the word, made a heartbreaking reference to bullying, the specter at the heart of his family's mourning for his openly gay brother. "I always wanted to protect him," said Shawn, as sobs broke out in the church. "I just wish people could have been nice to him like my Mom taught me."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2023083,00.html?xid=rss-topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29#ixzz11IwnMvww

I can't quite describe the anger I feel inside when I read another story about these situations plaguing this country. I've coped with vile messages from adults in discussion forums or in online media comment sections from alleged "adults" whenever there is a gay story. I certainly know what it is like to be bullied growing up, just as many others do in this society. And we are all guilty of allowing this behavior to contribute to the taking of the lives of another human being.

I've fluctuated between thinking that anyone bullying another young person in a school needs to be removed - permanently - and let his/her parents deal with his education, to wanting to advocate arrest of the parents and removal of a bully from their home until the parents take responsibility. But that wouldn't really solve these kinds of problems. We have a culture in this country which has encouraged bullying for decades, and gay Americans (and those perceived to be gay) are only one group that seems to be targeted. And yet why aren't the bullies ever targeted and why do so many of them get to continue their behavior way into adulthood?

Bullies are cowards. They are weak-willed, fear-inspired, self-loathing individuals who project their insecurities on others - often using others as victims for their own perceived shortcomings and inadequacies. I can remember being told that a bully stops their behavior when they are bullied back, but do they really stop it forever or just look for another victim and carry this attitude into later life?

I am angry about the loss of these young men like Seth Walsh - whose only crime in this world was living and celebrating themselves. They shouldn't have to pay for the fear and hostility projected by others, just as the gay population shouldn't continue to pay for the fear and insecurities present in the bullying tactics of the Catholic Church, the Mormons, the right wing "family" organizations and the assortment of arrogant "conservative" bullies who constantly project fear and hate in the name of "morality" (translation - they are superior) just because they choose to live in fear of the "other."

[TexasObserver]

1. recommend

The systematic bullying of young gay people has to be stopped.

[stray cat]

2. We have had bullying for any reason throughout eternity - how do we stop it?

[TexasObserver]

3. Criminal prosecutions. And in schools, expulsion.

[Iris]

4. Just got back into Atlanta last night and witnessed a parade of people with candles

a vigil for this poor boy and others who suffer the same.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. I always felt like an outcast in school.

Never quite fit in. With any group.

I am not GLBTQ, but I know what it feels like to be teased and the butt of jokes - not to mention lonely. I dealt with severe self-esteem issues for 15+ years after HS.

My heart is breaking for these 9 boys who took their lives this past month. I am also eternally grateful to Dan Savage for launching the "it gets better" youtube campaign.

Could have saved years of my own heartache if that resource existed back when I was in school.

[northernlights]

6. I was perceived as being lesbian

called queer and fairy -- I had no idea what those words even meant -- along with ugly, nose, scuz, and other names. I grew up nearly friendless, and unfortunately had no friends or support within my family either. I don't understand people. Why can't they just let each other be?

We are, unfortunately, a very bullying society. We bully the rest of the world, too, don't we. 10 or so years ago, I watched a psychologist on a talk show defend an obnoxious bully and publically humiliate his target. :grr: The target's mother sat there, gentle but helpless -- looking for help from the shrink and instead watching her son get further humiliated and both of them fighting not to cry.. I wanted to scream into the t.v. that the bully's behavior IS NOT NORMAL. And I wanted to shake the target's mother -- find a topic he loves, his passion. There are clubs and summer camps for *everything* these days...science camps, chess camps, entymology camps...every bloody thing. Help him find his interests and get him involved with others like him. And then he'll have his own support network and the bullies will diminish...