After a "Day of Silence" for anti-gay bullying, some students responded with an Anti-Gay Day.
That upside down cross isn't the least holy thing I'm seeing.(via BuzzFeed News)
There is a trend with people who have hateful ideas to kind of mimic the efforts of marginalized groups trying to bring attention to the challenges they face. As though having an Anti-Gay Day, full of lynch lists and nooses being hung around the school, is the equivalent of painting your face with a rainbow and spending an afternoon in reflective silence to honor people who have been bullied for their sexuality. These things are not the same, because one is driven by hateful ignorance.
In Pennsylvania, at McGuffey High School, the Gay-Straight Alliance held a "Day of Silence" on a Wednesday, dressing in black, staying quiet and painting their face with rainbows. The annual event was meant to raise awareness of anti-gay bullying and is organized across the world by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
The next morning another group of students arrived dressed all in plaid, with the words, "Anti-Gay" written on their hands. According to student witnesses, these flannel wearers started leaving notes on gay classmates' lockers, pushing them around, publishing Bible verses to Instagram with tags of gay classmates' names and a noose was tied to a flag in a classroom.
Nothing to see here, just a bunch of dudes dressed up like lumberjacks.(via BuzzFeed News)
The ONLY good side to this ugliness is the support shown for gay students by townsfolk disgusted by this Anti-Gay Day awfulness. A small group of protestors gathered outside McDuffey and there's been a lot of people from outside the town posting their love on the protestor's Facebook event page.
Spread love.(via Facebook)
Hopefully, these homophobic kids are just misguided and will one day look at flannel tucked into belted jeans with shuddering horror. I know I do.