Over the Christmas holiday, I read the heartbreaking yet inspiring book, Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of her Gay Son by Leroy Aarons. One of my gay students had written about it in an essay, and I knew I had to read this true story, especially in light of gay students who had been bullied and committed suicide last fall. The book made for intense reading with many of Bobby's journal entries and letters from his mother woven into the text. Bobby's dream was to become a writer. Now he is gone, but his words--read by millions--live on to fight ignorance and save lives.
Tonight I watched the DVD of the Lifetime movie, Prayers for Bobby, which recently became available. In the movie, Bobby's journal excerpts are used effectively as voice-overs. Sigourney Weaver gives an award-winning performance as Bobby's mother, at first unable to accept her son and after his suicide eventually becoming an national activist for PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays). I encourage you to read the book, watch the movie, and share both with parents, teachers, and family members.
On a similar note, last weekend I listened to the National Public Radio show, "Fresh Air" with host Terry Gross, when she interviewed Dan Savage and Terry Miller who created the
"It Gets Better" campaign.
They have taken some of the 10,000 videos they received, transcribed them and recently published a book titled It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living.
Here's an excerpt from one of the reviews posted on amazon.com:
"The obvious benefit of a book like this will be for all of the LGBT kids in schools that don't have Gay-Straight Alliances (most of them), that don't have sympathetic staff, that have students who are all desperately just trying to fit in (most of them)...but it will be really helpful for the straight kids, too. For every straight person who's a bully, there are probably twenty who just don't notice what's going on around them. They aren't purposely ignoring the gay kids who are getting bullied, but they don't notice it either, because they're wrapped up in their own lives. So while this book will no doubt be a lifeline for LGBT kids who don't feel like they have any allies, it could be a powerful eye-opener to all of the straight kids who simply haven't thought about this issue.
"I've ordered copies to donate to our local middle school and high school, but I'm also going to have my 15 year old son read it. His orientation?...I don't know yet, but either way, it will help him to see another person's point of view more clearly. And when you begin to understand, and to empathize, you begin to end bullying, and you begin to 'grow' children who understand the challenges of those around them, and who will be more likely to stand up for others. Please buy this book!"
Tonight I watched the DVD of the Lifetime movie, Prayers for Bobby, which recently became available. In the movie, Bobby's journal excerpts are used effectively as voice-overs. Sigourney Weaver gives an award-winning performance as Bobby's mother, at first unable to accept her son and after his suicide eventually becoming an national activist for PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays). I encourage you to read the book, watch the movie, and share both with parents, teachers, and family members.
On a similar note, last weekend I listened to the National Public Radio show, "Fresh Air" with host Terry Gross, when she interviewed Dan Savage and Terry Miller who created the
"It Gets Better" campaign.
They have taken some of the 10,000 videos they received, transcribed them and recently published a book titled It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living.
Here's an excerpt from one of the reviews posted on amazon.com:
"The obvious benefit of a book like this will be for all of the LGBT kids in schools that don't have Gay-Straight Alliances (most of them), that don't have sympathetic staff, that have students who are all desperately just trying to fit in (most of them)...but it will be really helpful for the straight kids, too. For every straight person who's a bully, there are probably twenty who just don't notice what's going on around them. They aren't purposely ignoring the gay kids who are getting bullied, but they don't notice it either, because they're wrapped up in their own lives. So while this book will no doubt be a lifeline for LGBT kids who don't feel like they have any allies, it could be a powerful eye-opener to all of the straight kids who simply haven't thought about this issue.
"I've ordered copies to donate to our local middle school and high school, but I'm also going to have my 15 year old son read it. His orientation?...I don't know yet, but either way, it will help him to see another person's point of view more clearly. And when you begin to understand, and to empathize, you begin to end bullying, and you begin to 'grow' children who understand the challenges of those around them, and who will be more likely to stand up for others. Please buy this book!"
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