Insights, news and inspiration from Friendfactor. Because we think turning friendship into action is pretty cool, too.

Action Alert: Speak Up Against Bullying and Prevent Gay Teen Suicide

Posted: September 22nd, 2011 | Author: | 2 Comments »
Jamey, victim of gay teen suicide

Jamey Rodemeyer, victim of gay teen suicide

We see all too many stories of gay teen suicide cases in the news. This one is particularly horrifying. Jamey Rodemeyer was only 14 years old when he took his own life this week, after being relentlessly bullied for who he was. His story is all the more tragic because his struggle with this issue was so public: he wrote regularly on his blog about other students teasing him for having girls as friends, and even made a video for the It Gets Better Project (you can watch it here).

It feels like once these stories hit the news it’s too late to do anything; a life has been lost to bullying, and there’s no way to bring it back. But a bunch of big players are banding together to fight gay teen suicide. They’re calling it “The Stop Bullying: Speak Up Social Pledge App.” A bit of a mouthful, yes, but also a way to for you to join a movement to prevent more tragedies like losing Jamey:

The Stop Bullying: Speak Up Social Pledge App is an interactive tool that enables educators, parents and teachers to commit to end bullying by signing an online pledge and recruiting others to join them.

Leveraging the resources of [Facebook and Time Warner], the social pledge app will be promoted across multiple platforms, from Facebook to CNN, Cartoon Network, and magazines such as TIME and Sports Illustrated.

The app is meant to be a one-stop resource with practical information about bullying prevention, with recommendations on how to respond in specific situations along with opportunities to share personal experiences, and information from non-profits and government groups involved in the cause.  The app also encourages the creation of school-based bullying prevention groups on Facebook.

While the hope is that young people will download the app, the online tool is also targeted at  bystanders–those who witness an act of bullying.

(via AllFacebook.com)

screen-cap of Anti-bullying pledge to end gay teen suicide

Kudos to the celebs and companies who are throwing their efforts into this, and let’s hope it helps. Still, it’s going to take a lot more than a well-branded app to change hearts and minds across the country so kids like Jamey feel accepted. Ending gay teen suicide will take a massive effort from all of us; this could be the start of that effort, truly.

Take Action: “Like” the Facebook page for this app now, and keep an eye on the Friendfactor blog: we’ll keep you updated on this, and other initiatives to prevent gay teen suicide.

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Ffriday Link Round-Up: Your quick guide to this week’s Gay-B-C’s

Posted: September 2nd, 2011 | Author: | 1 Comment »

Want to know the freshest news your gay friends will be talking about this weekend? Look no further! You’re five stories away from seeming super tapped-in with the world in which your friends live. Plus bonus tweets from Cher, worth their character-count in gold! Here’s the gay news all straight friends need to make proper Labor Day chit-chat.

 

Read the rest of this entry »

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Rise Against’s New Collaboration with It Gets Better

Posted: June 21st, 2011 | Author: | No Comments »

Rise Against is rising against homophobia in their latest video for “Make It Stop (September’s Children),” a collaboration with the It Gets Better Project. (Watch the video here.)

There’s also an interesting behind the scenes clip, in which, among other things:

  • Tim McIlrath, Rise Against’s lead singer, explains that the song is dedicated to “September’s Children,” the gay (or gay-perceived) teens who committed suicide in September 2010.
  • The members of Rise Against talk about being bullied in high school (“They called me Spock”—bullies rarely sound nerdier than the people they were bullying, but look, it just happened!)
  • The video’s actors reflect on their high school experiences. Actor Joshua Banks notes, for example, that “high school was the lamest.”

 

Like Friendfactor, McIlrath hopes people will stand up for their friends who are struggling–whether the struggle is to marry, or to escape bullies.  Stand up for your gay friend by calling your New York senator today and saying you support the freedom to marry.

 

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