I have lots of ideas to help change people's hearts and minds about gays and lesbians. A lot of them are really simple but a little bit can sometimes go a long way.

1. You can wear gay-positive t-shirts to school and if people confront you about them or ask you about them, simply educate them. Even if some bigot comes up to you and TRIES to insult you, just calmly respond and try to explain your ideas or viewpoint.

2. Confront classmates or (in some unfourtunate cases) teachers when they make anti-gay slurs or innapropriate comments about gays and lesbians.

3. Try to get a GSA started at your school. If you'd like more info on that, simply go to:http://www.gsanetwork.org/resources/start.html

4. Speak up in class conversations when it comes to same-sex marriage, discrimination, bias, and whatever else concerns gays and lesbiasn.

5. Show your pride if you're comfortable with yourself and you feel as if you won't be physically harmed or if you are physically harmed, your administrators will do something about it or action will be taken.

6. Fight homophobia: http://www.geocities.com/heterosexismhomophobia/Combat_Heterosexism.html

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An estimated 6-14 million children in the U.S. live in gay or lesbian-headed households.

3-10% of teens in America are gay or lesbian.

Things we can hopefully change:

Equally qualified lesbians will earn 14% less than their straight female counterparts due to bias.

In 40 of our 50 states today, a person can be fired for being gay or lesbian.

71% of lesbians polled across the country were in committed mongamous relationhips.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth represent 30% of all teen suicides.
Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth are more likely to have attempted suicide than their straight peers.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth represent 25% of all homless youth in the U.S>
28% of all lesbian/gay youth are forced to drop out of school due to their sexuality.

The average high school student in the U.S. hears anti-gay slurs 25 times a day.

1 out 6 gay teens have been beaten badly enough to require medical attention.

Gay men and lesbians (26%) are second only to Afircan American men (33%) as the targets for hate crimes in LA County.

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if you make one comment like "OMG THATS SO GAY" then you get screwed. Its horrible....

it'd probably be the same even if she wasn't a lesbian. There are things that it is just not acceptable to say.

Hellooooo, freedom!

Hellooo?

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I just think of all of those poor souls who don't understand what you're talking about... poor souls...

Agreed-that'd be terrible.

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My principal was a deep-sea dwelling monster. So, she was real sensitive about us making fun of Grendel.

Teehee... I'm behind on reading... But that's hilarious... I just think of all of those poor souls who don't understand what you're talking about... poor souls...

That made my day, Euterpe. Thanks,

My principal was a deep-sea dwelling monster. So, she was real sensitive about us making fun of Grendel.

But she left. Now she lives in a hole udnerneath the school and pops up every few hours and consumes a Freshman.

Awww I reelly feel for you, I reelly do. Thats so ... horibel! The shame! UGH! The shame!

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and if you make one comment like "OMG THATS SO GAY" then you get screwed. Its horrible....

Too bad.

the princibal of my school is a lesbian....so like the whole school has to be pro everything like that..and if you make one comment like "OMG THATS SO GAY" then you get screwed. Its horrible....

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Originally posted by depressedwavemaster:
That is not what I'm saying. ****!!!!

Speaking out for equal rights is not bad, nor is it flaunting! You ignore what I say and try to make me out to be homophobic! My ****ing brother is gay! Do you think I have the capacity to be homophobic if my own kin fits in that group???

Yes. A lot of people are. Even if secretly. I'm not saying you are, but if it wasn't possible gays and lesbians wouldn't be so afraid to come out to thier family.

I march every year in th gay pride parade to support my mom and aunt. Maybe it was the way I was raised, but gays and lesbians are my brothers and sisters.

I think it's fairly accurate to say that everyone is going to have a different opinion about everything. I, for one, believe in equal rights for all gays and lesbians, because I'm a lesbian. So that probably makes my opinion bias but I don't believe it's wrong to have that opinion.

I also believe that the GLBT youth and older generations alike need to stop arguing with each other about butch, femme, "flaunting" and not flaunting, activist tactics, whatever. While we waste time fighting with each other, the people who stand against us and believe our very existence is a threat to the "foundations of the U.S." are watching us and thinking how unstable we all are. We're only going to change injustices by standing together, fighting fair, learning about our past, and being united. GLBT rights and homophobia has changed so much since the 1940's and since 1969 and the Stonewall raid. Fighting only makes the process go backwards. We should be fighting the homophobic people who hate us all collectively because of something that we can't change, because of something that we are.

My two cents. And BTW, always stay dignified when you're standing against homophobic people. Love them even though they hate you. Kill them with kindness and all that junk.

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Originally posted by depressedwavemaster:
Flaunt it in front of the heterosexual community and you will be killed. That is simply the truth.

None of us can ever be free while others are still in chains. -Leslie Feinberg

your signature contradicts your beliefs. None of us ever CAN be free while others are in chains.

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Well when I edit my posts its because i mispelled something like majorly to where i'm not sure if ppl will know what i said or because i forgot soemthing and edited it so i could add what i forgot to put...just to give you an idea of why people edit their posts...but then again i'm not normal so maybe i'm the only one that edits posts for those reasons...

No, I do that too, but it's not the same thing... a moderator edits it, for whatever reason...(probably vulagrness..)

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: YNLissa, June 22, 2005 07:38 AM

I always laugh when I see these... I always wonder what you guys write that needs editing... Of what calibur are you speaking at to which there is need for intervention??

Well when I edit my posts its because i mispelled something like majorly to where i'm not sure if ppl will know what i said or because i forgot soemthing and edited it so i could add what i forgot to put...just to give you an idea of why people edit their posts...but then again i'm not normal so maybe i'm the only one that edits posts for those reasons...

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a conservative christian with a maturity level that would allow them to be open minded and intelligent.

Isn't that kind of an oxymoron?

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they want you to yell. they want to to scream.

Isn't that what their 'devil' wants people to do. To lash out in their anger. Or like the dark side of the force in Star Wars? Hmm...thoughts to ponder...

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: YNLissa, June 22, 2005 07:38 AM

I always laugh when I see these... I always wonder what you guys write that needs editing... Of what calibur are you speaking at to which there is need for intervention??

Wavemaster, by your own words, you're saying flaunting homosexuality is bad. Yet homosexuals flaunt it because they want to be recognized, not oppressed. If my words made you out to be homophobic, I apologize. It wasn't my intent. You're sending out mixed messages, my friend.

*Bangs head on desk*