El Paso Gay Advocate Opens Up About ‘Bullying’
Thursday marked the 12th anniversary of the attack and kidnapping of Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard.
The death of the 21-year-old gay man strikes a particularly louder chord this year in light of the recent suicides of young men around the country who were bullied because they were gay or perceived to be gay.
El Paso gay rights activist Van English told ABC-7 he himself was the victim of bullying.
“I was harassed and name-called all through school,” he said.
English said he was picked on because the other children thought he was different.
He told ABC-7 his small stature and clothing made him an even easier target.
“I stuck out,” he said.
Now a member of Rio Grande Adelante, a non-profit gay advocacy group along the border, English said it pains him to see bullied youngsters – like Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi – resort to suicide.
“It’s so unnecessary but it’s also nothing new,” English said.
English offered a simple message for children who are being bullied.
“Hang in there; it does get better.”
Clementi, a promising violinist, jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River on Sept. 22 after the intimate images of him with another man in his dorm room were webcast.
Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi, and another Rutgers freshman, Molly Wei, both 18, have been charged with invasion of privacy, and authorities are weighing whether bias crime charges should be added.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg said Wednesday he’ll introduce legislation requiring colleges to adopt a code of conduct that prohibits bullying and harassment following Clementi’s death.
Related Links:Link:MTV Releases Anti-Bullying AppLink:Tips For How To Intervene To Stop BullyingLink:National Center For Bullying Prevention
