The idea is to show support for LGBT youth who are being bullied, and to send them a message not to give up. It gets better and they will get stronger.
I told my story recently. No, I'm not gay. But I do understand how it feels to be bullied and disrespected. I do understand what it feels to be hopeless and at the end of your rope. I also know that it's worth hanging on.
I've been reading a lot of stories today about how to treat people better. Not all of it is about bullying. Sometimes, it's just a matter of being more considerate. Thinking about people's feelings, and treating everyone with dignity and respect.
I posted something a couple of weeks ago that upset a friend. (There's no link because I deleted it soon after I found out.) I didn't post it to be mean. It was complimentary, and 100% honest. But - I posted it without thinking how my friend might feel, or asking if it was okay.
Recently, a "twitter-friend" has been posting things that are pretty upsetting to me. Not because they're intended to be mean, or even directed at me. But the posts do drive home the point that I recently lost something that was pretty important to me. The posts basically send the message, "You weren't good enough; but I am."
Personally, I know that no one is out to hurt me, just like I wasn't out to hurt my friend. It's just that these situations, together with everything I've been reading, make me think that we could all do a better job of looking out for one another.
You never know what a difference your words or actions might make in someone's life. In the immortal words of Rufus: Be excellent to each other.
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