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love and acceptance will be taught

“Let us be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle” was a Christmas message from Reverend John Watson to readers of the British Weekly in 1898. This quote helps to remind me, that others may have personal challenges that they are dealing with and to choose kindness in our interactions. Life is hard no matter how you slice it. Every person has experienced suffering and hardship but for some, emotional pain is too long and too much to bear.

Recently in the news, a fifteen year old Ottawa teen committed suicide because he could not take the ongoing emotional pain resulting from years of being bullied. As he grew up he was bullied for being different and then later for his sexual orientation. He suffered from depression. Studies have linked bullying to a mental health problems such as depression and relentless bullying most likely caused his depression and was the tipping point for his decision to kill himself. Hearing this story brought tears to my eyes. That boy could have been my son. I wondered how a parent could continue on after this devastating loss.

Then I felt angry. Angry at the homophobic attitudes that still prevail in society. What are people so afraid of?  Some parents are so homophobic that they are fighting to keep anti-homophobia out of school bullying policies. They are terrified that same sex parented families could be taught as “normal” in school. If the definition of family  taught in schools does not include same sex parents then this is going to cause some children emotional pain.  This is not right. Gay people fall in love and just like non- gay people want to raise a family. It happens and it is not going to go away. Are some people so afraid that if children are taught about same sex families they might choose homosexuality? Do they not know that sexual identity is given not chosen?

A child who dies because of homophobia is everyone’s responsibility.  Shame on the parents who want to oppose LGBTTQ policy in the schools. Are they too rigid to consider that their own child may need that protection one day? How can they not see that their  prejudice behaviour contributes to a more fearful society? Teachers need training about how to talk about homosexuality and homophobia. School boards need to come extremely clear on their policies and provide the tools for their teachers. Parents who don’t like this can send their children to private school. The values of love and acceptance will be taught not intolerance and fear.

Homosexuality may be a grey area for many but we can’t be silent any more. We as a society need to look at why homophobia makes us uncomfortable, talk more about what we fear and speak out because any beautiful child who feels that they need to end their brilliant life of possibilities because they are born different is everyone’s loss. It’s time, we as a society stopped burying our heads in the sand and took responsibility for others suffering. Let us show more kindness and compassion for others. This will build a better world.