A Fort Worth Councilman took a stand against gay teen bullying during a city council meeting earlier this week after a rash of suicides amongst gay teens has exploded in the country.
Joel Burns told the stories of, and showed photos of, teenagers around the country who had recently committed suicide due to being bullied for being gay – or being perceived as being gay.
The video is incredibly sad, and incredibly touching.
While telling the deceased teens stories, Joel Burns became choked up and has to pause before continuing. The video is hard to watch without shedding tears of your own. Joel continues, telling teenagers that he too was bullied while growing up. But he wants the kids to know that it does get better.
“They said I was a faggot and that I should die and that I should go to hell where I belonged. That erupted the fear that I had kept pushed down. That what I was beginning to feel on the inside, must somehow be showing on the outside. Ashamed, humiliated and confused, I went home. ‘There must be something very wrong with me,’ I thought. Something I must never let my family or anyone else know.”
Joel Burns pauses, tries to gather himself, the pain in his face shows.
“I think I’m going to have too hard a time with the next couple sentences that I wrote. And also, I don’t want my mother and father have to bear the pain of having hear me say them. . . .”
(My feeling is that he may have contemplated suicide himself.)
Burns continues:
“So I will just say, and I will skip ahead, I have never told this story to anyone before tonight. Not my family, not my husband, not anyone. But the numerous suicides in recent days have upset me so much and have just torn at my heart. And even though there may be some political repercussions for telling my story – this story is not just for the adults who might chose or not chose to support me – this story is for the young people who might be holding that gun tonight.”
A great video to pass on. I think it is one that all teens should see. I’m so glad attention is being called to bullying in our country because when I grew up as a kid no one did anything about it. Ever. Hell, teachers even bullied the kids! Sadly, I doubt bullying will ever end. It’s the dark, ugly side of human nature. But hopefully with education and stories like Joe Burns’ we can help to reduce it.
Kudos to Joel Burns for being so open and honest for the sake of kids who need to hear it.
I sure hope they pass the anti-bullying law. I am doubtful that bullying will ever completely come to an end, but maybe it will happen less if you can get in trouble with the law (by bullying). My hearts go out to all of the victim’s families. :(
This man’s story was so compelling I cried during his speech, I am so happy this is going viral all over the web, it’s touching and inspirational and many years later shows how it still affects an adult – the pain of what happens never goes away but it does get better, and you will build happy memories that balance out the childhood pain, you just can’t give up. It’s the best 12 minutes you can spend but I think every parent should sit down with their kids and watch this with them and talk about it, thoroughly. Children bullying children is so out of hand, it’s hard to believe parents allow children to be on the web not knowing what their child might be doing. The net is a dangerous place and if not monitored your own child might be a raging monster, not a victim. Parents need to take responsibility and monitor what is happening in their home under their noses. Don’t get me started on adults who bully children, they should be shot in the public square.
wow, i can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for joel burns to tell his story, but i am so very thankful he did.
it’s hard to fathom what these children must be going through day in and day out for them to view taking their lives as their only option but clearly it has to stop, it’s so damn heartbreaking.
who has taught the bullies that it’s acceptable to be so mercilessly cruel towards other human beings?
I sure hope they pass the anti-bullying law. I am doubtful that bullying will ever completely come to an end, but maybe it will happen less if you can get in trouble with the law (by bullying). My hearts go out to all of the victim’s families. :(
This man’s story was so compelling I cried during his speech, I am so happy this is going viral all over the web, it’s touching and inspirational and many years later shows how it still affects an adult – the pain of what happens never goes away but it does get better, and you will build happy memories that balance out the childhood pain, you just can’t give up. It’s the best 12 minutes you can spend but I think every parent should sit down with their kids and watch this with them and talk about it, thoroughly. Children bullying children is so out of hand, it’s hard to believe parents allow children to be on the web not knowing what their child might be doing. The net is a dangerous place and if not monitored your own child might be a raging monster, not a victim. Parents need to take responsibility and monitor what is happening in their home under their noses. Don’t get me started on adults who bully children, they should be shot in the public square.
wow, i can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for joel burns to tell his story, but i am so very thankful he did.
it’s hard to fathom what these children must be going through day in and day out for them to view taking their lives as their only option but clearly it has to stop, it’s so damn heartbreaking.
who has taught the bullies that it’s acceptable to be so mercilessly cruel towards other human beings?