Marcel Neergaard

[Pix]

Plenty of kids give me hope for the future. This one seems to deserve a special mention here at GS:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcel-nee...ml?ir=Teen

The protection of the classroom doesn't seem to extend to me. One day I was talking with my friends about Zachary Quinto being gay. An otherwise supportive teacher stopped me and told me "talking about being gay in the classroom is illegal in Tennessee." I wanted to scream, "NO IT'S NOT!" I went home intending to double-check my facts before confronting that specific teacher, but my parents told me they would talk to the principal instead. I have found teachers are quite confused because of Ragan's bill (the Don't Say Gay Bill). They're too busy teaching to know if it passed, so they just try to be safe. Meanwhile, I am not allowed to talk about myself with my friends.

Sometimes being openly gay is like having a sign above my head that flashes "Different" in neon colors. In chorus we are going on a field trip to King's Island, which they do every year with seventh and eighth graders. The other boys in chorus refuse to sleep in the same room as me for fear of being "turned gay." In response to the boys' refusal, the teacher pulled me aside and explained how the boys didn't want to be in the same room with me because I'm gay. I thought the seventh grade boys were more mature than that. The chorus teacher also said she thought about separating me into my own room which would probably cost more, and require me to bring a parent. Then she told me the principal had called my parents to talk about this. It was upsetting. I was mad because if the same thing had happened to a student who was not "out" at home, the principal would have outed them to their parents. That's just not safe. When it came time to sign up for rooms, all the boys except me were together. The principal pulled me aside to explain that I would have my own room on the trip. He didn't say why, but I knew... they don't like me.

Standing up
I know I am not alone in my struggles. I know I have to be happy with the progress LGBTQ people have made. I also know that it's not okay to be called out for being different. I know I can be helped by Tennessee's Dignity for All Students Act (HB927). It is important to say students cannot be harassed, intimidated or bullied because they are gay or perceived to be gay. The Dignity for All Students Act specifies many other groups, like kids who are bullied because of their religion, race, gender, gender identity or gender expression. It even helps the kids who are brave enough to be friends with students who are "different."

I'm not the only gay youth in Tennessee. I'm not the only gay kid in Oak Ridge. I'm not even the only gay student in my school, I'm just someone who is standing up. I know I have written about bullying many times, but this is still happening to kids like me everywhere and I refuse to let it continue. I will go on educating my school system, and the people around me who believe the gay stereotypes, but we can not do this alone. I, and all the kids like me need StudentsFirst to start doing what they promised, putting students first. We need their strength to convince legislators that students everywhere deserve safe places to learn. We also need people to encourage our representatives, who are supposed to represent us, to pass bills like the Dignity for All Students Act and federal legislation such as the Safe Schools Improvement Act. I want to make sure other kids do not have to go through what I have. This week I will be in Nashville for Advancing Equality on the Hill Day talking to my senator and (hopefully) representative about making schools safer for kids like me. What will you do?

More by him:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcel-neergaard/

[Woollyhats]

Frustrating... I know it's a small issue and not the point the article was trying to make, but as a parent, I would be livid about having to pay more for my child because other children are excluding him. The extra fees would be going into a lawsuit, sorry...

Also, I feel like this wouldn't very easily happen in Canada, where gay students are being fought for at the local level through antibullying programs, at the provincial level through bills that are trying to make safe schools for everyone, and at the federal level where gays are protected in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms...So I definitely support this boy representing himself and other gay students, trying to get protections like these.

Hopefully the generation after him will be in safer schools..