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Bullying is an insidious power game. Â As if it isn’t bad enough trying to grow up and be under pressure from a bully just because the bully doesn’t like you, if you also happen to be gay you have to deal with your school mates picking on you and making your life hell.
Where does this come from. Â Why is it that when you ‘out’ yourself as different that this somehow gives others permission to bully you and treat you like something other than human?
While I’m sure there are many reasons, one of them must surely be religion. Â Having religions continue to treat homosexuality, and other orientations apart from heterosexuality , as abominations must have an influence on the adherents to that particular faith.
Take the work that Michael Barnett1 in trying to get the JCCV to take the jewish orthodox community in Melbourne to task for their complete and utter intolerance of homosexuals. Â Michael has long been saying that young people are more likely to commit suicide if they identify as anything other than heterosexual, and that the problem is the attitudes of ‘orthodox’ jews teaching their children that gay people are abominations. Â The JCCV as ‘the voice of Victorian jewry’ seem unable to challenge the orthodox view.
Too many people let religion get away with this. Â It is no longer acceptable to let the vilification of people happen within a religious context. Â The jews, the catholics and the members of the Liberal Party should not be allowed to say derogatory statements about anyone based on their sexuality. Â The message is heard by your children, it’s a message that says that gay people are fair game, it’s a message that permits violence and bullying to occur against gay people. Â While we continue to allow this to happen, children will die.
Being threatened, having bottles and rocks thrown at you, having abusive language hurled your way is unacceptable way for children to treat other children.  Somewhere a parent has used the ‘hate’ speech and this is picked up by the children who then repeat adopt the vile attitudes of the parents and an unsuspecting child becomes the focus of the bullying, that can lead to depression, and that can lead to suicide.
Stop fucking around.  Make the vilification laws extend to churches, stop the hate and challenge it at every opportunity you get.
Somebody’s life may depend on it.
Such a double standard. Religions revere as martyrs people who were persecuted for being part of their religions and yet it is the religions themselves who are so very ready to scapegoat and persecute anyone who does not conform to their narrow stupid view of the world. John Lennon sang “imagine no religion” and said “nothing to kill or die for” – he knew what religion is all about…
It’s a terrible state of affairs when the “leaders” of the community are the bullies.