(*A side note #1: No, I do not own any of the pictures you are going to see in this post, which means this picture of Marilyn Manson is not mine. A side note #2: I would like to thank my pug for not puking on me or the carpet when I looked for this image with you in hand to curb my anxiety about seeing this guy's face.)
Anyway, you may be wondering why I am starting this blog with an image of Marilyn Manson. Well, there are two main reasons I started this post with a picture of Marilyn Manson. The first is that many of the fans of Marilyn Manson as well as other people have to deal with the main issue of this particular post: bullying.
Now, I was bullied in high school, & I personally plain think that all this campaigning for antibullying policies is ridiculous & going to go overboard eventually in teaching bullies how to be better bullies, but, that's just me. But, there was an article that I read on the interwebs that ruffled so many of my feathers that I just had to rant on it in my blog. And, that brings me to the second reason I started this post with a picture of Marilyn Manson: This story that starts this post involves a boy wearing makeup (I'm assuming he was wearing makeup).
Apparently, there was a young man who is out & proud to be gay. But, in addition to being gay, he liked to wear effeminate clothing, & dressing like girl. So, in short, this kid's a drag queen (nothing wrong with that). And, because of that, he was being bullied. But, when he went to his principal about what was going on, he was told "maybe if you dressed like a normal boy, you wouldn't get picked on" & told him to "tone it down". Meanwhile, this kid was getting attacked to high hell. His mother, knowing what was going on & what the principal had said, decided to help the kid protect himself from his tormentors. She bought her son a taser gun to help him better protect himself. But, when he brought it to school with him, the school took the gun away, & now the poor kid is facing expulsion.
The first thing I thought of when I read this was complete & udder disgust, both for the bullying, for the principal's reaction, & for the homophobic comments some people posted on that article, & some of you are going to post on this particular post. And, I am disgusted with good reason too.
(*Like I said before, I do not own this picture.)
Let me tell you a little more about myself & explain why this post means a lot to me. I will also take the time to explain why there is a picture of deceased heavy metal icon Ronnie James Dio in this post as well as shock rocker Marilyn Manson in this here post.
Starting with myself:
I went to a different school district for middle & high school than elementary school (on a side note, I repeated preschool.). Partially because of this, in middle school & in high school, I had almost ziltch friends, mostly acquaintances. I had heard of Goth, the subculture I would grow up to learn that I am a born member of, when I was a young child. I had learned of it through cartoons & "clean, wholesome, family" shows who potrayed the characters in both good/bad lights. But, looking back, I was always the oddball kid. I was at one point in my life a tomboy. I'm not really a tomboy now, but, I'm kinda a tomboy a little bit. When I was in the 5th grade, one of my favorite grandparents in the whole wide world caught Alzheimers & died. Emotionally, I was devastated. It was a few months later. I was watching MTV for the first time ever, back when they showed music videos & not drunks that destroy my faith in humanity. I was so devastated over the death of my dead grandmother that I hoped to see a Green Day music video because at the time, that was my definition of depressing. Then, I saw the music video for Evanescence's "Call Me When You're Sober". And, I instantly fell in love with it. Slowly, but, surely, I discovered I was a Goth girl. I decided not to dress like I was until 15 years old.
However, the first day I ever wore "Goth Garb", I was told by my middle school to "tone it down" because I was beautiful just the way I was & "people will make fun of you". I was devastated, as that day, I had received nothing but compliments & praise for my outfit on that day. I did not dress my style again until that summer vacation.
Then, I went to high school. Which high school, I don't care who you are, high school & middle school are always a pain in the ass for everybody, & I heard enough people say it was the worst four years of their lives, so I knew it was going to be horrible going in. But, in freshman year, I had two bitchy-ass teachers, one right after the other. The first one gave me detentions which I was deathly afraid of. The other one's just a bitch that reminded me of an authorative figure whom I dare not mention his name to avoid offending the Jewish at times. But, either way, I was picking my nose & biting my fingernails a lot more than I should to calm my anxiety. Now, I know they are both really disgusting habits & am working hard to curb those revolting habits both of them. But, either way, this one boy that was in both this particular class & the next class would sing really derogatory things & basically made fun of me for picking my nose. Most of the time, I found this just really fucking annoying. Luckily, a few of my teachers reported them before my mother even found out. And, it stopped.
The kids who bullied me got detention. To this day, I somewhat hate them. But, my Asperger's Syndrome & looking back makes me worry. Were those really the only kids bullying me? Were there others that bullied me behind my back? Do they still do? And, what if it's not just my habits? What if I was & still am being mocked for being an AspieGoth?
Explanation for Dio picture:
Ronnie James Dio, in addition to many others saved me from myself as an adolescent on many occasions. Because I am an Aspie, or a "rainbow". And, I happen to be Goth, so, I'm "in the dark". I am a "Rainbow In The Dark".
(*Again, I don't own this picture of Lady Gaga. I am not goin to explain why I chose to include a picture of Lady Gaga in this post, & for all the trolls, this happens to be the best picture of Lady Gaga I could find, so, I don't wanna hear it.)
Now, you know why I am talking about this. Let me go a little further with what I am going to say: WHAT THE FUCK?????
I mean, really. Let's reflect on what mistake occured in both my & the boy's story. The boy was told to tone it down because maybe "if you dress like a normal boy your age, people won't make fun of you." I was told not to dress the way I have felt for years because I had no friends & "people will make fun of you".
And, people are going to continue to make comments like"homosexuality's a sin/choice" & "by dressing in feminine clothes, the boy was asking for it/disrupting the kids who were bullying him's right to an education". If that's your comment, I have one question for you: What country & century are you living in? Because the country I & this boy are living in is called the U.nited S.tates of A.merica, a country that was founded on free speech for all, regardless of what color your skin is (race), what spiritual presence or lack thereof you believe in (religion), what genitals you were born with (sex), what genitals you prefer (sexual orientation), your aesthetics, etc. And, what that principal did, what my guidance counselor did, when they told us what they told us was equivalent to telling us "You deserve to be abused."
I have a question for every school officiant whether they be a teacher or a school guidance counselor or a principal or a teacher's aide or whatever who has told a child not to dress a certain way because "people will make fun of you" & "maybe if you dressed like a normal (boy/girl) your age, they wouldn't make fun of you" when they were being bullied for how they dress/came dressed differently than how they typically dress: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SMOKING & WHAT IDIOT TAUGHT YOU HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN????????????????????????
Because they taught you wrong. It is wrong to make fun of someone just because they are dresssed differently. And, when you tell a child one of the two quotes above, it's basically like saying a girl was raped for wearing nothing but a bikini & stilletos on the day she was raped, or a person was mugged just because the day they were mugged, they were wearing expensive jewelry & a fur coat. It's blaming the victims rather than the dipshits that commit these crimes.
Here's another reason: They probably receive so much of this from their parents that they don't want to hear it from you.
And, if you would really still tell a child that, compare that particular child to a severely diarrhetic fan maker in a fan factory. Would you tell that guy to get another job? No!!!!!!!!!!! You would tell the guy to go to a doctor for his diarrhea.
I didn't think so. I also did not, am not, will not & should not explain why there is a picture of Lady Gaga on my blog. I do not, am not, will not & should not have to explain why there is a picture of Lady Gaga on my blog about antibullying,
(*No, I do not own this image. I wish I did though.)
Now, I know there is a lot of profanity here. But, being a christian, I have to make this next arguement.
JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN, ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD, RED & YELLOW, BLACK & WHITE, JESUS LOVES THEM ALL IN SIGHT, JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN, ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(*Ok, no, I don't this picture either, but, this is a relative of mine who died in 1956, so, A.) you'll see why I'm talking about her in a moment, B.) I don't think it really matters if it's an ancestor).
And, do you know why else what you are telling the children is wrong? Because it is essentially telling children "You deserve to be beaten, insulted, have your things vandalized/stolen, be threatened, insert other form of abuse here." And, kids believe it to a degree that they become depressed & attempt suicide. Other times, they get so desperate that their parents buy them stun guns or in some way, shape, or form, the situation will get much more dire than suicide (if such a thing is even possible).
Now, I would like to say something to the victims of bullying who are inevitably reading this post, as well as those who are thinking about typing "Homosexuality is a sin/choice, repent for your sins right now!" in the comment section. It is not a choice. Otherwise, every person on this planet would be gay, & humans would become endangered species. Not one of the many people that claim to be gay ever woke up one morning when they were four years old & thought "I am going to be gay when I grow up."
In the same light, never once when I was four years old did I ever wake up in the morning & say "I am going to be a Goth when I grow up." Neither did Marilyn Manson ever wake up as a child & say "I am going to be people's worst nightmare when I grow up." Neither did Lady Gaga ever wake up as a child & say "I am going to dress in fashions so ridiculous I'll be the both the fashion queen & laughingstock of Hollywood at the same time when I grow up." Nor did Ronnie James Dio ever wake up when he was a child & say "I am going to turn an italian good luck-bad luck hand gesture into one of rock music's most iconic rituals."
And, now, here's the story on the final picture: It's my great-great aunt. She had diabetes & because of it, she had her one leg cut off at the knee. She grew up to be one of those performers who took her prosthetic off for the amusement of the crowd for the troops. Never once as a child did she wake up & say "I am going to take my leg off for the amusement of others when I grow up."
To children being bullied:Whatever they are bullying you for, remember, it is probably something no one, not even you have much, or any, control. I am not going to bullshit you by saying "It gets better", even though 75% of the time, it does get better. Because you probably will hear it from a million other people. But, tell yourself this: I will not receive shit from the shit I do not, can not, & will not have the ability to control.
