Bullying And Stereotypes

LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc.) teens, as most of us know, are looked down upon by a large majority of people. It is better today than it was just a couple of decades ago, but any amount of bullying for something these kids can’t control counts. In 2011, only four years ago, 82% of teens said they have been bullied for their sexual orientation. 44% felt unsafe because of their gender identity. More needs to be done for these kids; more than saying that “it gets better”, because the sad truth is that sometimes, it doesn’t. Bullying needs to be stopped, not ignored. I believe that there should be several things done to eradicate this issue; increased education, more safe places such as school activities and clothing swaps, and …show more content…
In 49 states, a gay or transgender person can be killed, on the grounds that they frightened someone because of their orientation and/or identity. “In the gay panic defense, the defendant claims that they have been the object of romantic or sexual advances by the victim. The defendant finds the advances so offensive and frightening that it brings on a psychotic state characterized by unusual violence.” So, basically, if a man were to flirt with another man, and that man wasn’t gay/bisexual/etc, he could kill him on the grounds that the advancement was scary. The same goes for transgender people. If a trans woman were to hit on a man at a bar, he could kill her because it was offensive or frightening to him. The usage of this “Gay Panic Defense” often fails, but the fact that it exists is enough to warrant outrage. In 2008, a gay high school student was shot in the back of the head twice, which the killer tried to pass off as “gay panic defense”, and was charged with voluntary manslaughter. I doubt this boy even knew what this ridiculous law was until his shady lawyer told him. The murderer was 14, and the victim 15. This was a vicious and disgusting crime with no explanation. Voluntary manslaughter is described as “a heat of passion crime”, which occurs when a person is strongly provoked. The only thing King did was ask McIreney to be his valentine, then called out “love you, baby” a couple days later even though McIreney declined. Annoying, perhaps, but nothing more than high school teasing; certainly nothing to kill over. If a girl had done the same thing to him, she wouldn’t have been killed. McIreney’s motive was solely based on the fact that King was gay. McIreney only received 21 years in prison for this callous crime. He deserved much more than this; much more for the grief he caused King’s family and friends, more for the unnecessary violence against such a small