The Lastg Impact Of 'That's So Gay'
Contents:
- WHEN WORDS CAN KILL: 'THAT'S SO GAY'
- 'THAT'S SO GAY' PHRASE HAS LASTG IMPACT FOR LGBT YOUTH, STUDY FDS
- THAT'S SO GAY!
WHEN WORDS CAN KILL: 'THAT'S SO GAY'
April 14, 2009 — -- Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover was 11-- hardly old enough to know his sexualy and yet distrght enough to hang himself last week after school bulli repeatedly lled him "gay. "Walker said her son's 11-year-old tormentors were worse than the breast ncer she had survived four years an ironic twist, the boy would have turned 12 on April 17 -- the same day stunts thoands of schools across the untry will participate the annual Day of Silence to brg attentn to anti-gay harassment schools.
"There was no reason for the mother to believe he was gay, " said Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network spokman Daryl Prgrav.
"It jt happens he was someone his peers targeted, llg him, 'girlie, ' 'gay' and 'fag.
'THAT'S SO GAY' PHRASE HAS LASTG IMPACT FOR LGBT YOUTH, STUDY FDS
"Middle School SuicisCarl's suici about a year after California eighth-grar Lawrence Kg was shot and killed by a fellow stunt his classroom for supposedly beg rponse, GLSEN has lnched a multipronged tn mpaign to fight the e of anti-gay language and annual Day of Silence, started at the Universy of Virgia 1996 wh 150 stunts, has now grown to more than 7, 500 middle and high schools natnwi. Participants draw attentn to LGBT issu by not speakg for a October, GLSEN has aired thoands of public service msag, "Thk Before You Speak, " to rce the e of the slur, "That's so gay.
THAT'S SO GAY!
""When you are elementary school, one of the first thgs you learn is the feelg of hurt when you are lled 'gay' or 'fag, '" said Prgrav. "It don't matter if you are gay or straight.