Memories of Bullying
Written by: Chris Stump | October 13th, 2010By Brenna Kate Simonds
The recent suicides that are related to bullying have brought back some not-so-pleasant memories for me. I’m sure I’m not alone
. Coming out of the closet (or rather, being pushed out kicking and screaming) as a high school student in 1990-ish in small-town New Hampshire was not fun. I always joke that Ellen didn’t come out for another 7 years I was made fun of, harassed, threatened, and insulted. I remember sitting in class and having a peer tell me that all gay people should be put on an island and blown up, as my teacher sat there and said nothing. I spent many classes just putting my head down on my desk and crying. I remember once being harassed so severely that I got up and walked out of the class because the anxiety of sitting there, in that class, overwhelmed me. I went to the principal’s office, as I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. He didn’t ask me if I needed anything, didn’t ask me why I left my class, didn’t send me to the guidance counselor even though I was visibly upset; he just told me I could sit in the waiting area until my next class.
The harassment wasn’t limited to school hours. I would walk down the street and people would threaten me from their cars, yelling insults and screaming “Dyke”. I also wasn’t just bullied because I was same-sex attracted; I was bullied because I was smart, because I dressed differently, because I was a “band fag” – the list went on and on. (keep reading…)