Were we out of line last issue when we ran a bold headline – “I’m bisexual” – and a detailed question and answer (Q&A) story on a fellow Saxon’s decision to declare her sexual orientation via YouTube?
We think not. True, there was controversy surrounding the recent Saxon Scope profile of Pallavi Rudraraju. Some teachers openly questioned the decision to classrooms full of students. Some students wondered why we would cover such an event.
Our motive was this: to print one person’s struggle with a difficult emotional experience. It’s a struggle shared by many others across the world, but it is one that is talked about very little here at Langley.
The skyrocketing numbers of gay teen suicides – many that sadly result from ridicule or oppression – is alarming. Nine out of 10 lesbian, transgender or bisexual middle school and high school students suffered physical and/or verbal harassment in 2009, according to the New York Times. And even if we don’t necessarily see this everyday in our community, part of becoming a responsible and aware citizen is realizing the global impact of issues like these.
Those who took the time to read beyond the surprising headline knew that Rudraraju was more than ready to share her thoughts about coming out via a Youtube video.
It’s important to distinguish that Rudrarju’s sexual orientation does not constitute a news event, nor does her decision to “come out.” The news was the integration of technology and the widespread social networking ripple effect that Rudrarju’s declaration had on the student body.
In a school like Langley, where fitting in is a big concern, we think it is important to give a voice to those who aren’t heard from often enough. Among all the academics and athletics we feature so regularly in our paper, we decided to reach beyond the borders of McLean and Great Falls.
Besides that, we question those who want to silence students entirely on their sexuality. If it’s okay to include stories on Date Labs – when two heterosexual students go on a blind date — and Spoonathons, where hundreds of students planned to gather in a huge embrace, shouldn’t it be okay to reference homosexuality?
While some questioned the story, others supported the Scope’s decision. “Just because something isn’t comfortable, it doesn’t mean you don’t talk about it. There is a way to do it properly,” said Mr. Jason McBeth, the school’s psychologist. “As a culture, we’ve become less touchy. Langley especially, is at the end of the curve and is fortunate to have progressive thinking,” he added.
While Langley rarely hears from the gay community, the rest of the world certainly does. Gay-Lesbian rights have become an extremely prominent topic of discussion throughout the nation, especially in recent years.
This year’s TIME magazine 100 Most Influential People included Chris Colfer, the actor who plays Glee’s Kurt, an openly gay student who struggles with the experience of being himself in high school. The online celebrity project, “ItGetsBetter” documents through videos similar struggles of gay or lesbian teenagers. The celebrities featured encourage gay and lesbian teens with the message that “it gets better” after high school.