I’m sure many of you have heard about the recent teenager suicides in the US, and the campaign that the (in)famous Dan Savage and his partner have created through YouTube. If not, check it out and then share it. We really need to reach out to the parents of teenagers and teenagers themselves to re-evaluate what being human means and to treat each other with kindness and respect. The video reaches out to teenagers, but I think we adults need reminding, too, of the devastating effects of bullying and the struggles that people go through when they have no support or community.
One of my favourite students of all time, Ben, recruited his parents to tell the story of his coming out as part of the It Gets Better movement (that’s what I want this to become–a movement). I think you’ll enjoy hearing their story of love and acceptance. While I know it’s not this easy for many young people coming out, I think it’s worthwhile to see if you’re a parent, especially, or if you generally just love young people. Kudos to the Boudreaus. Thanks for sharing.
DeNel Rehberg Sedo 
You might also want to watch Ellen’s plea: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=592846987806&ref=mf
Warning: you’ll need tissues
What a lovely family!
The world is changing and it does get better. While I’ll hold back on my own story just at this moment, I am still so pleased about a story I shared with other parents at a party last night — and the parents shared my delight. My story as about a teen I know at a school where an uproar arose when a tg teen who identifies as a boy went on a date with a girl and kissed her. It turned into two factions — and I was sad for the boy. But I was heartened that the uproar was not over the boy being transgendered, but whether disclosing that was a necessary part of informed consent or whether it’s necessary to disclose something that non-tg people do not need to disclose. Really, this seemed like such a mature and important conversation. Honestly, if we have teens discussing informed consent and personal autonomy, the world is changing, since those issues apply to so many areas. We’re in the catchment for that high school and it made me so happy to know that there is such a culture of acceptance there, for the sake of my children and their friends and the world to follow.