966
Graeme Taylor: Role Model, Hero and Everyday Teen
<p><img class="alignright" src="//images.tonic.com/legacy_variable/89432-360-800px-flyingrainbowflagjpg.jpg" alt="800px-flyingrainbowflag.jpg" />Fourteen-year-old Graeme Taylor is proof that age doesn't matter when it comes to standing up for what's right.</p> <p>On Oct. 20, National Bullying Day, economics teacher Jay McDowell of <a rel="follow" href="http://www.tonic.com/place/michigan" target="_blank">Michigan'</a>s Howell High School was wearing a purple shirt to show his support. He noticed a student wearing a Confederate flag belt buckle and asked him to remove it. The student probed McDowell about what the difference was between a Confederate flag and the rainbow flag, the unity symbol for the gay community. McDowell tried to explain the difference, to which the student responded, "I don't accept gays. It's against my religion," according to <a rel="nofollow" href="http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=6880&MediaType=1&Category=26" target="_blank">On Top magazine</a>.</p><p>McDowell suspended the student for one day. The school board, in turn, suspended McDowell (without pay) for violating the student's First Amendment rights and for wearing a "controversial" purple shirt. When school officials had a board meeting to discuss the issue, Taylor, from neighboring Ann Arbor, went to speak up on behalf of the teacher.</p> <p>On Top reported that Taylor said, "I've been in classrooms where children have said the worst things. The kinds of things that drove me to a suicide attempt when I was only 9 years old. These are the things that hurt a lot. There is a silent holocaust out there, in which an estimated 6 million gay people every year kill themselves. He did an amazing thing. He did something that inspired a lot of people."</p> <p>Video footage of Taylor's speech went viral (it's since been removed from Youtube due to copyright infringements) and caught the attention of <a rel="follow" href="http://www.tonic.com/people/ellen_degeneres" target="_blank">Ellen DeGeneres</a>. She was so inspired by his words that she invited him to be a guest on her show. On Mon. Nov. 22, Taylor will talk to Ellen about what inspired him to speak out.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Image courtesy of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flyingrainbowflag.JPG" target="_blank">the odoranian</a>, Wikimedia Commons.</em></p><p> </p>
1 Comment
Anonymous
85 days ago
Report
I had seen this on Ellen the other day & I am very proud of him for standing up for whats right. I feel as if the teacher was very wrong for his actions. And I am very proud that Graeme didn't let his sexuality get the best of him where he'd kill himself because it's just not worth it & also it would have made him a quitter. I support him even though I'm not Homosexual I Accept everyone's differences because they are human and deserves to be treated like everyone else so Graeme keep doing what you're doing because you're doing a great job and you have 100% of my Support!!
6 Likes
Reply
Submitted by:
Found something you want others to take action on? Post it on Tonic.
What would you do to make the world a better place?
Latest on Tonic
PostsCommentsLikes
0 comments