#and then like . this shitshow. wahtever

[ruthlesslistener]

Shit’s still going on btw. I graduated in 2017, the latest out of all of y’all, but I had to deal with a fuckload of shit when I was in high school because even if the student body wasn’t terrible, the faculty were absolutely awful. I was in a public school in fucking California (the ‘liberal’ state), and if you were openly queer in any way you’d be flagged for some form of ‘indecent conduct’. That one time I thought I was a lesbian and had a girlfriend before I realized I was an aro trans man? Couldn’t so much as hold hands without getting told off for inappropriate touching, even though you couldn’t go two feet without finding some guy between his girlfriend’s legs. I also was a frequent member of our GSA and we weren’t allowed to hold ANY events that weren’t in some private classroom, because it might ‘offend people’, even though the pro-life club (yes, there was a fucking pro-life club) was allowed to set up a stand and talk their bullshit during break and lunch without contention. We were only allowed to have a stand during club rush and nothing else. Talking to the higher-ups didn’t help either, because the person who came to shut down our attempts at an all-inclusive pride event was the fucking principle. I can’t imagine how much worse it must have gotten with the whole anti-trans thing going on recently

I graduated high school in 99.

There was a student at our school named Wayne.

Wayne was gay. It was obvious. He was unable to stay in the closet even if he wanted to. To make matters worse, he was also Black. From a bullying standpoint, that was not a great combo. Both Black and white students made fun of him relentlessly. He was ostracized from the only community that may have given him protection. Only us theater kids stuck up for him, but not to significant effect.

Wayne was bullied so much that at one point he finally snapped and attacked his bullies with a lunch tray. I was actually seated in perfect line of sight and just sat there chewing my soggy fries in stunned silence. It didn't even seem real as I was witnessing it. The image of him wailing on his main bully as the food on his tray flew off is permanently logged into my long term memory.

The bully he attacked had blood all over his face and went straight to the nurse. Other than superficial cuts, he was not injured.

Before the attack, Wayne went to teachers for help. He went to guidance counselors for help. He went to the principals for help.

He did all of the things you were supposed to do. No one helped him. They wagged a finger at the bullies and warned them to stop.

Wayne's lunch tray melee was the only thing that worked. His bullies stayed far away from him. But a week later Wayne was expelled and the bullies were given no punishment.

So... no.

No one in my school talked about being trans.

Because the only way to survive being openly queer was to bash people with a lunch tray.

[soulbornincoldandrain]

a separate post is in fact just the jeff (watching) thru abed (tv)(trope)(screen) to britta (emotional conclusion) direction of thought vs britta (conflict)(hurt)(?boiled potato) thru abed (tv)(fourth wall)(distance) to jeff (solution)(likeable)(fictional) or jeff reducing loved one thru archetype to find a solution he cant process vs love finding him anyways because that's how love works in real life and people have depth and often in good ways and britta finding embarrassment and self flagellation is often lonely and stupid and world ending and resolution reaching her anyways thru that because sometimes love finds you oddly unexpectedly and perfectly like a neatly wrapped punchline in a bow because all ur friends are crying and somebody loves u to reach out amidst the chaos anyways and it works. so u take it. and you reach forward still. sometimes in being the antithesis to ur coolguy bestfriend you are brave enough to be sad and embarrassing and you inspire bravery within others still and people love you. pr whatever. who knows i dont even watch tv.