All-Star It Gets Better...tell Your Story & Take The Pledge

[AndrewSky]

When I move to America, I came out at age 13. I was in middle school still. Being the new kid from England and the gay kid was extremely hard. Cheer has been my outlet through every rough time I have encountered in recent years. It saved my life twice - in early high school years I had two extremely close suicide attempts - one which kept me in the hospital for 12 days. Now, I'm 18, I have come so far in cheer, and life is working out - I just found out that I've received a $16000 scholarship to university of Arizona. I'm ready for my life to progress even further. It gets better and better. It really does. For the first time in many years, I'm truly happy.

 

[magical mom]

When I move to America, I came out at age 13. I was in middle school still. Being the new kid from England and the gay kid was extremely hard. Cheer has been my outlet through every rough time I have encountered in recent years. It saved my life twice - in early high school years I had two extremely close suicide attempts - one which kept me in the hospital for 12 days. Now, I'm 18, I have come so far in cheer, and life is working out - I just found out that I've received a $16000 scholarship to university of Arizona. I'm ready for my life to progress even further. It gets better and better. It really does. For the first time in many years, I'm truly happy.

SHIMMY, SHIMMY, SHIMMY!!!!! Andrew, you are a hard worker and a great roll model. As your coach this year I cannot be any more proud of you. You have accomplished what you set your mind out to and even with a smile on your face. You have really overcome obsticals and I am grateful that you have, so that I can be a part of your life. You will do great at the University of Arizona and Im sure you will be able to spread your enthusiasm for the sport you love and encourage kids to keep fighting for what they believe in. Young adults like you will one day make this world an easier place to be.

 

[AndrewSky]

Thank you so much coach Jessica, it means so much. )

 

[Hodiestoe]

Just resurrecting this due to a conversation I had to have with my girls yesterday. We were at a public event where there were thousands of people and they were performing but we had quite a bit of down time. It was really nice to spend some time with them just chatting and chilling out until one girl turned to another and said a really nasty remark about a woman standing nearby. I'd say there isn't as much of an issue over here as there is in the USA; Europe is generally more tolerant and certainly the younger the generation the more you find people are not bothered by sexual orientation - this is why the comment bothered me so much.

There were a few of our squads sat together so the age range was quite wide 8-19, and most of them heard the comment but didn't seem as shocked by it as I was. Needless to say I pulled up the girl in question and really made her think about the consequences of what she said and then challenged the whole squad on it as well. The younger kids had never given it much thought; they just generally accepted the spectrum of sexual orientation but the older ones were a little bit more funny about it all. We ended up getting into a really amazing discussion about it and I tried to really challenge their thinking - it isn't good enough to just blindly ignore what is going on, you have to make a decision to actively support, or not. Most of the kids had just thought that because it doesn't affect them personally that they don't really need to think about things and have an opinion. I told them that this is more dangerous in some ways than being actively against something; apathy breeds contempt and that is so dangerous. By the end of the conversation the girl in question was mortified by what she had said, she didn't realise the consequences of such a comment and all of them admitted at one time or another having said something that could be taken as bullying about people's sexual orientation.

The reason I'm posting this is that I think it is so important to constantly challenge the kids entrusted to us; not just to make them better cheerleaders but to make them better people. I know in America there may be the whole issue of parents not wanting their little Suzies to be 'corrupted' by such liberal thinking, luckily over here we don't really have that as an issue. There are too many of our angels in heaven due to homophobic bullying, we really need to make a difference and create a place where people are free to be who they truly are.

 

[canttouchthis]

this might sound wrong, but I've never looked at your profile and I always just assumed you were a big black woman because of your profile pic! I never even knew you were a guy haha. great story though, glad to hear that no one picked on you.

bahahaha omg i just saw this. too funny. no im a skinny white twink. but secretly on the inside im black

 

[TheVipersMom]

bahahaha omg i just saw this. too funny. no im a skinny white twink. but secretly on the inside im black

Bahaha I always thought you were black. sorry!!
Lol I honestly think most people are just like their avatar. I wouldn't be surprised if zta was really a cow! Ok I'm kidding there but omg I give up.
I think everyone needs a pic of their self.

Eta: we can make a thread that says what do you really look like and everyone has to post a pic of their self. It would be so fun except for the people who are undercover!

 

[coachbd]

Eta: we can make a thread that says what do you really look like and everyone has to post a pic of their self. It would be so fun except for the people who are undercover!

Love that idea! Haha. Then I can stop imagining people as cows or cats!

 

[kykycheermom]

I didn't miss the point of anything. I stated first thing that I support the pledge and I support this thread. What I don't support is when people put other people's business out there. You may think you're anonymous on a message board and that's besides the point (even though that's probably not true). In my opinion, it doesn't matter if the girl has a rainbow flag tattooed to her forehead and wears a t-shirt that says "I'm a Foster Child". It's not your business or story to tell, especially as her coach. That's my point.

I am a true believer in judging people by their character and their heart, not by some label that society may place on them.

wow. miss the point much? get over yourself or get out of the thread. Despite what your "moral code" may say and compel you to post in here, if it's denegrating a supportive example for this thread, best to keep yourself and your "code" to another good, drama-begging thread on here.

 

[Seeker30]

i know this isn't 100% related, but my boyfriend found this video today, and i think it is very well said and an incredible message.

i got chills, i love this.

 

[canttouchthis]

i got chills, i love this.

really did get chills!!!

 

[cheer25mom]

this isn't "my" story, but is the reason I take a firm stand agianst intolerance with the kids I teach.

In 1994, I lost one on my very best fiends in high school to bullying. He was a very talented dancer and a wonderful human being, but was relentlessly bullied over his orientation. He was threatened as was his family. He took his own life because he was sure. if he didn't something bad was going to happen to those he loved. I don't even know where he is buried because his mother had to move the grave due to constant vandalism.

as a high school teacher, I do everything I can to stop bullying when I see it, and I often tell this story in my classes. I do my best to teach that people are people, race, orientation, religion ect aren't excuses for hate.

 

[NJ Coach]

this isn't "my" story, but is the reason I take a firm stand agianst intolerance with the kids I teach.

In 1994, I lost one on my very best fiends in high school to bullying. He was a very talented dancer and a wonderful human being, but was relentlessly bullied over his orientation. He was threatened as was his family. He took his own life because he was sure. if he didn't something bad was going to happen to those he loved. I don't even know where he is buried because his mother had to move the grave due to constant vandalism.

as a high school teacher, I do everything I can to stop bullying when I see it, and I often tell this story in my classes. I do my best to teach that people are people, race, orientation, religion ect aren't excuses for hate.

How completely terrible that he couldn't even have peace in death. What was vandalism going to do but hurt the living? Tragic

 

[njallday]

this isn't "my" story, but is the reason I take a firm stand agianst intolerance with the kids I teach.

In 1994, I lost one on my very best fiends in high school to bullying. He was a very talented dancer and a wonderful human being, but was relentlessly bullied over his orientation. He was threatened as was his family. He took his own life because he was sure. if he didn't something bad was going to happen to those he loved. I don't even know where he is buried because his mother had to move the grave due to constant vandalism.

as a high school teacher, I do everything I can to stop bullying when I see it, and I often tell this story in my classes. I do my best to teach that people are people, race, orientation, religion ect aren't excuses for hate.

that is so incredibly sad.

keep up the good work with your students. you're making a positive impact on their lives and the people they will become.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

i got chills, i love this.

I could watch that video and the video of the Joel Burns all day, everyday. So inspiring and so much courage.

 

[canttouchthis]

I could watch that video and the video of the Joel Burns all day, everyday. So inspiring and so much courage.

this is so so so so sad.