Happy pride month!! Look, if any of y'all are homophobic I'd like you to read this as well. This isn't a "If your homophobic get out." Project. This is a "Read this IF you are homophobic." Even if you aren't, I think it'll be good to read anyway. -what is homophobia?- People who dislike AND mistreat Queer kids. -who does it count for?- You'd only be homophobic if you are acting against Queer people. This can even go down to how you act around them, or even your facial expressions when someone would be talking about this topic. If you don't like Queer people, that alone won't make you homophobic, as long as you have a bit of respect for them, then it really counts. But I know that some kids will say, "Of course I 'respect' gay people! They are the W!" ..or whatever they would say. This people who will talk like that, who KNOW they are mocking it, doesn't make it any better, in fact, worse. -why should I respect them?? I'm not gay.- If people make fun of you by SAYING "if you do this you're gay.. hang out with them your gay.. blah blah blah." This kind of people are homophobic and it's okay if you are not gay! I'm not either, buts important to support people who are in need of it most. Queer people are always getting bullied in some sort! Most of their friends get bullied too, causing an increase in depression. Most people don't even report it.. -its not my fault they will get me bullied!- If they do, then you should talk with someone who can help stop this. Being bullied shouldn't get in the way of being a good friend and ally.
If someone you know is homophobic and a bully, that doesn't make them a bad person. These people are normally affected by religion or the fact that they are not used to this concept. For those who realize that they are homophobic, It's okay to try to talk with a queer person. These people are normally really amazing humans! If you have bullied a queer kid in the past, then make it up by stopping people when they make jokes about being gay. "If you do blah blah blah your gay!" You can also start by apologizing to the person. But never apologize unless you truly mean it.
