I had the privilege of working, however tangentially, with a local youth group who wrote and produced a play, Waking Up Blue, that addressed the issues of gay youth. Some of their stories were heart breaking but it was great to see these kids have a chance to speak up.

Sadly, the director was a victim of gay bashing a week after the first run and there was another incident at a pizza place just a block from the theatre a week after that.

Thanks for the words Joel.

Oh wow, that was awesome.

It brought back a lot of memories for me of school bullying - I was bullied not for being gay but because I was poor and ignorant. Wow, I can feel my heart pounding and my hands shaking as I type this, the memories are so visceral.

Well done Joel, and to all those who stand up against bullying.

Senyar, it resonated with me for similar reasons.. I wasn't "bullied" so viciously but was definitely serially picked on etc for being an introvert, not good at fighting back

I wasn't expecting much from the video when I saw it but it's an incredible and moving speech

I actually just watched that yesterday. Awesome.

Amazing. What an extraordinary man.

Thanks Doohickie, I hadn't seen it previously. It's very powerful.

Yeah, something got in both my eyes while watching that a couple of days ago. Damn dust, which got especially thick when nearly everyone game him a standing ovation.

I was inadvertently outed my senior year in high school, circa 1982-83. It was a misery. No one ever got up in my face--I've always been a big guy--except for one closeted homophobe (and even then only at drunken parties, where he was easy to foist off) but I'd have the random egg thrown at me, car was vandalized, "faggot" scrawled on my locker in the halls and in gym class, etc. It bothered me, sure. But it never ever ever made me put my head down in shame. Most of the kids I've seen in the news lately weren't so lucky to have the advantage of size. So young, and so small. Easy targets. Which, of course, is what bullies prefer. It saddens and sickens me.

That one guy who did get up in my face? Died in '89 from HIV-related complications. I've never really even now resolved my loathing for the guy because of the way he treated me, which is in total conflict for my compassion for anyone who suffers as much as he did.

CNN's running this video a lot today. It's incredibly powerful. Chokes me up.

My daughter is now 21. During middle school, she was harassed to the point of feeling she needed to eat lunch in the girl's restroom. We only found out about that later, after she'd become an activist in high school.

She is fine now, I think. Strong, centered. I really regret not advocating for her more, but, also, several times I did, it blew up in my face, due to clueless school administrators.

Thanks for sharing, Doohickie, I probably would have missed it otherwise.

Definitely brings back memories of being bullied countless reasons. It really has got to stop.

So impressed by Joel, and so proud of him for what he said, and so glad I saw this.

I looked different from everyone in my high school, and was bookish besides, and I heard one hurtful remark after another. I longed for college, where it did indeed get better.

The bullying we and our schools allow makes me sick at heart. But people like Joel make me feel he is right, it must and will end.

So, Doohickie, thanks so much for the post, and if you see Joel, please thank him for all of us.

I will, bearwife. I will.