Stand up against bullying, protect #lgbtq youth 💜🏳️‍🌈

Although I wasn’t directly targeted for being lgbtq when I was younger, I definitely know what it feels like to be singled out for being different... for speaking my mind... for being artistic... for expressing myself... for being confident in who I was. That was until the message finally sunk in for me that I wasn’t going to make it through school if I kept being myself, I was going to need to break down and assimilate to standards. It took me a long time to get my light back after that. Bullying doesn’t only occur kid to kid, many times children are bullied by adults. That was the case for me, I was targeted by my school’s principal 3rd - 7th grade. It didn’t stop until I had to remove myself from that school. 

Do what you need to do to protect yourself and others from this type of pain. Sometimes bullying is fast and violent. Other times, it’s slow and manipulative. Either way it takes the light out of others. Speak up for yourself and others. Seek an ally... a friend, a parent, a trust worthy adult. Say something and say it loud, you deserve better. If you don’t have the voice, there is someone to help you. We can help build each other up instead of tearing each other down. 

There are excellent resources to get help and know what to do if you are being bullied click here. For resources on how to help with bullying in your school, click here.

Much love - River 💜