Harassment. According to Wikipedia, the verb is derived from the Old French harasser which means to “exhaust, tire out, wear out; to harry, torment, vex.” It may also link from the Old French hirer (“to set a dog on”), and from Frankish hara, meaning, “here, hither,” a command for a dog to attack. Now, you have probably never been attacked by a dog. Still, you might have been mistreated by some people. I know I have, for one of my identities. I am lesbian and support LGBTQIA+ rights, and not many of my classmates like that. They have impersonated me and called me “rainbow.” This usually happens in the halls or by the lockers so the teachers don’t hear, and when we are in the classrooms, the teachers don’t hear them and have made fun of me for it. So on that note, I’m going to state an idea to stop LGBTQ+ harassment.
First, kids are getting bullied and not feeling good about their identities. According to a report by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and National Public Radio, “The majority of LGBTQ Americans say they have experienced some form of harassment or discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.” For example, the video, “Like Walking Through a Hailstorm” has a video with a kid named Joshua Greer, a gay high school student, who says, “Last year it was pretty much every day. It was like, ‘You’re such a queer. You’re such a fag.’ I [even] got pushed into the walls… ” This proves that kids can’t feel secure in their identities as members of the LGBTQ+ community, because they are getting bullied about it.
I think the way to fix this problem is for Congress and citizens who support LGBTQ+ rights to take action and protest. For example, if someone harasses another person on purpose, the person who was harmed can report that, and the government can get involved. People might even be charged with a crime if they harass an LGBTQ+ citizen. Even schools and teachers can get involved. If a kid feels unsafe because of another student, the offending student should get detention or be suspended.
In conclusion, people in the LGBTQ+ community are being harassed and are feeling unhappy about their identities. And I think my solution will help.
