Welcome to our first blog entry.  We want to celebrate the launching of the DVD of our film, and hope it will not only entertain but serve as a useful tool for inspiration and empowerment.  Sadly, because of recent events, we feel we must also immediately address issues that are both timely and timeless.

When a girl or boy is bullied because they’re Jewish, African-American, Latino, Muslim, etc., they can go home and tell their parents or guardians, who can in turn report it to the school and the perpetrators will more likely than not be punished. If an LGBT young person is bullied with “faggot” or “dyke” he or she will usually not go home and report it because most times family members do not know this yet, or are bigoted themselves.

Until the scapegoating, bullying and violence (physical or psychological) is stopped by severe punishment of the perpetrators, until parents and guardians are more informed and led to organizations such as PFLAG, and until we as a community keep this in the forefront by not tolerating any excuse for bullying, violence, etc. — well, we will be mourning more young people who commit suicide because of harassment and feeling that they are alone.

As individuals and organizations, we MUST reach all the religious institutions in our areas, and beyond, to STOP TEACHING HATE TOWARDS HOMOSEXUALS.  And we, as a community of LGBT persons, must protect our own and not tolerate any violence, harassment, bullying or scapegoating. None of it.  With our numbers, and if we each COME OUT,  IT CAN BE DONE!

- Ruthie Berman and Connie Kurtz