People at school (Just a rant)
So on Thursday I brought a pride flag to school to show my mates because most of us are a part of the LGBTQ+. I brought it in and my friends and I were walking around with it and joking about it (Inside jokes!!) Then some older kids come over and they were already whispering and looking at us, one of them asked to see the flag and my friends were like "No" because I knew and they knew exactly what would happen if we did give them the flag. So one of my friends ran away with the flag so they wouldn't take it.
I was really angry but I managed to stay calm and we walked away.
Then later that day in the afternoon I was walking with one of my friends who uses they/them pronouns, I was wearing the flag on my back like a cape and we were joking around and stuff. When I got back to the classroom and the class I was in, one of the girls in my class at the time was whispering about me carrying around the flag and they were laughing about it. I did feel upset but I tried to ignore it for the rest of they day instead of dwelling on it and making myself feel like shit.
Comments
Hey @ZeDd_ThE_tRaNs
I really dislike people like that. They should just mind their business and be quiet. Does this sort of thing happen much? Is your school aware/have they done anything? It’s honestly unacceptable behaviour but unfortunately fairly common. I’m glad you were able to ignore it. It’s so hard to do but sometimes it’s the only thing you can do. There’s no point getting into a fight as you’ll mostly likely also get in trouble. It’s really not fair. Hopefully they’ll grow up and become better people. You sound like you are a great friend and have great group of friends.
Thank you for your support! It has happened before but its a more once in a month kind of thing. Im going to tell a teacher and explain what happened next week. My friends are my biggest support and the people I go to for almost everything and even though sometimes they piss me off, I love them alot and I respect them alot.
Hey @ZeDd_ThE_tRaNs
Ah that’s so frustrating and infuriating. They need a hobby or something else seeing as they have all this free time to be hateful. I really hope your teacher can help. Yeah, good friends are meant to piss you off sometimes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fun. I’m really glad you’ve found your people. It makes a world of difference.
You did absolutely amazing! What they did is just horrible and none of you deserve anything close to that horrendous treatment, is there anyone who you can go to, a supportive or queer adult at the school? I'm really sorry you all had to put up with this it's so unfair that we have to endure this torture and be the bigger person but you all did a great job.
Ive told a teacher who (i think!) uses all pronouns and they said to report it to a higher up teacher which I plan to do on Monday next week
Hi @ZeDd_ThE_tRaNs
I'm so sorry to hear that your peers were being discriminatory and making cruel jokes about you and your friends identities. This kind of bullying is simply not okay. We are glad that you found these forums a safe place to vent these frustrations as this is not a burden you should have to carry alone, and we are here to support you.
I imagine it must've been awful for you to hear the older kids whispering, making jokes and being discriminatory about the flag, especially as it brings happiness to you and your friends. It is also really upsetting to know that they kicked a ball at your friends head, is your friend okay? It's understandable that you felt angry as you care for your friend, but it is really good to see that you managed to stay calm and walk away, you should be proud! I understand that the girls in your class whispering and laughing would have added to your hurt, this behaviour is also not okay. It's great to hear that you managed to not think about it to stop yourself from feeling like crap. Did you report these incidents to a teacher or to the principal? The behaviour of these students is unacceptable so if you feel comfortable reporting it to a trusted teacher it may help stop them if they see consequences to their actions.
You have demonstrated so much strength and resilience to stay calm, walk away, and to try and ignore negative things that are happening to you and your friends. If you are interested, I recommend you and/or your friends read this article here which talks about coping with transphobia. If you and/or your friend feel distressed, please reach out to Kids Helpline here. Also, I'd like to know how you are feeling today? and if you feel safe going to school?.
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Thank you for the support, X is alright he said it just hurt a bit. Im planning on telling a teacher on Monday next week and he might take it to the principal but I doubt it. Im doing alright this afternoon and I do feel safe going to school, I find that im alot more confident and I feel alot safer when im with my friends as we always walk around together as a group.
My heart goes out to you and your friends for experiencing this sort of behaviour from other students at your school, it must be really hurtful to know that there are some people out there who truly want to hurt others just based on their identity.
I hope your friend is doing okay, it is so heartwarming to see that you have such a close bond with your group of friends and that makes you feel safe and confident. Having a strong network of friends can be beneficial and supportive in times like this, where you all can help each other to overcome difficult moments like this.
I would really like to know if you reported the incident to your school's principal or even your year-level coordinator and if you have tried talking to your school counsellors about the incident.
Feel free to give us an update if you like, or if you need further help or even someone to rant to, we are all here to listen and provide our support!
I look forward to hearing back from you, stay safe and take extra care of yourself!
Thank you for your support, my friend is doing alright and I havent had the chance to report it quite yet but I will do it soon.
