So, as you all might have heard about, there was a hate crime mass shooting in Colorado Springs this weekend. 25 people were injured, 19 by gunshots, and 5 were killed. In health class we have an anonymous questions thing on Padlet so we can all ask our questions privately to be answered in front of the class in the morning. However, today we got a question about a cis het white guy feeling uncomfortable around gay people. He claimed he didn't like how we made being gay a whole thing, like our whole personality, and why we had to announce our preferences. He also talked about how he hated having to learn about lgbtq+ topics/ forms of sex in our education, since it would never matter to him. Now, after learning of the shooting which devestated our entire community, and me especially, having gay family and friends, some of which live in Colorado, hearing this question/opinion really broke me down. I interrupted the teacher trying to talk through the question which someone asked, "What happened this weekend?", as they had no idea, and said, "Some straight maniac went into a gay bar and shot it up, injuring 25 people and killing 5, just because of who they love. And you ask why we don't have straight pride?" and the teacher got kinda mad at me and told me to calm down, so I had to leave when this asshole Gavin started to tell me that it wasn't a hate crime, but a coincidence that it was a gay bar he shot up. How do I inform my straight classmates about the struggles and challenges trans and gay people face every day? Especially people like me (Bi and trans-masc) who can't even use public restrooms without fear of harm? Now we have to be scared about going to bars because they might get shot up. And they laugh it off and call it an unfortunate coincident. How do I get through to them?
Cricket/ Charlie
He/They
<3