Welcome to Gaia! ::

First: there is no real right or wrong way of adressing the issue, and you're not going to be able to make everyone happy.

You questioned if you are qualified to adress this, but from what you have said, you most definitly are. You don't have to be the one discriminated against to know that it is wrong, and there is nothing wrong with standing up for what you believe in.

I'm sure a letter to the administration would be the best approach [not an e-mail that one can delete with a simple click] to this.
Try adressing the issue as calmly as possible, showing anger will come across as an angsty teen.

[sorry, I'm kinda rambling...]

The points I would adress would be...
State your faith in your religion, maybe explain how it gives you faith, keeps you strong, ect [it is ok to fabricate this to gain their trust]
Then explain that the comfort found in religion is open for all people, and school should also provide a safe and positive place for all students.
Then go about explaining how feelings were hurt, school doesn't feel safe for particular students, ect.
Remind them that everyone is entitled to an opinion, but discrimination will not be tolerated by you.
State what you want to happen as a result of the incdent, and what you don't want to see in the future.

I'm sure you get the point.

Sign your name at the bottom, and have other students [or anyone who agrees] sign it as well, as a sort of petition.


You said that nobody wants conflict? If you take action, it is not starting conflict because it is the result of that woman's prejudice, but don't play the blame game.

Sorry, I hope I helped.


Make sure to post how it all goes, and remember that you're not alone in your opinions, your friends are backing you and so would many people around the world.

Good luck, and please tell your friends for me that I believe in them, that the speaker was voicing her prejudiced and twisted beliefs. Keep your own beliefs, stand by them, and no one can break you.

I'm very glad I could help you feel a bit better.
I'm not quite sure of what all the acronims [sp?] stand for, but I think I understand what you're saying.

Have they told you, or come onto you? If they just say that they think you're hot, they might just be saying that more as a compliment than as flirting. Some of them might think that you just haven't come out of the closet yet... just blatantly state that you're straight, not into them, and that you don't want to be rude.

I understand the alone part. Try to contact them, make sure that they all know that if they want things to change, everyone has to be committed to it. If not, things won't change.

If you're seriously putting your own education at risk for people that are no longer backing you, I [with regret] suggest backing out of this situation.

Never be upset with yourself for being afraid because:
1. you can't change how you feel, so acting and thinking on the anger will only depress or fustrate you more
2. fear is programed into your brain to keep you from doing stupid things that might harm or kill you. Think of it as a fire alarm, it might be something small, but big enough to set off the alarms... [like someone burning cookies in cooking class], or it could be an actual fire.
In the end, only you can determine how dangerous whatever set off your alarm is, and if it is worth your time, effort, and risk.

In the end, you will do whatever you were meant to do.

[NHS and Ives. explain please?]

Silent protests work wonders: everyone who sees you will know what you're standing for [if not, they'll probably ask someone], and it shows that you are civilized, and don't have to make a scene to shove your opinions in peoples' faces'.

You're quite welcome, and I wish the best of luck.

P.S.
If you have time, I'd absolutely LOVE it if you could stop by the anniversary sub-forum, maybe chat, enter one, or two, [or heck, all] of the contests?
We put a lot of effort into it [which is an understatement...] and like nobody has shown up D;