Transgender Day of Remembrance

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tdor


Jacqueline Cowdrey (50 years old)

Cause of death: unknown

Location of death: Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom

Date of death: November 20th, 2013

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Rosa Ribut (Jon Syah Ribut – 35 years old)

Cause of death: blunt force trauma

Location of death: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Date of death: November 24th, 2013

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Betty Skinner (52 years old)

Cause of death: blunt force trauma to the head

Location of death: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Date of death: December 4th, 2013

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Brittany Stergis (22 years old)

Cause of death: gunshot wound to the head

Location of death: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Date of death: December 5th, 2013

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Elizalber Oliveira de Mesquita (39 years old)

Cause of death: stoned to death

Location of death: Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Date of death: January 5th, 2014

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Paloma

Cause of death: multiple gunshots to the head and chest

Location of death: Belém, Pará, Brazil

Date of death: January 8th, 2014

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Rayka Tomaz (20 years old)

Cause of death: multiple stab wounds.

Location of death: Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Date of death: January 10th, 2014

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Prince Joe (Joseph Sanchez – 18 years old)

Cause of death: multiple stab wounds, dumped on the street

Location of death: Belize City, Belize

Date of death: January 12th, 2014

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Toni Gretchen (50 years old)

Cause of death: multiple stab wounds

Location of death: Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Date of death: January 16th, 2014

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Luana (20 years old)

Cause of death: gunshot to the chest

Location of death: Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

Date of death: January 10th, 2014

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Cristal (Alexandre Nascimento de Araújo – 22 years old)

Cause of death: Gunshot

Location of death: Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Date of death: January 19th, 2014

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Thifani (18 years old)

Cause of death: dismembered

Location of death: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Date of death: January 27th, 2014

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Joice (José Antônio Vieira Freitas – 32 years old)

Cause of death: multiple stab wounds

Location of death: Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Date of death: January 28th, 2014

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Sarita (Marcos de Almeida Oliveira)

Cause of death: gunshot

Location of death: Itabela, Bahia, Brazil

Date of death: January 29, 2014

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Juju (Julian de Souza Cruz – 32 years old)

Cause of death: beaten and stoned to death

Location of death: Salgueiro, Pernambuco, Brazil

Date of death: January 29th, 2014

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Raíssa (Lourivaldo Xavier)

Cause of death: 6 gunshots to head and chest

Location of death: Cuiabá,Mato Gross, Brazil

Date of death: February 1st, 2014

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Tatty

Cause of death: facial injuries

Location of death: Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Date of death: February 7th, 2014

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Rafaela (Alexsandro Alderotti José dos Santos – 32 years old)

Cause of death: multiple gunshots

Location of death: Recife, Brazil

Date of death: February 11th, 2014

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Alex Medeiros (8 years old)

Cause of death: Beaten to death by father for refusing to cut hair, liking women’s clothes, and dancing.

Location of death: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Date of death: February 18th, 2014

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Paulete

Cause of death: multiple gunshots to the face

Location of death: Taguatinga, Brazil

Date of death: February 19th, 2014

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Camila Veronezi (24 years old)

Cause of death: suffocation

Location of death: Bragança Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: February 21st, 2014

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Lu (Célio Martins da Silva)

Cause of death: multiple stab wounds

Location of death: Nova Serrana, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Date of death: February 23rd, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: gunshots

Location of death: São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: February 27th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: gunshots

Location of death: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Date of death: February 28th, 2014

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Kitana

Cause of death: 3 gunshot wounds to the head

Location of death:Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil

Date of death: Feburary 28th, 2014

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Sarita do Sopão (39 years old)

Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds

Location of death: Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Date of death: January 29th, 2014

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Andressa Pinheiro

Cause of death: 15 stab wounds, dragged, fractured skull

Location of death:João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

Date of death: March 1st, 2014

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Rose Maria (32 years old)

Cause of death: stabbed in the neck

Location of death: Brás, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: March 5th, 2014

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Vitória (16 years old)

Cause of death: 2 gunshot wounds to the chest

Location of death: Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil

Date of death: March 12th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: burned to death

Location of death: Jardim Ingá, Goiás, Brazil

Date of death: March 14th, 2014

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Paulete (Paulo Roberto Lima dos Santos – 19 years old)

Cause of death: gunshot

Location of death: Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Date of death: March 17th, 2014

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Marciana

Cause of death: gunshot

Location of death: Iguatu, Ceará, Brazil

Date of death: March 24th, 2014

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Nicole (Marcos Vinicius Machado – 20 years old)

Cause of death: hands and feet bound, stabbed in the neck and abdomen

Location of death: Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil

Date of death: March 28th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: dismemberment

Location of death: São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: March 23rd, 2014

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Giovana Souza Silva (33 years old)

Cause of death: gunshots

Location of death: São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: March 29th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: beaten with weapon, fists by several people, dragged through the street.

Location of death: João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

Date of death: March 29th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: blow to the head with iron bar

Location of death: Sobral, Ceará, Brazil

Date of death: April 2nd, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: beaten and strangled to death.

Location of death: Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Date of death: April 2nd, 2014

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Mileide

Cause of death: 4 gunshot wounds

Location of death: Santo Antônio, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Date of death: April 7th, 2014

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Valquíria (aka Josivaldo Ribeiro Oliveira Brito)

Cause of death: gunshot to back.

Location of death: Praça dos Carreiros, Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Date of death: April 20th, 2014

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Çağla Joker

Cause of death: gunshot to the chest

Location of death: Tarlabaşı, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey

Date of death: April 21st, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: four gunshots

Location of death: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Date of death: May 29th, 2014

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Marcia Moraes (34 years old)

Cause of death: four gunshots

Location of death: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Date of death: May 29th, 2014

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Kandy Hall (40 years old)

Cause of death: massive trauma, body left in a field

Location of death: Montebello, Maryland, USA

Date of death: June 3rd, 2014

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Paola (Anderson Arruda Camote) (29 years old)

Cause of death: knife wounds to neck, feet and hands tied

Location of death: Arandu, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: June 8th, 2014

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Zoraida “Ale” Reyes (28 years old)

Cause of death:choked to death

Location of death: Anaheim, California, United States

Date of death: June 10th, 2014

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Mia Henderson (26 years old)

Cause of death: massive trauma, found dead in alley.

Location of death: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Date of death: June 16th, 2014

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Yaz’min Shancez

Cause of death:murdered, and burned

Location of death: Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Date of death: June 19th, 2014

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André Luiz Borges Rocha

Cause of death: gunshot wounds to the face

Location of death: Tijucal, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Date of death: June 23rd, 2014

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Tiffany Edwards (28 years old)

Cause of death:shot to death

Location of death: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Date of death: June 26th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: raped before being brutally executed with blows to head.

Location of death: Coruripe, Alagoas, Brazil

Date of death: June 30th, 2014

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Kellen Santorine

Cause of death: raped before being brutally executed with blows to head.

Location of death: Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Date of death: July 13th, 2014

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Mackelly Castro (age:24)

Cause of death: hanging

Location of death: Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Date of death: July 18th, 2014

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Lele (age:24)

Cause of death: beaten to death

Location of death: Roatán, Honduras

Date of death: July 18th, 2014

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Dennysi Brandão (age:24)

Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds to the hip, chest, and back.

Location of death: Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Date of death: July 24th, 2014

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Alisson Henrique da Silva (age:25)

Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds

Location of death: Macaíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Date of death: July 31st, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: found dead, with eyes removed.

Location of death: Jardim dos Ipês Itaquaquecetuba, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: August 9th, 2014

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Alejandra Leos

Cause of death: gunshot to the back

Location of death: Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Date of death: September 5th, 2014

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Karen Alanis (age:23)

Cause of death: thrown from vehicle, ran over

Location of death: Caçapava, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: September 9th, 2014

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Marcela Duque (46 years old)

Cause of death: stoned to death

Location of death: Medellín, Colombia

Date of death: September 9th, 2014

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Cris

Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds

Location of death: Portal da Foz, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

Date of death: September 13th, 2014

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Marcela Lopez

Cause of death: Stoning

Location of death: Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Date of death: September 14th, 2014

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Mahadevi

Cause of death: pushed off moving train

Location of death: Malleshwara, Karnataka, India

Date of death: September 25th, 2014

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Bruna Lakiss (26 years old)

Cause of death: gunshot wound

Location of death: Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Date of death: September 30th, 2014

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Aniya Parker

Cause of death: gunshot wound to the head

Location of death: East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Date of death: October 3rd, 2014

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Gaivota dos Santos

Cause of death: three shots to the face

Location of death: Rio Largo, Alagoas, Brazil

Date of death: October 1st, 2014

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Géia Borghi

Cause of death: shot in the chest, bound, gagged, set afire

Location of death: Monte Mor, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: October 9th, 2014

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Jennifer Laude

Cause of death: asphyxiation by drowning

Location of death: Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines

Date of death: October 11th, 2014

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Sara (27 years old)

Cause of death: Gunshot

Location of death: Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil

Date of death: October 12th, 2014

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Aguinaldo Cláudio Colombelli (45 years old)

Cause of death: 30 stab wounds

Location of death: Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Date of death: October 16th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death: beaten to death

Location of death: Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Date of death: October 16th, 2014

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Flávia

Cause of death: three gunshots

Location of death: Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

Date of death: October 20th, 2014

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Mary Joy Añonuevo (55 years old)

Cause of death: stabbed 33 times

Location of death: Lucena, Quezon, Philippines

Date of death: October 21st, 2014

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Ashley Sherman

Cause of death: shot in the head

Location of death: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Date of death: October 27st, 2014

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Maicon

Cause of death: Gunshot

Location of death: Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

Date of death: November 1st, 2014

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Letícia

Cause of death:stabbed in the chest

Location of death: Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: November 6th, 2014

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Raquel

Cause of death:Gunshot

Location of death: Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Date of death: November 6th, 2014

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Adriana (16 years old)

Cause of death:Gunshot, body wrapped in sheet, tied to tree trunk, thrown in river.

Location of death: Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil

Date of death: November 9th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death:throat cut

Location of death: Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil

Date of death: November 9th, 2014

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Unknown woman

Cause of death:shot and burned

Location of death: Tblisi, Georgia

Date of death: November 10th, 2014

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Gizzy Fowler

Cause of death:Gunshot

Location of death: Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Date of death: November 10th, 2014

(List provided by International Transgender Day of Remembrance (Word Press))

Gizzy Fowler Death Marks 10th Known Murder of Trans Woman of Color in US in 2014

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sue-kerr/post_8613_b_6164198.html

On Thursday, we observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance to remember those trans victims of violent crime. Transgender deaths have been commemorated beginning in 1998 with the murder of Rita Hester. Transgender violence is an epidemic in this country and affects one in three with one death every month since the inception of the day of remembrance.

This is the second murder of a transgender woman of color that I’m personally aware of this fall. The other woman, Alejandra Leos was murdered in front of her home in Memphis.

REPOST: What is Bullying?

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What is bullying?

According to the Webster’s Online Dictionary, bullying is “the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something.” It is also defined as “tending to browbeat others,” and its synonyms include intimidation (noun), domineering, and blustery (adjectives).

In modern vernacular it happens much more than in the schoolyard for some kid’s lunch money or baseball cards. For starters, and not entirely relevant, do people still collect baseball cards?

In addition to school bullying by peers, we have adults and teachers who don’t know the appropriate responses to bullying. Often we blame the person being bullied, trying to get them to change how they do things to avoid the bully and/or the bullying behavior.

We also have the internet which is both the best thing for modern technology and information dissemination, but it is also the best place that feeds the trolls and encourages some aspects of bullying because of its anonymous nature.

Using a made up name with no affiliation to a legal name or location seems to free people’s subconscious to the point that they think their abuse of others is normal and/or okay.

We all know that many bullies have their own problems, whether it is mental illness, chronic abuse by others, or any other reason that they feel validates their abuse and bullying of others.

When I was in middle school, I was told by a girl, same age, same class, her name was Donna and she told me that I couldn’t go on the field trip strawberry picking. I really, really wanted to go strawberry picking. I grew up in the city and the suburbs, which was more city-like than rural, and I had never gone strawberry picking. We barely had a backyard. I really wanted to go.

I think she said they would beat me up.

I went home and cried. I cried a lot.

I also think this is the reason I’ve always wanted a big brother, someone to beat this girl up so I could go on my field trip. This just illustrates the mentality of dealing with a bully; more violence. We know now that this is not the way.

Thinking back on it, she also had two friends with her: it was like Crabbe and Goyle with Malfoy from Harry Potter. She looked like Meg 1.0 from Supernatural, probably one of the reasons I prefer Meg 2.0 to the blond version. The first one always made me uncomfortable and it wasn’t until I started writing this that I realized why.

Anyway, I knew I couldn’t go on the trip. That was obvious; no argument there. I was upset and I’d cry, but no way could I go on the trip.

I also knew I couldn’t make a fuss.

I said I was sick. Very technically, I was sick; sick to my stomach about so many things that I couldn’t understand at eleven or twelve years old. All I knew is that it sucked, and I wasn’t precisely lying; I was truly sick.

I stayed home, and I never forgot it.

Thirty years later, I went to my son’s middle school back to school night. I came home having a panic attack and after spending about two hours talking and crying on the phone, the panic was barely soothed. I was upset for days after, on the verge of other panic attacks.

Bullying never goes away, and so when a fellow Tumblr user began bullying me last week, I became that twelve-year old again.

I tried to talk to the person, to express that I didn’t want to be harassed.

They bullied further.

I shouldn’t admit it for the satisfaction they might get (or others), but I’m in my forties and if it could happen to me, it could happen to the teenagers here who might be less equipped to handle the pressure. I cried. Every time I turned on Tumblr, my tears welled up. It was in the back of my mind at every moment. I stayed after mass and prayed on it.

Tumblr is not supposed to be stressful like this. Tumblr is not supposed to be upsetting. Nothing we do for fun is supposed to be stressful and upsetting.

I’ve taken legal steps to stop this bully from harassing me, but it’s not simple on a public site.

It also shouldn’t be my responsibility to stop this person. They shouldn’t be encouraged by others.

You can’t stop someone from hurting you by hurting someone else.

Sure, I could leave. But why should *I* have to leave? I like it here, and I’ve done nothing wrong. Tumblr is a place of diverse ideas, diverse opinions and people say stuff all of the time that I don’t agree with and don’t like. I don’t jump down all (or even some) of their throats, bully, threaten and harass them because I don’t like what they’re posting.

That is what’s called being an adult.

But it’s more than that.

It’s called respecting that not everyone will agree with you. Not everyone will share the same experience with you. Not everyone will want to follow your tactic. And you feeling that you’re right does not give you the right to bash someone who also thinks that they are right.

I don’t care what their problem is. I don’t care if it’s mental, physical, they’re a victim of abuse, what their political affiliation is, what their gender or orientation is, married with kids or single. I honestly don’t give a fuck.

My empathic nature does have its limits. I try to live my life through Christ, but human nature is at once beautiful and compassionate and it is also selfish and egocentric. Once you crossed the line to threaten me (and this person did), you lost my empathy. I have no need to have direct contact with anyone unless they come to me first; unless they talk about me with the name calling and verbal abuse.

When my first son was born, I remembered the strawberry picking field trip. It is never far from my mind when harassment begins, but when my first son was born, I swore that no one would bully him. I would not leave him to fend for himself.

And a few years ago, I swore again. I promised myself that *I* would not be bullied ever again.

I would not live in fear of some ignorant, arrogant, holier than thou, knows better than me about me person, whether in physical person or online.

So this is me standing up.

I know I’m not the only one this person is harassing. I know I’m not the only one that this person has attacked.

And I won’t be silenced.

Prompt

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Bullying. We’ve all been there; either as a victim, a bully, or a bystander.


What is the one thing you regret doing (or not doing) in a bullying situation?

What is the one thing that you are proud of that you either did or didn’t do in a bullying situation?

REPOST – Verdigris – A Play by Jim Beaver

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verdigris

As part of my salute to fandom week, I’m switching up Thursday’s Weekly Recommendation to post today. I am so excited to be able to promote this (and I’ll be reposting it a couple of more times this week and next until they reach their goal.)

This is a kickstarter to raise the funds needed for Verdigris to be performed March 13 though April 19, 2015 at Theatre West in Los Angeles, CA.

Verdigris was written by Jim Beaver and previously performed by Theatre West in 1985 with Maureen Stapleton in the leading role. It was the winner of the Los Angeles Dramalogue Critics Award for Playwriting and a finalist for Actors Theatre of Louisville Great American Play Contest.

jim beaver

Jim is well known from his roles in Deadwood and Supernatural. He is also a film historian and his memoir, Life’s That Way about his wife, Cecily’s cancer diagnosis and their daughter’s autism diagnosis shows the heartbreak and the faith and love that this man has for his family. He’s a good soul who’s all heart. (Full disclosure if it wasn’t apparent: I’m a fan.)

Theatre West – for information and to support their other projects

To support Verdigris through their Kickstarter (there are only 16 days to go, and the minimum pledge is $1 – let’s help them out!)

If you want to connect with Jim on Facebook, he speaks his mind and offers insight on whatever’s on it. Follow here.

Links

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Books & Authors

Life’s That Way by Jim Beaver

Entertainment

Theatre West in Los Angeles

Verdigris Kickstarter

LGBT+

Gizzy Fowler Death Marks 10th Known Murder of Trans Woman of Color in US in 2014

Alejandra Leos (murder)

International Transgender Day of Remembrance (Word Press)

National Center for Transgender Equality

Transgender Law Center

Glaad

The Trevor Project

Point Foundation (LGBT Scholarships)

GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders): LGBT Legal Advocates/Equal Justice Under Law

PFLAG

Religion/Spirituality

Confession of a Catholic Priest (CNN) (Father James Martin, SJ)Week

Quotations

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Having a Fandom is like having a Family who Understands You No Matter How Crazy You Are (46/14)

It’s because we have no other choice. – Sam Winchester (with reflection) (46/14)

Fandom is less like being in love than like being in love with love. – Michael Joseph-Gross (46/14)

There’s a time and a place for everything, and I believe it’s called fan fiction. – Joss Whedon (46/14)

We’re a lot like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice. – Jerry Garcia (46/14)

I thought how unpleasant it is to be locked out; and I thought how it is worse, perhaps, to be locked in. – Virginia Woolf (47/14)

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson (48/14)

Black Friday Quotation: If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get. – Frank A. Clark (48/14)

Week 46/14 Review

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Prompt: Fan Fiction as Prompt

Photo: Fandom Photos

Quotations: Having a Fandom is like having a Family that Understands You No Matter How Crazy You Are

It’s because we have no other choice. – Sam Winchester (includes reflection)

Fandom is less like being in love than like being in love with love. – Michael Joseph-Gross

There’s a time and a place for everything, and I believe it’s called ‘fan fiction’. – Joss Whedon

We’re a lot like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice. – Jerry Garcia

Rec: Verdigris – A Play by Jim Beaver

Original Writing:

A Supernatural Love Letter

Fan vs. Fandom

Links:

Life’s That Way by Jim Beaver

Theatre West in Los Angeles

Verdigris Kickstarter

Confession of a Catholic Priest (CNN) (Father James Martin, SJ)Week