Talking about hurtful words
Openly gay author James Howe was inspired to write his 2001 book The Misfits by painful memories of being called a faggot in school, and now his book has inspired a national campaign to educate students about the harm words can do. Beginning March 1, the first annual No Name-calling Week, organized by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, took place in more than 4,000 schools nationwide that held educational programs about name-calling. “A lot of kids can say ‘faggot’ and not even think about the implications of the word,” said GLSEN spokeswoman Michelle Sims.
The following week, GLSEN announced that Detroit Central High School had set up the 2,000th gay-straight alliance club in the nation. GLSEN’s annual student-led Day of Silence event Will take place April 21.
Student tour a “Word Matter” exhibit in New York City.
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