There is a maxim that states, “Youth is wasted on the young”. Bullshit. To be young, to have hope, to feel a sense of what is right, to be strong, to have energy, to have a drive to fight for what you believe in; these are the hallmarks of a well-spent youth. The despotic, hardened and ruthless bullies of the world are not the ones in the glow of youth; they are more likely to be the ones in control, with resources, and with a sense of moral righteousness that was beaten into them by people older than them along the way. The arrogance of some of the old to assume that youth is no more than a folly is sad. The power that we still allow people in our communities to have over the way others choose to live their otherwise harmless lives continues to frustrate us. Why is it that it is still ok for a school to tell young queer people that they do not have the access to remedies and benefits of what the rest of our society has deemed to be part of being human? We did not have the “Adults Rights Amendment Act” in 1993, we had the “Human Rights Amendment Act”. So to the professors, teachers, coaches, spiritual advisors, and principals who continue to refuse the rights of every human in this country; put away your out-dated opinions, keep your judgements out of the picture, and stop trying to replicate yourself by attempting to shape the young people around you into your image. Apparently even God does not want anything created in his image, perhaps you should take a leaf from his book. And to those who are silenced by these people – colleagues, friends, students etc, take a stand. Be tall, be proud. Know that the way things were, is not the way things are; and that the way things are, will not always be. We will stand behind you 100% and go into battle with you, support you, encourage you, and celebrate what you achieve. We’ve grown tired of the bullies, tired of the lies, tired of having to take what they give us. No more. We are strong, we are united, and we will not lose our lives to the ongoing discrimination and sickness perpetuated by those who ignore our right to be human and to live with respect and dignity. Our relationships, our choices, our beliefs, our freedom, and our lives are just as valid as everyone else’s. No one has the right to let his or her own notions of spirituality override the essence of humanity. So the message to the institutional bullies is this: if one of our queer young people wants to take their same sex or trans friend to your school ball, and you say no; then you can count on us, all of us, to stand up and fight. We are not the aggressors; but we will no longer be your victims. And to queer young people reading this: If you feel that you are being discriminated against, let us know. We will help you through it, and we will help you celebrate your life and everything that you stand for; you are the future, and that is where we are heading. It will get better because together we will make it better. - Vaughan Meneses is the General Manager of OutlineNZ, which can be reached by calling 0800 OUTLINE (688 5463) Vaughan Meneses - 17th June 2011