Thoughts...

The different will always be singled out. I know.

I was bullied throughout my school years because people knew I was 'different'.

GLBT teens face bullying at a far higher rate than heterosexual youngsters. Now studies are revealing its not just peer bullying.

Non-heterosexual children are far more likely to be disciplined at school, to be expelled, to be arrested. And this doesn't reflect any difference in behavior.

It reflects fear. Plain and simple.

And one of the thoughts that drifts through my mind is that it may be that some of these 'different' kids are not only not out to others...but not out to themselves. Denial can be a powerful force, and many young people do not accept their sexuality until at least twenty. (This can be particularly true for bisexuals, who have to deal with the confusion of 'swinging both ways' and often get less support, especially bisexual women, from the homosexual community).

And to make it even sadder, I doubt that many of the people...especially the other children...consciously know why they are pushing away and shunning the 'different ones'.