I know a lot of the people I follow on twitter are also following @BullyingUK, and there’s a good reason for this. Many of us have been bullied at some point in our lives and know just how awful it can be. Being scared to go to school, or to leave the house, because the bully will be there.
But bullying isn’t just physical. As a young person I faced bullying, firstly I was from a different area. Originally from Lancashire – when I first moved to the North East everyone thought I was a little backwards because “I talked right slow like” (try saying that in a Lancashire accent!) and so people thought I wasn’t so quick on the uptake. Couple that with the fact that my parents were on benefits so I couldn’t have all the latest gear (oh how I would have loved a pair of British Knights trainers!), I wore glasses, was good at lessons but bad at sports and I had target written all over me. And do you know what? Myparents made it even worse – they named me Michael Jackson! I’m not kidding!
I lived with that for years but then realised that the worst was yet to come. I was gay. There was nothing I could do about it, but my family weren’t the most accepting of people. So at 16 I left home (not as voluntarily as I would have liked!)
It was only after I left home and stopped speaking to my family that I realised. I was a nice person. I was friendly, outgoing, intelligent and had a lot to offer to the world. But years of being told I was slow, I was a four-eyes, a swot, Wacko Jacko, a child molester, a faggot, puff, homo and a million other things really hit me. In fact – I didn’t realise how much until I typed this – I’m getting a bit emotional now and so I’m sorry if this is a bit disjointed, but I’m going to carry on.
I’m 30 years old now. Sometimes people say something to me in the street about my sexuality. I am a bit of a stereotype sometimes! But do you know what? It doesn’t hurt any more. That’s because I have friends who care for me because of who I am, what I am and what I offer them. I am a friend, a partner, a step-parent, work colleague, agony aunt and tweeter.
I am more than the nothing my father said I would be, and I’m more than the joke that the school bullies once picked on.
I am Ethan Kristopher-Hartley. I was bullied and came out of it the other side better, stronger and more aware of everything that made me. And you can too.
This is why I support @BullyingUK – and why you should too. Take a couple of seconds to vote to win them some advertising on the sides of buses from Up Everyone’s Street. Visit their website at Bullying.co.uk and donate to them as well. And if you’re a blogger you have 4 days left to help them in the Blogging for a Cause campaign.
A really important post Ethan – thanks for sharing (and inspiring!). I had no knowledge of this charity before; I’m glad to know it exists and does such worthwhile work.