Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Gay Texas councilman reflects on speech, bullying
IT DOES GET BETTER
by Ross Forman
2010-11-17

This article shared 4705 times since Wed Nov 17, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The legacy of gay teen Zach Harrington—who committed suicide as a result of anti-gay bullying—lives on through Joel Burns' words, his emotional comments on a Tuesday night in October in Fort Worth, Texas, some 185 miles south of where Harrington lived.

The two will forever be linked through YouTube and other social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter.

It's the same for Burns and suicide victims Asher Brown, 13; Billy Lucas, 15; Seth Walsh, 13; Tyler Clementi, a college freshman; and others.

Burns, 41, is the openly gay Fort Worth city councilman who, on Oct. 12, delivered an emotional, heart-rendering, very personal, near-13-minute speech about bullying, suicides and the message that, yes, without question, life gets better.

His speech has been viewed about 2.4 million times.

Harrington would be smiling—he was the impetus for Burns' words.

And Burns didn't even know Harrington.

Harrington, was 19 when he killed himself at his family's home in Norman, Okla., a week after attending a Norman City Council meeting where a heated public debate centered on the fact that the council acknowledged receipt of a proclamation recognizing October as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender History Month in the city.

Harrington attended the meeting that evening.

" [ Zach's ] death, and reading about it on Oct. 11, was what prompted me to go sit down and write my speech. Sure, I had been thinking about [ writing ] it for many weeks, but just never took action on it," Burns said.

Harrington's death was the final straw.

So, at lunch on that Tuesday, Burns went home. He cried more, reflecting on the recent rash of teen suicides and his own teen troubles growing up and being bullied for being gay.

And then he wrote.

Burns wrote his now-famous Oct. 12 speech at lunch that same day. And he didn't edit a word when he delivered it.

"Each and every bullying story spoke to me personally because of my own personal experiences," when bullied, Burns said. "It was, realizing that a kid killed himself after hearing disparaging remarks at a city council meeting," that truly set Burns off. That suicide was the green light to address this at my own city council, or, as he said, "a sign, something I had to take on."

Burns talked Oct. 12 about his childhood, including the time at age 13 when he was bullied. He was going to tell, for the first time ever, of his attempted suicide. His emotions took over, and he skipped that part.

Burns, who has had the same partner for 19 years, has been a worldwide sensation since his speech hit the web. He's appeared on CNN, NBC, MSNBC and The Ellen Show, among other high-profile media outlets.

The response to his speech "has been completely unlike anything I would have expected. It's been amazingly encouraging, very gratifying," Burns said. "When I read it, I had in mind that, at some point in the future, I wanted to use [ the speech ] to talk to local high school students in the district that I represent to address the issue of bullying. I had no idea what kind of … pulpit or opportunity that I would have to have a conversation about this issue."

The flood of feedback has been incredible, to say the last. He's gotten more than 30,000 messages. And although Burns is only paid $25,000 annually to sit on city council—and also works as a local realtor—he is using his own personal money to pay part-time help so everyone gets responses. "Every bit of that [ money spent ] is worth it, even if it just impacts one kid," he said.

Burns has gotten e-mails, phone calls and Facebook messages from literally around the world. And he's been invited to speak all over the world about his story and bullying. "It's amazing that the conversations [ about bullying ] still continues," a month after my speech," he said.

Burns has been on the Fort Worth City Council since 2007—and he's up for re-election in 2011.

"I got very positive responses from all of my [ fellow ] city council members," about the speech, Burns said. "Others cried during and after [ my speech. ] Numerous Fort Worth [ city ] staff members who were in the meeting [ also acknowledged that they too ] had dealt with suicides, and I never knew about [ their troubles ] ."

Burns' speech was powerful, moving and gripping—and he was given a standing ovation when he finished.

The local ABC-TV affiliate went live from City Hall with a report on Burns' speech, even though the reporter had finished a story about city matters before Burns spoke—and yet the reporter scrapped that story for, instead, a report on Burns' speech.

By 10:04 that night, after the ABC broadcast, Burns said his cell phone, "was exploding."

Including a message from a friend who asked if Burns was planning to post his speech on YouTube. Burns said he was, perhaps over the weekend.

But the friend said that wasn't soon enough—it needed to be posted immediately, and volunteered to do so.

Sure enough, by 5 a.m. the next day, it was on YouTube. And by noon on Oct. 13, the speech had more than 5,000 views.

Today, the speech has been viewed about 2.4 million times.

Talk about a viral sensation.

"I remember thinking, 'I can't believe 5,000 people have seen this; that's crazy, more than I could ever imagine,'" Burns said. "It's been an amazing experience; that's for sure."

Especially, Burns said, the response he's received from teens worldwide.

Burns has since communicated with more than 10 teens who were planning their own deaths, but each re-considered after viewing his speech and reaching out to him.

"That's pretty amazing," he said. "I think about that and, well, I don't know of anything I'll ever do that will be as fulfilling, as rewarding."

More Joel Burns:

—The quote: "My life [ since that speech ] is a lot busier; I just have less free time than I did before. But that's OK."

—His partner, J.D. Angle, works in politics.

—Burns and Angle met 19 years, in 1992, working on then-Gov. Bill Clinton's primary election campaign, when he was running for the Democratic nomination for president.

—Being gay: In 2007, some of Burns' opponents tried to make his sexuality an issue in the press. But Burns won, "so that proved [ my sexuality ] wasn't that big of a deal to the people of Fort Worth, or at least in my district," he said.

Also please see It Gets Better by Councilman Joel Burns, 2010-11-17 at

www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php


This article shared 4705 times since Wed Nov 17, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal 2024-03-22
- In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...


Gay News

UPDATE: Nex Benedict's death ruled a suicide; family responds 2024-03-13
- A medical examiner's report concluded that the cause of death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict (he/they) was suicide, media reports confirmed. Benedict—a 16-year-old transgender student—died Feb. 8, a day after ...


Gay News

WORLD Queer teen dies, trans activist honored, HIV drugs, mpox, British lesbian 2023-12-01
- In India, queer makeup artist Pranshu reportedly died by suicide—at age 16—after being subjected to relentless attacks online, PinkNews noted. On social media, LGBTQIA+-rights advocacy collective Yes, We Exist claimed ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Trevor Project, anti-trans crimes, priest sentenced, hate-crimes unit 2023-11-24
- The Trevor Project announced the extension of its partnership with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, reaffirming its commitment to providing specialized assistance to LGBTQ+ people who call 9-8-8, The Advocate reported. Interim Senior Vice President ...


Gay News

Study: 40% of trans people have attempted suicide 2023-07-21
- A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that 81% of transgender adults in the country have thought about suicide, 42% of transgender adults have attempted it and 56% have engaged ...


Gay News

New 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline number launches 2022-07-17
- On July 16, Vibrant Emotional Health—the nonprofit that operates the lifeline on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—launched ...


Gay News

Trevor Project: 45% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide in the past year 2022-05-26
- The Trevor Project recently released its 2022 survey on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. According to an introduction from Trevor Project CEO & Executive Director Amit Paley, the survey demonstrates that rates of suicidal thoughts ...


Gay News

WORLD Trevor Project, Ukraine items, LGBTQ politician, Kosovo's anti-gay move 2022-03-20
- The Trevor Project—the LGBTQ+ suicide-prevention organization named after "Trevor," an Academy Award-winning short film about a gay teenager who attempts suicide—is expanding its services into Mexico, NBC News reported. The ...


Gay News

Gay Maryland mayor dies by suicide 2022-01-30
- The Maryland city of Hyattsville released a statement announcing its city's openly gay mayor, Kevin Ward, had died by an apparent suicide, The Washington Blade reported. On Twitter, the city posted, "It is with great sadness ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Bullying items, non-binary student, trans ornaments, Hillary Clinton 2021-12-12
- In Tennessee, a Bedford County seventh-grader died by suicide Nov. 28 after he was ruthlessly bullied for being gay, according to LGBTQ Nation. The parents of 12-year-old Eli Fritchley say his peers repeatedly told him he ...


Gay News

Lil Nas X receives inaugural Trevor Project award 2021-09-05
- The Trevor Project announced that "Old Town Road" rapper Lil Was X was the recipient of its inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award. On its website, the organization stated, " Lil Nas X has ...


Gay News

Gender-affirming care associated with lower suicide risk for transgender people 2021-09-01
--From a Williams Institute press release - A summary of current data on suicide risk and prevention among transgender people in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month Transgender people who need and receive gender-affirming medical care have a lower prevalence of suicide thoughts and ...


Gay News

Trevor Project data on LGBTQ youth suicide shows urgency of Equality Act 2021-07-06
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Freedom & Opportunity For All, a national campaign advocating for the urgent passage of the Equality Act, and The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Social-justice activist, dominatrix Mistress Velvet dies 2021-05-21
- PASSAGES Social-justice activist, dominatrix Mistress Velvet dies By Carrie Maxwell Social-justice activist and dominatrix Mistress Velvet (who used they/them pronouns) died by suicide May 9 in Chicago. They were 33. ...


Gay News

Trevor Project releases 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021-05-19
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC May 19, 2021 The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.