We Belong

My friend Dean needs your vote on Current TV. The video is called 'We Belong', and it's been selected as one of the six out of more than 300 entrants to be a finalist in the Seeds of Tolerance video competition on Current TV.

'We Belong' is the story of two rural teens who had the courage to stand up to bigotry and intolerance in their schools – and the determination to tell their stories to the world.

Homophobia is one of the last “permissible” forms of prejudice. Its effects are especially acute for youth, who often suffer alone and in silence. Two thirds of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth experience harassment or violence in school, and the suicide rate for this group is four times the average.

When C.J. Bills is gay bashed in the school locker room, then arrested for disorderly conduct because he protests to an administrator about the harassment he has experienced, he decides to fight back by making a documentary about discrimination. With his family’s help, he also initiates an investigation by the state human rights commission and shames the school district into developing an anti-bullying and diversity training program.

C.J.’s documentary project also leads him to Tim Dahle, a former high school student who challenged the years of anti-gay harassment he suffered in a neighboring town. In Tim’s case, the school district that failed to protect him agreed to one of the largest sexual harassment settlements in history, sending a signal to school districts around the country that such behavior can be costly.

We Belong demonstrates that young people have the power to change their communities and the world, and that helping youth to tell their stories, in their own way and on camera, is enlightening, empowering, and effective.

This is important. The first prize for the competition is $100,000, which would be enough to fund our full length documentary, and second and third place are worth $10,000, which would be a good start. Plus placing in the competition would be a great credential for continuing our fight against intolerance and bigotry.

You can read more about the video at the movie website http://webelongthemovie.com. Or you can go directly to the competition site to view the video and vote: http://current.tv/tolerance. Just register with Current (takes 30 seconds), select 'We Belong', and give it your vote.

Postings on My Space, Facebook, listserves, etc are encouraged. Any valid email address can vote.