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Plus: “West Side Story” celebrates 50 years 10 | Former U-M student president plans scholarship 30 | Hear Me Out For the holidays 11 | Mothers make this year’s Day of Remembrance especially moving 32 | Books that make a difference A holiday guide to inclusive reads for the kids 11 | Granholm comes to Ferndale’s AJ’s Cafe Nov. 25 33 | Theater Reviews of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Mid-Life Christmas” 11 | Gay soldier shares reaction to GOP debate boos 34 | Happenings Featured: Judy Collins on Dec. 1 at The Ark 13 | Pioneering mother’s legacy lives on through PFLAG Rear View 22 | World AIDS Day Dec. 1 to mark 30th anniversary of epidemic 36 | Classifieds 38 | Puzzle Opinions 39 | Horoscopes 12 | Thinking Out Loud Prop 8’s slow srawl to the U.S. Supreme Court 40 | Deep Inside Hollywood 14 | Creep of the Week Tamara Scott JOIN THE CONVERSATION Email your op–eds and letters to @ [email protected] Chat on our FB Fan Page. Search ONLINE EXCLUSIVES “Between The Lines Newspaper” National News: Iowa same-sex marriage ban debate challenged Get breaking news updates. National News: Appeals court asks for new Follow us @YourBTL briefs in Prop. 8 case Receive our E–Digest – just sign up today online 10 BTL \ November 24, 2011 \ Michigan News www.PrideSource.com Michigan students drive change on anti-bullying legislation BY TODD A. HEYWOOD legislation that did not include the “license to was afraid the school would do nothing except bully” provision, and it has been sent to the call me out in front of everyone. I told them that LANSING – Students are driving Senate for action. Ari Adler, spokesperson for I accidentally closed my locker the wrong way lawmakers to make significant changes in House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) has on my own hand. Former U-M legislation designed to eliminate bullying in promised that the “license to bully” provision “The constant whispers, even comments Michigan schools. will not be in the final language of the bill. to my face, and stares I got in the locker room Katy Butler and Carson Borbely, Michigan during gym were enough for me to go talk with student students who say they have suffered bullying, one of my teachers. They said that bullying was launched a petition on Change.org to protest the Youth speak out, share wrong and they would take care of it. They never Michigan Senate’s so-called anti-bullying bill. horror of bullying did anything.” president plans Over 50,000 people signed the petition within Borbely also posted a statement online 48 hours. As to why these Ann Arbor based youth about the harassment she has been experiencing: scholarship State Sen. John Gleason (D-Flushing) said spoke out, they had much to say. “Being an eighth grader can be exceedingly the petition is important. “I’m speaking out for all those students challenging sometimes, even without this - but who suffer every day at school,” said Butler, a ANN ARBOR (AP) – The openly “That’s the purest form of democracy,” being the only openly gay kid in your school is 16-year-old junior at Greenhills High School in gay former student assembly president at Gleason said. “Under the right circumstances, even more difficult. There are some people who Ann Arbor. “As students, we deserve a bill that the University of Michigan says he and one letter means a lot. One letter can change our give you hope on this, they smile, say it’s fine, will actually protect us at school. Unfortunately, his family are starting a scholarship fund mindset and when you have 50,000 that’s a very move on. There are the people that laugh, make the bills being considered in Lansing fall short for students who have been victimized by zealous effort.” asinine comments, move on with their days. of doing that.” bullying “It’s been incredible to watch this campaign “Something about it sticks with you. The “People keep telling us youth that ‘it gets Chris Armstrong made the explode almost overnight,” said Change.org thickness of the words grows on my skin, better,’” Butler added. “Well, it can’t get better announcement Nov. 17 in a video on Organizing Manager Mark Anthony Dingbaum. dissolving the confidence I thought I had. Slowly if you don’t make it better. I’m doing my part to YouTube. “Katy and Carson’s campaign has effectively it wears me down, it’s like a battle. Walking into help; please do yours.” Andrew Shirvell, former Michigan injected youth voices into a debate where school every morning feels like a sentence, and In a personal statement posted online, Butler assistant attorney general, had a blog that students have been noticeably absent, and as the doors shut behind me I sigh deeply. It’s an explained her experiences with bullying: criticized Armstrong. Shirvell was fired they’ve sent a very clear message to Lansing: ache in my chest. Seven more hours for today… “I was in seventh grade putting my books last year after being accused of harassing We won’t tolerate bullying in schools or at the Four more days in the week…Seven more in my locker when a few guys game up behind Armstrong and is being sued in federal state capitol.” months of the school year… I tick the numbers me calling me a faggot and a dyke and asking me court in Detroit. In response, he’s sued The backlash comes after the Republican off on my fingers, and for some reason it feels why I even bothered to show my face at school Armstrong’s lawyer. dominated Senate passed legislation in early like they never, ever change. because no one liked me. I ignored them because Shirvell is a 2002 University of November that Democrats said amounted to “A few weeks ago in class, I brushed a I was scared of what else they might say and who Michigan graduate. He said in a statement a “license to bully.” The legislation contained friend’s hair away from her face. A loud voice else they might tell if I stood up to them. I went that the video that describes his actions as a caveat that would allow bullying based sharply interrupts my thoughts, ‘Don’t touch to shut my locker when an eighth grader pushed “bullying” is defamatory. on sincerely held religious beliefs or moral her. Trannies carry diseases.’ The teacher didn’t me against the wall. I didn’t know what to do, so The video was posted as part of the convictions. Outcry over the caveat made do anything. That was the fourth incident in her I stood there, alone and afraid. One of his friends events marking the 40th anniversary of the national headlines and was skewered by Keith class that I had been harassed by the same boy. slammed my locker shut on my hand breaking my Spectrum Center, the Ann Arbor school’s Olberman and others in the national media. Nothing was done. The only reprimand he got fourth finger. I held back tears while I watched lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Kevin Epling, the father of Matt Epling for was a sharp calling of his name. The teacher them run away laughing. When I got home I lied support center. whom the legislation was named, said the bill asked him passively to stop. He continued.” did not reflect the values of his family or Matt. to my parents about what happened to my finger Republican lawmakers in the House passed because I didn’t want them to tell the school. I UN: AIDS epidemic stabilizing, still work to do BY MARIA CHENG earlier findings released by the group in June. users. In North America and western Europe, the Dr. Paul De Lay, deputy executive At the end of last year, there were about 34 outbreak “remains stubbornly steady,” according director of UNAIDS, acknowledged the idea of (AP) - The AIDS epidemic is leveling off million people with HIV, the virus that causes to the report. eliminating AIDS infections and deaths is “more and the number of people newly infected with the AIDS. While that is a slight rise from previous “It’s looking promising, but the numbers of a vision for the future,” and would likely not be virus that causes it has remained unchanged since years, experts say that’s due to people surviving are still at a scary level,” said Sophie Harman, a accomplished without new tools like a vaccine, 2007, the United Nations said in a report Nov.