Lez Keep It Real

As I was skimming through headlines this morning, I found it hard to find some good news. It was terribly depressing. But I unearthed this little ditty. Reading it made me feel good, which is he whole point of the Good News Moment. I hope it has the same affect on you.

This week’s Good News Moment:
Puppies and Rainbows and Pink

It seems that Julia Watson, a “Guestbian” on the social-networking site Our Chart has the same issue as I do with the mainstream media and the saturation of bad news …

I don’t know about you, but when I dare to pick up a newspaper or turn on the evening news, it is often with the air of one sticking her hand into a tiger’s cage. I know that I might regret the action. I know that I may be about to get bit. Nightmares may well be forthcoming. But from time to time, I do it anyway.

And sometimes, amidst the consumerism run amok, the human tragedy, and the rubbernecking that make up most of the news stories that find their way to me, there are little gems like this one that renew my faith in my fellow creatures, one random act of creative kindness at a time.

Do you remember the scene in “The Laramie Project” when, at a crucial point in the story, a group of folks led by a crafty and compassionate youngster dons halos, white robes and towering, fabric angel “wings” to block out the sight of hatemongering protesters? This story reminds me a little of that.

Here’s what happened. At a high school in Nova Scotia this past month, a freshman lad showed up to his first day of school wearing a pink polo shirt. The 9th grader found himself cornered by a group of older kids who called him “gay” and threatened to do him bodily harm – all on account of his choice in wardrobe. It sounds like the school officials, one of whom was quoted in that PlanetOut article I linked to above, have the situation well in hand, which is heartening enough. But the part that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy is how some of the other students responded.

Seniors David Shepherd and Travis Price staged a pink out. Overnight, they organized as many of their fellow students as they could. And the next morning, they showed up at school armed with scores of pink tank tops for male students, lengths of material for pink armbands, and even a pink basketball. These kids even got a local retailer to open up early to dig through their stock for still more pink clothes. About half the student body, or 400 or so kids, are estimated to have taken part and shown their support. READ MORE

Kids can be so cruel and yet, kids also seem to know how to solve issues better than adults. Maybe Kid Nation is a sign of things to come?

If you have a Good News Moment to share, by all means send it my way. Use the contact form or send me an e-mail at ldarcangelo@451press.net.

good news, good news moment, kid nation, our chart, social networking site, the laramie project