Blogged at the New Address - Prayers for Bobby

As this blog is in the process of moving the following is merely a excerpt to direct you to the new address:

Stills from the film Prayers for Bobby (TVM 2009)

Earlier this evening I was at a screening of Prayers for Bobby at All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church in Belfast as part of the Outburst Festival. In the light of the number of teen suicides over recent months the showing of this film and the discussion afterwards couldn't be more timely.

The change of Bobby Griffith;s mother Mary played by Sigourney Weaver to harrowingly in this film came too late for her own son, but this bio-pic based on her families story and journey should be essential viewing in every church; not just in Northern Ireland but also the states and many other places.

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Please note this blog is moving to http://stephensliberaljournal.blogspot.com please update your blog roll accordingly.

It Gets Better - Teen Bullicide

The Liberal Democrat constitution says that "no-one shall be enslaved by ignorance". Therefore it was appalling to read this morning of the death of 12-year-old Holly Stuckey, a pupil of Maesteg Comprehensive School, Bridgend, South Wales.

She didn't know as much about sex education as some of her classmates. They had branded her a lesbian and bullied her. In September a few days into the new term Holly who was asthmatic came home out of breathe and died in her father's arms.

It was only later that he found tormented letters from her saying she 'felt like no-one'.

Her school did and does operate a zero tolerance policy on bullying bit for whatever reason, despite months of being bullied Holly didn't go to them, or her parents who only later found out the extent of the bullying.

My own parents did know I was getting bullied at school but it wasn't until Saturday, shortly before I wrote this, that I told my mother to what extent it had driven me. Let me just assure any young person who is getting bullied at school that it does get better. I know what you are going through. If you are getting bullied because of your sexuality it is because of the ignorance of the bullies not because of anything that you have done. There can be happiness for you in this world, there will be a lot for you to give.

Go to those you trust. your parents, a teacher, a close friend. Let them know you are being bullied, let them know how you feel.

But don't just take my word for it, listen to Darren Hayes




or Chris Colfer



or Davey Wavey



After watching Davey Wavey explore some more of his YouTube channel for other advise on living with your sexuality in a fun way that shows you how much better it can get.

It Gets Better! It really does, I want all of you if you're getting bullied to live to the day that you see that, and then live quite a bit more.

I'm Not a Statistic...But Came So Close

For the moment Tyler Clementi (18) is the most infamous teen suicide victim, but in time he will become a statistic. Just like Raymond Chase (19), Seth Walsh (13), Asher Brown (15), and Billy Lucas (13), five other young gay American teens who have taken their life in recent weeks however over time he may well turn into just another statistic.

They were all bullied at school. Now they were a mix of races, mix of locations, the one common denominator is that they were all gay and they had all in some way been bullied because of it. As a seventeen year old I too almost became one of those statistics for exactly the same reasons. I stood at the end of the breakwater in town on a particularly stormy day knowing if I took one further step I would be crushed by the breakers against the concrete before anyone could get near me, or indeed the RNLI Lifeboat could be launched from across the marina.

As an adult while out one night I actually was able as a confident out man to run into one of the people who had actually bullied me for being gay at school. Someone who had physically beaten me unless I ran, who hurled names at me. It was something I myself was in denial of at that time, unlike (from what I read) the five young men who are no longer with us.

But on that Saturday I went up to that former bully of me and said just three simple words, "You were right."

I got a stare back, then a "What?"


So I expanded, "You were right, I am gay, and it doesn't make me any less of a man."

There are those who have known me over the past 24 years. Those who have known what I have done, either for them personally or for a group of people they know or are involved with, who may actually say it makes me more of a man. There has been so much in the last 24 years that I have been able to give to others. Some of it sure is because of my sexuality, most of it is in spite or irrelevant to that aspect of my life.

Sadly the world is missing out on what Tyler, Raymond, Seth, Asher and Billy have got to offer in the years that should still be ahead of them. Sadly it is also missing out on some of the people I've known personally who are more that just a mere statistic. Some of whom did come to me for help along the way, some of whom couldn't handle it for whatever reason ended it. There are others that I know have thought about ending their own lives but haven't and are still with us, still having a lot to give.

Reading the details of some of these stories over recent weeks has brought a lot of memories back. Ones that make me want to curl up in a ball and shut the world out. But something the last 24 years has led me to do is be someone who speaks out.

Here is where Stonewall have it right we need to end homophobic bullying wherever it happens; schools, churches, workplaces, public transport, anywhere. However, it happens while there is not equality and without equality some will always see it as not-normal, sub-normal even. However, as my statement above said being me, being gay, hasn't made me any less of a man.

I've run at a high level, debated with confidence with politicians and leaders of parties, deal with senior bosses of a multi-national company prepared to say no if the answer actually is no. None of these things is dependent on my sexuality but on attributes or skills that are as intrinsic a part of me of who I fall in love with.

The skills of too many young gay men, or lesbian women are being lost to our world while others bully them to the point they cannot take it. Those of us they trust can only reach out so far and can't be there 24/7/365.

Something else that came out of last night's discussion was that when we were teenagers struggling with our sexuality there weren't gay role models, either on the national stage or who we knew personally. That is a lot easier now to find in Northern Ireland and I hope in parts of the USA, but it isn't always easy. However, comments from leaders in fields that young people look up to like the one made by 50 Cent whatever its intention do not make things easy. Other teens then feel it is alright to carry on with the gay bashing. The fact that in teen slang 'gay' means something is bad leads to extra pressure these days.

Or course heterosexual teens are bullied as well. Heterosexual teens also take their own lives. But the reasons for bullying them do not seem in some small way to be institutionalised by the difference in status, available status etc that is afforded to them over LGBT teens. Normalisation needs to happen through full equality.

Daniel Radcliffe to Record Ad for LGBT Youth Helpline

There were two things that struck me about Daniel Radcliffe's interview in Attitude magazine last year. The first was obviously that he'd said he would be voting Liberal Democrat in his first general election vote, the second was how tuned in and comfortable he was for such a young, straight star with LGBT issues.

Therefore it isn't really a surprise that Daniel is willing to record an ad for a LGBT youth helpline in the US. Speaking of the project on MTV Radcliffe said:

"The Trevor Project is the only [US] nationwide around-the-clock crisis- and suicide-prevention help line [of its kind]. [It's designed] for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. There will also soon be a 'Trevor' iPhone application."

Summing why he should tie himself to such a cause Daniel said, "You don't have to be gay to be a supporter — you just have to be human."Going on he said:

"Some are gay, some are straight — didn't make any difference to me. When I went to my secondary school, I heard terms like 'poof' and 'homo' getting thrown around. It never occurred to me that some people might have a problem with it."

It is liable to cause some shock that a prominent, young star is so willing to associate himself with a LGBT charity. But I think it is just the kick up the backside that some American's need. In this months Gay Times, American Idol runner up Adam Lambert told how unlike Danyl Johnson he refused to gender sensitive a lyric and hide his sexuality. Speaking of the song Fever by Lady Gaga on his new album For Your Entertainment in which he references a male love interest he says:

"She asked me, ' What shall we do about it?' and I answered 'I think I should say it.' 'So do I,' she said. It was funny because we realised a lot of radio stations out here probably won't play it because of that gender reference, literally because of that one line, they won't play the song.

"The bit that I think is really f***** up is that we as the entertainment community could help if it just said 'Deal with it people.' But instead it is so fearful tat people are going to object, boycott and complain that they cave in."

So well done to Daniel for not being afraid. I'm sure I'll soon see the American Family Association having another reason to complain about the last Harry Potter movies now, but I'm glad that the young Brits can show what it means to be human. Indeed living up to Matthew 25:35 'I was a stranger and you took me in' so much more that certain 'christian' groups seem to want to extend their charity to 'least of men', or rather of course not.

A Positive, Serious Contribution Deserves a Serious Answer

No my ears were not deceiving me. That is what Alex Salmond replied to Tavish Scott's question regarding colleges admission (or not) findings and youth unemployment in Scotland.

Basically Tavish pointed out that 85% of colleges in Scotland have had to turn away applicants this year, many for the first time ever with some having seen a 800% increase in applications. In West Lothian the number of applicants has increased by 41% over last year, Oatridge college who have never had to turn away applications before saw a 74% increase in applications and turned away 300. These findings came from a Liberal Democrat survey of the the 43 colleges in Scotland looking at the numbers of applicants each has had to turn away over the last 3 years, the first of its kind to be published. On top of this the number of our young people claiming Job Seekers allowance over the past year has risen by 35%.

Jeremy Purvis the Finance Spokesperson has said about the findings in the report:

"Too many young people have been hit twice. They can’t get a job and now they can’t get a college place. What government can do is give them the opportunity to gain the skills and experiences that will help them get the most from economic recovery when it comes. Scotland as a whole will benefit from having more people ready and active for the workplace."

An increase in college places and training opportunities is one of the issues that the Lib Dems have been applying pressure on the SNP Government to provide for to help in this recession.

Alex Salmond's response to the actual question "Will the First Minister agree that action taken by his Government in this Budget must increase college places across Scotland?" is encouraging as is his acknowledgement that a recession inevitably increases the demand on college places.

Jeff has already pointed out that he thinks the answer "dropping the jousting" he gave Iain Gray and Annabel Goldie is a "clear signal that the budget would reflect Tavish's concerns" I would tend to agree, it seems that lessons have been learnt over the last 12 months on both sides.

How Do You Solve a Problem Like.....

Hilton Community Centre in Inverness were running activities for young people that were proving so popular that is proving difficult for them to get them to leave at 10pm.

A councillor John Finnie said:

"There has been a lot of work which has gone into the facilities at Hilton Community Centre.

"They are very attractive to young people and that is down to the work of volunteers, the council but primarily the excellent work of Hilton Community Centre management committee."

He said sports, music and computer games sessions were on offer. But he added:

"They are so very much appreciated by the young folk that they are very keen to hang around and don't want to go home at 10pm."

So the organisers came up with a cunning plan to start playing songs from The Sound of Music and it works. If it doesn't the fall back plan is nursery rhymes. After all no self respecting teenager is going to want to be seen listening to nursery rhymes even if they are doing other activities.

All I can say is if you're sixteen going on seventeen, or any other age for that matter clearly the hills aren't that alive to the sound of music, or maybe it's just not your favourite thing.

Petrificus Totalus Lib Demmery: Not so Fast - Possibly

A lot of my Lib Dem friends got rather excited by the news leaked last week that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe admitted to Attitude magazine's Youth edition that he was most likely going to vote Lib Dem at the next election.

For those of you who were holed up under the stairs at Privet Drive here is what he said:

"I actually rather like Nick Clegg. But ya know, cat's chance in hell. At the next election I will almost certainly vote Lib Dem. If all the people who liked them voted for them you could change politics overnight and we could have a proper three party system."

Some rather interesting comment, especially when you realise that he also said 'David Cameron is barely distinguishable from Tony Blair' and in response to would he like to see Cameron as Prime Minister ' No! No, no, no, no. no!'. As for Gordon he quotes Paul Merton is saying "it's a tragedy that this man has waited all his life to do this job - and now he finds out he can't do it".

As you can gather there actually is a lot of depth of thought in the young star such referencing Daniel Defoe, Martin Niemöller and the following comments on gay education being included in schools.

"There's all this stuff at the moment, which is hateful, about people being up in arms about the idea of gay sex education is schools. Hello!?! Actually for the one or two gay kids in the class, it's fucking vital! It really makes me angry. You're not going to turn the straight kids gay by giving them a sex ed class about how to have gay sex safely! You know. Really. People can catch HIV even after their first time and that's what it's all about; that can be avoided."

And this about the importance of getting out and voting:

"It's so important that young people learn about politics and vote even if it is a protest vote to make a point. Not voting is not a protest."

Of course while that Lib Dem vote comment may have been headline grabbing there is more behind the story and it isn't all good news. The interview runs to 9 columns over 5 pages so there a fair amount of the inner working of Radcliffe's thoughts that are exposed and he seems a rounded, intelligent, thoughtful young man. But following on from giving us his vote at the General Election he says:

"My prediction for the next ten years. The Tories will get in at the next election and will be in for a while. They have to go to the centre to get in, that's how they have to play it, but once they're in they will reveal themselves to be much more right wing that they actually make out - and the left will react to that and we will actually have a proper left wing again"

Attitude: And would you support a proper left wing?

"Yes, yes. I would actually."

Admittedly young Radcliffe happily admits he was too young to experience the euphoria of New Labour in 1997. So he doesn't know a proper left wing being in opposition of in power like some of those slightly older that him (OK double his age) can. So maybe, just maybe where he to experience that he really would realise that the Lib Dem way really is the right way.

Yes my more libertarian brethren may argue with me rotten of fiscal and social policies but to the core we are Liberals where it matters most, somewhere that reading Daniel's word in Attitude I believe he belongs too. But you know what having both sides of the debate in making spending policy I think we get it more often right than either of the extremes.

Young Soldier - In Memorium

Reading today that eighteen year old Rifleman James Backhouse was about to return home when he was one of the five soldiers killed in Helmand Province on Friday cast my mind off to Wilfred Owen. Owen the First World War soldier and poet was killed in the Battle of Sambre on 4 November 1918, a week later that war ended on Armistice Day.

Of course Rifleman Backhouse and other nine in the last fortnight who have lost their lives may not have been reaching the end of their days of war. At eighteen if he’d survived he would have faced several more tours in whichever war zone the 2nd Battalion of the Rifles found themselves. However, he was close to some much needed reprieve of the ravages of war. Some time with his loved ones in the normality of life.

You may know that Owen was sent away from the front with shell shock but Scottish, and indeed other, readers may not know that his recuperation took place in Edinburgh at Craiglockhart War Hospital. Here it was that a chance meeting with Siegfried Sassoon which shaped some of his later work. However, after recovery of course he was back at the front from where news of his death only reached his mother as the Armistice was being declared.

However, as the unfortunate soldiers in Antrim learnt, earlier in the year, life in a DMZ isn’t always a more secure place than facing the daily dangers of the job you have trained for. For them it was the eve of departure to the war zone for Backhouse almost the eve of returning. War is no respecter of anyone’s own personal timetable. Many on the D-Day beaches fell to the first angry fire they had ever encountered.

The Telegraph today also published excerpts of the all too short journal of Lieutenant Mark Evison who was killed four short weeks after his arrival in Helmand. In it he say:

'It is disgraceful to send a platoon into a very dangerous area with two weeks' water and food and one team medics pack. Injuries will be sustained which I will not be able to treat and deaths could occur which could have been stopped. We are walking on a tightrope and from what it seems here are likely to fall unless drastic measures are undertaken.'

So in honour of Rifleman Backhouse and Lieutenant Evision and all the soldiers, young and old, who have lost their lives here is Wilfred’s poem The Young Soldier as a reminder of the absurdity at times of war.

It is not death

Without hereafter

To one in dearth

Of life and its laughter,

Nor the sweet murder

Dealt slow and even

Unto the martyr

Smiling at heaven:

It is the smile

Faint as a (waning) myth,

Faint, and exceeding small

On a boy's murdered mouth.

Call to Youth's Keyboards

It's been a while and they have had exams so I've let them off. But the exams are over and later on today I'll be having drinks with two of them and the third will be joining after that most likely (as drinks are pre-LYS meeting). So I'll be giving the LYS bloggers a kick up the mousemat to get blogging again. So Ruaraidh, Kieran and Callum you have been warned.

In Praise of Liberal Youth Scotland #sldconf

I've been attending Scottish conference for a number of years now since I came across in 2001.

I mentioned back at Autumn conference how impressed I was at the way our part encouraged it's youth wing in tabling debate and calling them to speak. We had a good number of contributions from Liberal Youth Scotland in Autumn, far more than I'd seen for a long while, but this conference there has been even more. They have all been of high quality and they had about half of the questions for the Leaders' Q&A session earlier to Tavish Scott and Alistair Carmichael. Some very good questions looking clearly at how they can be involved more and fully in the party.

I was sitting next to fellow blogger Callum Leslie during the debate below when I wasn't called. As soon as he got called before Jeremy Purvis to make the summation I knew my change for today had passed. But not grudgingly Callum made a good speech which managed to get the rare honour of being mentioned twice in the summation.

Outside me and Callum were approached by a runner for a TV crew to do a vox pop. We thought they's missed us as there when she came back near us they grabbed first James another LYS member and then another. However, they did come back and get me but not Callum a reversal of the debate itself.

I know that Callum is looking to becoming an approved candidate in time for the 2011 elections to the Scottish Parliament when he will be old enough to stand. He plus several of the other members of the current crop of LYS are certainly capable of being good candidates for the future and MPs and MSPs and I had great pleasure in signing up as a friend of LYS earlier. They may be costly friends to have, especially if they continue to entertain conference like they did so well last night but with the potential I've seen from them in the past six months, not forgetting Stuart Douglas over the past number of years I think it is a worthy investment and I'd urge the rest of the Scottish Liberal Democrats to be-friend LYS as well.

PS I'll let them disagree with me from time to time. After all I've been a Westminster candidate and hope to be so again soI must be part of the establishment. Eek! And 21 years ago I disagreed with the establishment as well.

UPDATE 15 March: Well done to LYS on two excellent presentations on motions on the Lower Income Guarantee and to Investigate the "Blood Ban". The latter saw Keiran Leach and Sophie Hall suddenly thrust into all the drama of conference when a reference back was raised. Which I observed from the seat behind them handling admirably every possibility that was being explained to them of this constitutional uncertainty being thrown upon them. The summation of the former earned Ruaraidh Dobson the Russell Johnson prize for Best Contribution in a Debate at Conference.

Just What Did Dale Mean?

There is a Facebook group The word "gay" is not a synonym for "stupid". The aim of the group is to disassociate the current trend among young people for saying something is a bit gay to mean either uncool, untrendy or stupid. The side affect of this of course is that those friends of such people who are gay feel the knock on effect of the word being used in this way.

Therefore you can imagine my shock that to retaliate to group of rowdy and disruptive teenagers prominent blogger, erudite broadcaster, prominent homosexual and former parliamentary candidate Iain Dale should retaliate buy say the white tracksuit he was wearing looked ridiculous and a "bit gay". Therefore I have invited Iain to join the above Facebook group as he clearly needs to learn of the issues that many young LGBT people encounter when this word is associated with stupidity.

The Conservative Party may be trying to rebrand themselves away from their homophobic past with LBGTory grouping, but when when of the most high-profile, non-elected and gay Tories shows such an attitude and blogs about although rather self-effacing after the event possibly shows how little the attitudes of those in the Tory party actually have moved on.

Safe Sex or Jailed for Sex

Kathleen Marshall Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People has slammed the SNP's Sexual Offence's Bill asking for it to be postponed while further evidence to the effect was gathered. The bill which would make it a crime for 13 to 15 year olds girls from having sex with those of the same age she says could well deter underage girls seeking medical advise of assistance if they were also facing criminal proceedings when requiring medical advice.

When the Nats proposed the equality measure in June it was counter to the Scottish Law Commission call to decriminalise young teenagers from having consensual sex. They claimed it was a conflict to the safe sex message they wanted to pursue.

However, what happens if a girl does become sexually active before the age of 16 and wants to seek birth control, pregnancy, or STI advise. If she has to go to a Doctor she would know under this legislation that she is liable to be taken before a children's hearing and have that on her record. She may seek street advise, a backstreet abortion or go full term without medical assistance.

Is this safe?

The SNP seem determined to be a parent to us all, they think that they can deter underage drinking by raising the off sales age higher. They think they will stop underage sex and make it safe with this new legislation. While they do highlight issues by being so heavy handed in the approach they are taking they are making forbidden fruit more inviting to people of an age where rebellion and finding your own way has always been the way.

Education for responsible drinking and sexual activity are more important than banning, because no doubt underage drinking and sex will still go on and the health issues will still need to be dealt with. However, if seeking medical assistance leads to a criminal record will such assistance be sought.

Nats Robin Hooding the Young and the Old

The latest effect of the SNP tightening of the bugetary purse strings may well the free bus travel for the over 60s.

It is another incentive that is currently facing a Governemnt review and like other policies under such review the spending will be cut while the review gets under way. The result is that the reimbursement to the bus companies will not cover their increased costs with the rising fuel prices if they keep it at being available to the over 60s and the age may increase to those over 65 as a result.

This comes the day after new drink laws were proposed which could further alienate young people by not allowing under 21s to buy drink from off licences, at the same time as many are trying to give those over 16 a vote. The much cited Armadale experiment did seem to lead to an increased number of young people and police presence in the streets of Bathgate over the trail period. Also many people have pointed out that the continent has actually lower drinking age which is true, they also forget that they have less of a binge drinking problem.

The problem with prohibiting young people from acquiring drink only makes it more attractive to try and get some. Also once acquired by surepticious means it is more likely to be consumed in a hurry causing further problems. Responsible drinking requires responsible drinking laws.

If both Nat policies take effect they could be facing a reaction from both the youngest and oldest voters.

Britains Got Talent: We Just Need to Redefine Talent

Scary feeding in today's Times a third of our 6-18 year olds define talent as being able to sing, 10% being good at football, 8% being as dancing with only 1% thinking academic achievement was a talent. They seem to think talent is having the ability to do something that may eventually get you on TV.

What a sorry state we're in if that is what is going to define our young people as they will grow up thinking they do not have any talent but they do. It brings to mind the fate of the Golgafrincham B Ark encountered by Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It contained what were deemed to be the useless third, ie not the money people or the actual workers, of the population in a vain attempt to fit off a population explosion. Amongst their number was a telephone sanitiser not necessarily the most high profile of talents but in the end a vital one that the Golgafrincham's dearly needed as the population, the Guide tells us, was eventually wiped out by a virulent disease contracted from a dirty telephone.

We still need young people with a talent for science to go into research to help join the fight against those virulent diseases out there. Or those who can write to tell us what is happening through journalism or speaking out and making their voices heard to bring about change. Or with an artistic bent not to perform necessarily but to produce, whether that is television, art, architecture to give us something or somewhere to enjoy.

Not all of us can be top class and well played performers. Yes many us can dream and some of us will achieve but none of us will survive if that is all we aim for. We need thinkers and doers as well people who are talented in oh so many way that is what society is about and that is what our talent pool contains. If our young people realise that they can have self esteem knowing that they have a talent/s, which they can then use to the maximum of their ability.

As the biblical parable of the talents tells us each has been given something, some more than others it is how we use the talents we've been given that will bring a reward. If we sit back and don't even use what we have but hanker after the unacheiveable what good are we? Let's wake up, and wake others up that there is far more talent out there than just what the TV audience wants to see.