What is Grayson Bruce’s school teaching its students about tolerance and self-expression by banning a ‘My Little Pony’ bag because it “triggers bullying’?
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Grayson Bruce is a 9 year old boy who loves the show “My Little Pony”. Unfortunately, he has been a target of bullying and the bullying has increased as a result of bringing a My Little Pony bag to school. The school’s solution: Ban Grayson from bringing it to school.
Are you kidding me?
This school’s actions represents all the wrong message we’re sending boys about manhood and masculinity. Instead of being supportive or using the bullying incidents as a teaching tool for tolerance and acceptance, the school decides to punish Grayson for self-expression. Somehow the school believes that bringing the bag to school is a “trigger for bullying”.
What are the other students learning from the school’s actions? That if you go against the status quo, you are setting yourself up to be bullied. I’m also amazed by the comments being made online by adults and other parents on how Grayson’s mom set him up to be bullied by allowing him to go to school with the bag.
Let’s stop with all the talk about social norms and what is acceptable for each gender. Let’s stop using shame-based masculinity to prove a point. Let’s stop making excuses for why our bullying problems amongst kids is out of control. Let’s stop making kids feel bad for wanting to express themselves.
To Grayson’s school, I hope you will use this opportunity to instill better strategies for bullying intervention as well as create a safer, more supportive, and tolerant environment for your students.
If you’d like to support Grayson, please check out the Support Grayson Facebook Page
Photo: SimonDoggett/Flickr
on reddit i heard that glenn beck supported the boy’s love of mlp.
Beck says Bruce “had the balls to be different,” and so he wanted to send a message that it’s important for everyone’s differences of taste to be respected, as long as it’s not done by way of force.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/glenn-beck-expresses-solidarity-with-9-year-old-boy-bullied-for-liking-my-little-pony/
http://www.glennbeck.com/2014/03/17/glenn-beck-fans-stand-with-grayson/
The link you have is not to the official site that was setup by Grayson’s family and friends. That link is:
https://www.facebook.com/SupportForGrayson
They sound and look so similar that it is easy to get them mixed up.
Tech issues aside, thank you for bringing attention to this issue. The school seems more interested in maintaining rigid gender roles than teaching their students to recognize and prevent bullying.
Thanks Mike! I’ll update the link.
This is so upsetting; I have a four-year old who will enter preschool this fall and I must admit, we’re concerned that his bright spirit will be used against him. He loves My Little Pony as much as he loves LEGOs and Spider-Man. There’s a part of us that wants to hide him away from the world so he never doubts himself. I find it absurd that the ‘solution’ is to penalize Grayson. We’re teaching our children that it’s their responsibility to be less of a target, rather than holding parents accountable for raising children that don’t bully. Thank you… Read more »