On "Glee" football player Dave Karofsky (actor Max Adler), left, bullied gay student Kurt Hummer (Chris Colfer) although Karofsky is secretly gay. Photo courtesy of DVD Verdict.

Commentary by David Shrank, MSW, LSW

Bullies and their victims come in every size, shape, and ethnicity and from every social and economic class.

Bullying is linked to low self-esteem on the part of both the bully and the victim. That is because a person will only be affected and become the “victim” if that person has low self-esteem and becomes mentally and/or emotionally hurt by the comments or actions of the bully.

Fox’s hit TV show, “Glee,” focuses on high school teens from a variety of social groups who come together to form a  singing club. “Glee” has made many references to bullying in a multitude of ways with several characters being bullied by others.

One of the major characters of the show, Santana Lopez, is a lesbian of Hispanic origin, who appears to have incredible difficulty accepting herself in that she refuses to identify herself as a lesbian. She is very promiscuous in ways she deems socially acceptable.

Santana also continually bullies others, but becomes highly sensitive when others point out the potential of her being a lesbian which results in her feeling hurt and saying she is being bullied.

One of the school’s football players, Dave Karofsky, is gay but refuses to accept this reality. Instead, he bullies other gay teens at the school both physically and verbally. It turns out that he has a strong crush on the gay student he bullies the most.

Lack of self-acceptance quite often leads to bullying. By the same token, not accepting oneself makes a person more susceptible to being bullied based on low self esteem. Those with low self-esteem, generally speaking, either become the target for bullying, or they become the bully in order to change the social environment and become more empowered.

And quite often, those around the bully are afraid of being bullied themselves, so they become aligned with the bully and are then in a state of being in power. Both the bully and those the bully are aligned with usually feel horrible about hurting the feelings of others, but are so relieved not to be the target that they continue on this path.

A person who doesn’t accept themself but wants to be in a powerful social status is most likely to become a bully because as the saying goes “misery loves company” and the bully will feel better about putting down the victim.

Actress Naya Rivera portrays Santana Lopez on "Glee." Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.

The strength of “Glee” is found within the characters who are being bullied who make it their job to teach the bullies a lesson that they should be “out and proud.” This reinforces the strength of self acceptance. 

Self acceptance is one of if not the most important aspect of human social development. Self-acceptance leads to being grounded as a person and leads to increased self-esteem. High self esteem usually correlates to comfort in one’s personality and strengths.

The more a person likes themselves, the more likely the person will have increased self esteem. With increased support from others, especially from support groups, one’s self-esteem most likely will increase. Particularly with the topic of bullying, self-acceptance will almost always lead to increased self-esteem and therefore a reduction and potential elimination of bullying behavior.

Shrank is a corrections case manager in Trenton, N.J. who evaluates former inmates who have persistent mental illness. He also provides them with clinical therapy, resources, and acts as their court liaison. He also is head of mental health and a board member for the Equality Project, an anti-bullying activist nonprofit agency.  In addition Shrank, who received his master’s degree in social work from Temple University, is developing a private practice working with children who have been severely bullied.

To learn more about how Shrank and other social workers help young people overcome life’s hurdles visit the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” Kids & FamiliesWebsite by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.

Entertainment Weekly recently ran a front-page story on the increased depictions of gay teenagers on television.

But has the portrayal of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people really improved in television and film?

Social workers are committed to social justice for all, including GLBT people. So in honor of LGBT Pride Month in June, SocialWorkersSpeak.org is asking social workers what they think about this issue.

Here are  responses from Toni Taylor, MSW, an adjunct professor at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, NJ. Taylor teaches psychology and writing courses. She has worked in direct practice and administration with the elderly, homeless, domestic violence victims, children and families, substance abusers and the mentally ill. She is also a contributing writer at ThyBlackWoman.com.

Q: Toni, are you pleased with how the GLBT community is portrayed in TV and in movies? 

A: I’m actually displeased with a majority of programs that have at least one GLBT character because the individual is usually pigeonholed in a token stereotype.

 Q: What are your favorite shows and movies that depict GLBT individuals? 

A: I know I’m going way back a bit, but I thoroughly enjoyed Queer As Folk and Oz when they  were on the air. When Queer As Folk first came out, I remember it being so taboo and a “guilty pleasure,” but it definitely opened doors for newer programs. I enjoyed the reality in which Oz displayed prison life. Another good program was Noah’s Arc.  Kissing Jessica Stein and If These Walls Could Talk 2 were great movies. Although Brokeback Mountain was the butt of many jokes, I enjoyed the love story that unfolded between the characters. I absolutely loved Will & Grace for its over-the-top antics that stole the spotlight.  I watched Glee in the very beginning of the series, and I hated how Kurt was a marginalized player or only used for laughs (For example, the episode when he could only kick a field goal to the tune of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”). I understand now that in recent episodes, he’s received his own storyline, and I applaud the program for taking that step forward.

Toni Taylor

Q: Which are programs that irk or upset you?

A: I have a love/hate relationship with RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is on LOGO. I love that drag queens have an opportunity and an outlet on national television to strut their stuff, but I believe the show is just as exploitative of its contestants as is America’s Next Top Model. Family Guy and American Dad, which are essentially two shows that are equal opportunity offenders, bother me with the flip-flopping of many of the characters’ sexuality.I don’t like shows and movies that typecast GLBT characters as one-dimensional (the overly feminine man who throws himself onto other men, the homo-thug man or woman always looking for “fresh meat” to convert). I also have issues with the ease in which male characters can dress up as women in order to score laughs and earn millions of dollars, but don’t address issues that affect the individuals in this population. There definitely is a stigma around men and women who identify themselves as the other and dress the part, and inclusion should be addressed rather than ignored.

Q: If you could create an ideal program about a GLBT person what would the plot be?

A: If I could create an ideal program, I would create a reality based docudrama that is inclusive of the It Gets Better Project  and NoH8 Campaign which highlight families and individuals who have been affected by the ignorance and discrimination of others. I would want the show to demonstrate that we are all humans first and foremost, and before we are all pigeonholed into categories that make us “lesser or greater” than one another, our common denominator is humanity. 

Q: Why is this issue important to you?

To learn more about the National Association of Social Workers’ position on GLBT issues visit the association’s Diversity & Equity Web pages by clicking here.

A: This issue is important to me on many fronts. I have numerous friends and family who are members of the GLBT community and I vehemently defend them from the casual bigotry of which they are consistent recipients.  I myself am pigeonholed into two marginalized categories: a woman and a black person. I have experienced my fair share of covert slights and overt displays of discrimination based on my gender and ethnicity, and I would absolutely hate to inflict that pain on anyone based on how they are characterized by oppressive forces.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, left, and Eric Stonestreet play Mitchell and Cameron, a gay couple on "Modern Family." Photo courtesy of ABC.

Television programs are increasingly featuring gay and lesbian characters.

For instance, the award-winning comedy “Glee” (Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox) has a gay storyline and in tonight’s episode of “Modern Family” (Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on ABC) father Jay (actor Ed O’Neill) must confront the possibility one of his best friends Shorty (Chazz Palminteri) is homosexual.

Social workers have long supported the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. To learn more, visit this National Association of Social Workers Web site section on this issue. Which leads to our poll:

Photo courtesy of Screenrant.com

Several movies and television programs featured on SocialWorkersSpeak.org are up for Golden Globe Awards. They include the film “Precious,” about an overweight, abused and pregnant teen girl who finds hope through literacy; the “Glee” high school musical television series; “The Messenger,” which is about soldiers who must deliver death notices to families; and “The Princess and the Frog,” the first Disney film to feature a black princess.

“Precious” was nominated for Best Drama Motion Picture. Actresses Mo’Nique and Gabourey Sidibe from that film are up for best supporting actress and best actress in a drama, respectively. Actor Woody Harrelson was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in “The Messenger.” “Glee” may win a Golden Globe for best television series comedy or musical and series regular Lea Michele was nominated as best actress in that category. And “The Princess and the Frog” is a contender for best animated feature film.

The Golden Globe Awards will air on NBC on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. EST.

Q: We want to know what television programs, movies, and actors you think should get a Golden Globe. Please leave your comments. The Associated Press list of nominees is posted below.

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Check out other links on www.socialworkersspeak.org:

Michigan Social Workers Protest Layoffs

University of Pittsburgh Journal Examines Race, Social Issues

Social Work: Low Pay, High Stress