by Hollye Dexter | Jun 26, 2011 | bullying, girls and bullying
When I started the seventh grade all the other kids seemed to tower over me in the halls. The girls had women’s bodies, and the ninth grade boys had peach fuzz moustaches. But me? I was just a skinny little kid with the unfortunate nickname of Hollye Smally. I...
by Hollye Dexter | Oct 20, 2010 | bullying, Joel Burns, Peaceful politics, teen suicide, telling the truth, The Trevor Project Gay teens
(Julie, Joel Burns and me backstage at the Ellen show) I had an incredible experience yesterday – living proof that when you tell the truth, life rewards you in ways you couldn’t have imagined. Thanks to my angel friends Julie and Mary, I got to attend the...
by Hollye Dexter | Oct 11, 2010 | bullying, Gay teens, teen suicide, tolerance
(Dedicated to my brother Ted. I love you!) This month we’ve lost too many young people to suicide. They have surrendered their lives over simple acts of cruelty. My stomach is churning over this, not only because of the tragedy itself, but because my brother who I...
by Hollye Dexter | May 30, 2010 | bullying
My very first memory of life was seeing my mother being beaten by my stepfather. I was three years old, helpless to stop it. To this day my mother has health issues related to those beatings, and we all bear the emotional scars. I was a good-natured child with a sunny...