>> they call me gay, gay boy, faggot, fashion boy. >> what do they call you? >> dike, [ bleep ], faggot, i've been called words i'm ashamed to say to this day. >> delynn, you've been taken out of the school. you're now being home school. did you just not feel safe in school in. >> kids made me feel like i was the grossest person in the world. they would just go against the wall and say, here comes the he/she or here comes the trash. they made me feel gross and i didn't feel safe at school so i just left. >> i'm sitting here and stewing with rage and i just feel so angry and so upset for the four of you and your class experience. and it seems to me that this is all backwards. instead of taking it up with the kids who are tormenting daily and using abusive language and being abusive to their students this young man can't even go to school anymore. he shouldn't be the one having to stay home. i just want you to know that people do care about you. i care about you, and i really feel touched for your experience. >> jay, you and your wife are raising a daughter. whe

i don't see faggot or dyke. >> i know he put me on this earth for a reason.o to make a difference. >> reporter: far more ready to walk their truth. >> it's about concentrating on the parts that are not gay. how to develop ourselves and shape ourselves so we become strong, independent people and it doesn't matter if someone says, you're a faggot. you say, you're straight, so what. >> i'm so inspired by how strong these kids are but the discrimination they go through is heart wrerchling? >> it's you have to. we heard similar stories from tony and garry as we looked at their forward story to create a family but when we looked at the their childhoods, they had a you have to, you have to time. tony went to a school where on every desk, somebody wrote tbig. i said what does that mean? tony brown is gay. it was so painful. he dropped out of the school and his family came to talk to the head master. years later he went back and he didn't realize that years ago one of the leers in the school said, this is not okay. back in the '70s, that was progressive for somebody i

>> reporter: inside this office building a cnn producer overheard protesters yelling the word faggot at openly gay congressman barney frank, and john lewis, a civil rights icon who marched in selma, alabama, told cnn protesters hurled racial slurs at him repeatedly yelling the "n" word. the turbulent and intense day include more wrangling on the emotional issue of abortion, but the house speaker insisted she will not give in to demands by anti-abortion democrats for a new vote on taxpayer funding for abortion becoming more restrictive. t.j.? >> all right. thanks to dana bash. she showed us some of the protests against the health care reform. this is a rally in support of reform. cnn i-reporter lisa kelly sent this to us. lucy is olding a sign that says health care reform cuts the deficit, ensures millions. madison plans to vote against the bill. >> of course cnn is counting the votes. follow our special coverage as the decision comes down to the wire. all day today right here on cnn. there's been some pretty crazy weather across the country this weekend. it's supposed to be spring, o

they call me faggot, fag boy, gaymian, gay boy, gay.d sad at the same time. >> you're not gay. your two dads are and you're involved in gymnastics. >> yes. >> and is it because your dads are gay or because of the sport you do? why do people pick on you? >> it's for both. >> do you think adults know how tough it is for you at school? >> no. >> is it just in the school or is it around the clock? online? >> online, phones, even some people will even come to your house. its -- you can't escape from it. >> it's inevitable. you know? everywhere you go there's going to be someone who picks on you. you know, that's life. but no one should be called a fag or being pushed or shoved and not have a consequence. >> you've been pushed and shoved. >> um-hmm. >> tell me about that. >> i was walking down the hall and you get shoved and you feel like they just think you're piece a garbage that they can just throw away. and it makes you feel powerless, weak and defenseless and then when you tell a teacher, they won't stop it. >> have all of you you think

one kid said that he wanted to light me on fire like the faggot i was. >> the child was not reprimanded> he was not suspended. the child was not given anything other than a talking to, and then sent back to class. >> if i'm juror son's principal and it this has happened, what can i do to help you as a mom feel like i'm doing my job? >> teachers need to be trained or be given permission in their classrooms to simply, succincting address intolerant comments and behavior. >> joyce mundy is the 2010 middle school principal of the year and joey's mom. today they're teaching current and future educators how to stop bullyi bullying. >> the culture doesn't change until the whole school community takes on. >> most schools have a 45-minute tolerance assembly in their schools. only once in the entire year, it's putting a band-aid on someone needing surgery. >> joey created a facebook page where everyone can share stories and lend support to those being bullied. i really want you to keep up the amazing work. i wish i had the guts to help you without people judging me. >> the messages are all the sa

they, a lot of threats, one kid said that he wanted to light me on fire, like the faggot i was. >> reporterthe child was not reprimanded? >> the child was not reprimanded, suspended, not given anything other than a talking to and sent back to class. >> reporter: if i'm your son's principal and this has happened, what can i do to help you as a mom feel like i'm doing my job? >> teachers need to be trained or be given permission in their classrooms to simply succinctly address intolerant comments and behavior. >> reporter: joyce mundy is pennsylvania's 2010 middle school principal of the year. she's also joey's mom. together they're teaching current and future educators how to stop bullying. >> but the culture in schools doesn't really change until the whole school community takes it on. >> reporter: joey created a facebook page where everyone can share stories and lend support to those being bullied. >> the messages are all the same. schools across america do not know how to deal with the issue of bullying. >> reporter: but joey and his mom are hoping that will change. >> there is a part of

>> reporter: inside this office building a cnn producer overheard protesters yelling the word faggotnly gay barney frank and john lewis, a civil rights icon who marched in selma, alabama, told cnn protesttors hurled racial slurs at him repeating the "n" word. the house speaker insisted she will not give into demands from anti-abortion democrats for a new vote on language making a prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortion more restrictive. don? >> dana, thank you very much for that. people are taking to the streets to push for their side. outside of chicago the yeses and the noes protested side by side. it happened at michelle bean, undeclared until now. she came out today in support of the bill. similar story, different location. northern california, protesters against the overhaul rallied at the office of jerry mcnerney. they were chanting and the congressman moved from undeclared to yes on health care reform. boy, it is heating up. stay with cnn throughout the weekend as we cover this crucial vote. special programming will begin tomorrow at accou9:00 am. >> not just politicians

like the faggot i was. >> the child was not reprimanded? >> the child was not suspended.as not given anything other than a talking to, and then sent back to class. >> reporter: if i'm your son's principal, and this has happened, what can i do to help you as a mom feel like i'm doing my job. >> teachers need to be trained, or be given permission in their classrooms to simply address these behaviors. >> joyce is pennsylvania's 2010 middle school principal of the year. she's also joey's mom. together they're teaching current and future educators how to stop bullying. >> the culture in schools doesn't change until the school community takes it on. >> reporter: he create ad facebook page to share stories of those being bullied. >> the messages are all the same. schools across america do not know how to deal with the issue of bullying. >> reporter: but joey and his mom are hoping that will change. >> there is a part of me that is dead, and i don't want any other child to have to deal with that. >> looking for a slip of the tongue or a policy flip-flop, that's how some political

>> reporter: inside this office building a cnn producer overheard protesters yelling the word "faggoty congressman barney frank. and congressman john lewis, a civil rights icon who marched in selma, alabama -- >> kill the bill. >> reporter: -- told cnn protesters hurled racial slurs at him, repeatedly yelling the n word. the turbulent and intense day here included more wrangling on the emotional issue of abortion. but the house speaker insisted she will not give in to demands from anti-abortion democrats for a new vote on language making a prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortion more restrictive. don? >> all right, dana. thank you very much for that. you know it's down to the wire, but it's not a done deal. so people are taking to the streets to push for their side in the health care overhaul. just outside of chicago the yeses and the nos spent the day protesting. they did it side by side. the competing rallies took place at the office of representative michelle bean, an undeclared until now she came out today in support of the bill. similar story, different location. we're going

>> protesters yelling the word "faggot" at openly gay congressman barney frank. >> john lewis, dana,t me if i'm wrong, the "n" word? >> correct. >> barney frank, the "f" word which rhymes with maggot, right? >> i think the republicans made a great mistake in thinking they can benefit from thug tactics. >> we'll see if they pass this bill. i hope they don't. i pray they don't. it will be an economic disaster for the country if they do. >> it's going to be a lot of blood on the floor at the end of the day and not republican blood. >> you used the word armageddon, what did you mean by that? >> on the republican side congressman stupak is finishing up his comments someone yelled baby killer at him. >> those shouting out are out of order. >> senior political editor mark preston is here. i want you to listen to the president's comments on rhetoric. >> a lot of reporting in washington, it's just like "sportscenter." you know, it's considered a sport. and who's up and who's down and everybody's keeping score and you have the teams going at it. rock them, sock them robots. >> you were there a

it wasn't just the beatings but the psychological abuse, he says they called me faggot and taunted mefrancis, he says has the power to change that. at least gay rights are on the papal agenda. >>> the pope's former ambassador to the dominican republic faces criminal child sex charges. he is in court this hour accused of paying minors for sex acts and child pornography. delia gallagher joins us now from low pressurerome with more on this. >> reporter: we have a bit of an interesting twist to this story just as the trial was about to begin. the italian news agency is reporting and we are working to confirm with the vatican that he was meant to be on trial this morning has been taken to the hospital and is in intensive care. this is news from just a few minutes ago. we are working to confirm that with the vatican. if that is the case it is likely of course that the defense will likely ask for a postponement of this trial. when i spoke to the lawyer on thursday, the defense lawyer for mr. wesolowski he said his defendant intended to participate in the trial. so this news that his client h

. >> we're talking about a school board official using the word faggots and calling for gays to kill him? >> no. he looks to be a lot like what you call a good old by in arkansas, a big bass fisherman, plays video games running a carpet cleaning service, is a high school graduate, not the most eloquent man in the world as his facebook page shows. i think prejudice against gay people runs deep, particularly in arkansas, and it has religious roots boss protestant religion takes a dim view of it. as i say, it's reminiscent really of the deep south in the years that civil rights was a big issue. people said things then that they don't say anymore because they felt you were protected saying them. we haven't yet gotten there on gay people unfortunately. >> it's heart-breaking to see this kind of language. max, i want to ask you, do you think gay kids should feel safe? >> no, and that's the serious part of this story. i don't see how a child in the midland schools can feel completely safe as long as there's a school board member who not only says what he says and has now had three days to s

they said that i was a faggot and that i should die and go to hell where i belonged. that unleashed the fear that what i was beginning to feel on the inside would somehow be showing on the outside. ashamed, humiliated and confused, i went home. there must be something very wrong with me, i thought, something i could never let my family or anyone else know. i don't want my mother and father to bear the pain of having to hear me say -- >> thank you for staying with me during this, we're going to take a break, when we come back, you're going to hear the rest of councilman burns' story. a story he has never told before. >>> we're breaking with our ordinary format to bring you a -- joel burns made a highly personal appeal for simple civility, humanity towards the youngest and most vulnerable among us. we just aireded the first half of his speech at the city council meeting on tuesday night. we're doing to run the rest of it and afterward we'll talk to joel. >> i have never told anyone, my family, my husband or anyone but the number of suicide in recent days have upset me s

the bullies called him faggot and queer. they shoved him and punched him. of his parents' calls to city councounselors and the , the threats and tormenting continues. for years it continues. he went home, found his father's gun and shot himself in the head. his father found him did when he came home from work. asher was 13 years old. >> he pointed out all these specific examples of these kids that died by suicide because they were getting bullied. and he actually came out in that council meeting saying that he's gay, that he was bullied as a kid, and it has to stop. it was a powerful and emotional speech. it's gone viral on the internet. you don't have to be a grown-up to take a stand. a kentucky boy just couldn't look the other way when bullies started picking on his friends. now his classroom crusade has spread through the entire town. and our joe johns got to meet him. >> it's nice to meet you. how are you doing? >> two yearing ago dylan took a stand. he was just 9 years old. a fourth grader. a little guy with a big sense of right and wrong. >> his name

i get called faggot. and sometimes people throw things at me at school.a bottle outside. somebody threw a bottle at me. >> kamora hairington or the gay fairy godmother is the daughter of activists. she is bi-racial and gay and never holds back. >> your mother can love the heck out of you. your father can love the heck out of you. but if they haven't walked the same walk, they don't know what it's like to be discriminated against because of your sexuality. >> kamora is helping these at risk teens identify with being lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans gender. >> who you are is not wrong. that's who you are. >> this is true colors. a rare teen mentoring program that gives gay teens who have been abandoned, rejected, or discriminated against a sank wary. >> i love my kids. they've been so beaten up by the world. they don't know how to put the best face forward. >> no matter your color, background, and sexual preference, in this place, everyone is treated equally and taught as kamora puts it, to walk their truth. >> i think it's really just like that sense of famil

. >> they calling it like gay, faggot, dumb ass, just all those names that can be hurtful. >> starts, you kill yourself, you develop, like, an eating disorder it is obsessive, it becomes obsessive. >> physically abuse me, mentally abuse me, i had thoughts of suicide in ninth grade. >> the seniors -- >> reporter: "360" teamed one robert farris and diane finley to investigate how severe the issue is at wheatley, why kids bully and how that knowledge could help end the problem. in this pilot study, more than 700 students took a scientifically designed survey four separate times over the sell mers what happened we discovered was shocking. 56% of all student also engaged in aggressive behavior, been victimized by bullies or both. and the out of all incidents, more than 80% were never reported to an adult. perhaps even more alarming to parents, in this survey, 74% of students say they had don't think that telling their parents about an incident would be helpful. choose surprise you? >> no. >> doesn't surprise you? >> no. >> why? >> most people say that, you know, telling your parents, peop

he called the analyst beside me a faggot, my second week at work. >> reporter: that was 16 years ago. today todd seers runs out leadership. he works with some of the biggest companies in the world to drive change. >> i've actually had a number of senior straight managers say that's personal, you don't need to bring it to the office. i challenge them. i say take 24 hours and don't talk about your wife, your children, put all the photos away from your desk, see if you can do that. >> smith and sears both say even though 91% of fortune 500 companies ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, it's about a lot more than diversity and inclusion programs and posters. >> it really does take ceos say that being lgbt matters, it's positive that. tone has to crickal down. >> the companies run the risk of losing these people and them walking out the door. >> carol, tim cook said in this essay, life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others? it takes the ceos on the top to have this trickle down. when you hear that number, 53% o