City Life; #201; Growing Up in New York

It was remarkable for me it was like you know on city life I mean escape me and I'm running for president I said before if I have to say that I can have a voice of the people incl me most think that you know a phone where. You can actually hear about some affection with a doubt. I never heard anything about a fax from you. The. Most about growing up here is that yeah I come from New York you

want to make something about it. I do think that growing up The New York forges your character in ways that are different. I mean I learned that occurs in like five different languages by the time I was 12. From the street I learned about all. I learned about comics. You get it wrong before you can even count. And since you are like assaulted with this kind of thing from a very early age you have a sort of sixth sense about it. New York's a bombardment of stimuli. All the time. Contrast them great great great contrasts This is the city of contrasts. There's a lot to be learned about life.

And that contrasts. I guess the thing I treasured most about growing up here was you know just the ability to have an extreme amount of independence at a young age. The train was like a pass a ticket to a kind of mobility that most people only associate with adulthood. You didn't have to have anybody's permission really to go off and explore the world. The thing that New York gave me more than anything was the idea that I could be anything. Because growing up in the city gives you the giant bazaar of what life has to offer. People as I've written him in a way that it is not ready for answers.

My name is Ana Levine minus Elise Lee and My Name is Bruce Willis and I'm running for president of the US so this year as you can see I'm going to be a fair President kind wise helpful. I'm trusted amongst friends and teachers. I'm motivated because I want the best school even better. As I said before I'm ones. So vote for me vote for me who may vote for me. Alma Levine You won't regret it. We're. Trying to escape and I'm running for president to show me this Katie and I when I saw President Bush. My main issue is no uniforms for any student No student is going to wear uniforms if I can help it. I'm a hard worker who's been missing she went through this back no matter what grade your

politicians make promises they don't always come to that's when I make you. Let me make you. Who you sold I will. OK I won't. I mean a lot of people seem to think that I'm basically the underdog the candidate who doesn't really stand a chance and I think that's harder when you're when you start out in the election with opposition against her already because everybody that is already had their minds made up that knowing you know going to win or anything so I'm going on just trying to prove everybody wrong. Another one concerns. I want to put up. Let me see this movie for the coverage and the reason I want to be president of the student body is because there's a new need to be heard. I want people to hear what I'm telling them that I don't want people to ignore me I don't want to become just another person who lives and dies I just want to stand out in some way. I thank you for your time. And I am thankful. I mean leave it. Hello my name is Elizabeth a little boy and I'm running for class president. Raise your hand if you want uniforms Radiohead we don't win uniforms but the Board of Education thinks differently we can have a practice is very important to

get a voice to say that again I'm a voice of the people I want to be remembered as the girl that talk with the people in touch with the three of six seven eight graders if you want no uniforms. Air conditioners in every class and clean the bathrooms. Please vote for me on this when I was a boy. Thank you. Not the start so let's get some. If I went Oh God I thought I could create firsthand the world I'll be like. So Barry is inside of me. I'm very sad and I'm running for president. This is going in Britain. She's really popular. They says she's supposed to be family back then I will also try to have a room every Friday over the loudspeaker as you can see just very tall and very loud you might have noticed. Everybody knows everybody. As far as I go now on the other hand I mean a lot of people know me but not everybody.

You don't have to be popular to win the election. She had to have good ideas and you have to make use of. No. I just I don't want to catchy posters. So the people I have a lot of people in our campaign manager cannot be attention. She's like a lot of people's person have a smile. Why. I have a nice thing but I have about this issue when he has to be I mean this is us to me they'll be less speech well better than me. Like him hey more better. I don't really have a campaign manager yet but that's because I'm not used to trusting people with everything and so I think I'm better off working independently. I mean in the UK I'm running for president. I notice my name is Katie and I'm running for a surprise.

I used to come into school and I used to be like just like they used to be like oh OK didn't. When it was Katie I'm waiting for a surprise when I was kid I don't. Know when that I can win this one thing could kind of give you like a confidence that maybe I should try for something greater in the past you had Jersey day pajama day and Shadow Day and I think it's time to add some new stuff to the list like backwards day inside out day crazy hair day and wear day. I'm a black man named Robert. And. He's going to. Really implement. In a way. Yes. First of heavy negatives. Hello my name is on the line of class and I'm running for president. I fish on the Greek you want double. I HATE YOU I HATE YOU. Hello my name is I'm

a good listener Russell class and I was. Like. You are. I'm running for president of the school and I just have to keep Chicha. That's because I don't. Want to. The

Be. The end. This is Miss Payne. At this time may I ask all classes to settle down so everyone can hear this important announcement. Your new school wide student organization president for 1998 1999. Is Brittany Mendenhall Lewis.

Lewis. Was. A writer they still are today and if you learned anything you say oh it. Was. I'm not going to sit here. Oh you're so good. I want to do a big risk. That's because you were good you were up to. She was really frustrated. People she would love to have him back. So having a condition was. It was a major step for me I think and I don't regret it. Just because I'm off

the selection doesn't mean I'm going to go back to being a nobody because I'm dying to be heard again. You know I'm more of a realist. Before I did my did convince students but I was naive. It's popular with you know the way. I can make everybody vote for me but I can make sure that you hear what I'm saying and my voice is going to keep you know keep talking. Not going away anytime soon. I think that when you win you win you will view changes and you realize that the world is not full of people who are out there to take care of you. You've got to take care of yourself. I mean obviously it's a huge growing moment in your life and it's it's painful you know.

I think the greatest struggle as a kid is to figure out you know who this is. You know you wake up every day thinking Oh. Should I cut my hair really short or should I grow it really long or should I pierce my nose. Should i should I take drugs. Should I be a singer or should I be a hockey player you know what is it. Who who who is this. You want to fit into everything you want to be the best and the coolest in the fastest. And a lot of times your culture or your neighborhood or your way of life or whatever your parents might be pulling you in completely the opposite direction. Yes. I'm confused and confused because I don't know a phone in the world where.

One basket problem only. Right now I'm in the middle on the quad between both you know I don't know which one to choose. My parents were born in India and I was the first born my oldest son was born in America and includes some we have some good as loading from the Army don't know what my parents want me to learn from American ways and up to their nature adapt to the way to talk the way they do beings the way they think but yet they don't want me to forget their. I'm a Hindu. So there were mission to see the good person being Hindu art that I have a religion to teach my children and a way of knowing who I am. Sit down proposition. Like me the bad parts are that when you have to sit and do that chanting you get those crimes when you sit when you forget negs. I can do that.

I feel I'm not doing enough for my religion because I'm only putting aside one day just Sunday life. If it was more like three four hours each day then I would be more happier because I'm putting aside more time to learn my religion and religious think. The force and love for American are playing basketball and you know with my friends you know Brian vs.. Robert Plant. Me. I. Have a little brother and his name this week. He's nine years old. I think he has it easier because see I don't have no one that I can learn from for like Indian people don't have these sports fishing for what you might not get

in and from I can grab it. But like my brother he has me I can teach him anything he wants to learn. And then the religion when you're 12 years old. And both males and females have a ceremony performed which is the thread saying. You should be the other going to be able to go. And. Say thanks and thanks. Now a sudden rush for. India where the train every day. But I'm not going to wear to church every day because if I do or the road something bad might happen. When I would that's right I'm not supposed to eat meat. Suppose I go to school and I

eat meat in the wind. Good. All the dirt just seemed in your mind to sing. Why did this just disobeyed all the rules of Hinduism. I know who I am in the sense that I've heard of. Like it's hard to be American and be a good and going to bed. I'm worried that when I grow up what am I going to be more enduring. Your parents influence on you at 12 and 13 is a is a tough thing. I mean part of growing up is saying this is me now and I've got friends as a teenager you need to figure out where you belong. Your click was a kind of a safety zone. It was clear who you were to you when to enter the others and to even to outsiders.

But until you and your peer group. Until you find what friends are. It's rough. And I don't think you ever really feel that lonely or about separate or that outside as much as you do when you're a kid. When I wasn't there that's when I started having these feelings of attraction towards the same fact when I was in sixth grade. That's when he told me things like I'm a faggot or a lord or things like that without with words. This one guy called me a fruitcake and I'm going to hit him but I can't do that.

So I would just. As he's walking and I would just say nothing. I grew up in Brownsville New York. I was more of a loose cannon if you will. My temper was horrible. I was rowdy I would start trouble. But I was also very frightening I mean I was like I know right. It's a little bit like to address this jersey like one to two occasions I had to you know defend myself. Against someone like trying to bash me in school. Here you had the right turn around I actually ended up inflicting more pain on them than the magic that I could. Just put trauma I would come out look at my hands. OK very dramatic and get very quick like scream that they broke a nail and I would hit him again. I like I said it would anger them more than someone who was so you know like OK or so Femi beat their behind.

I feel so much older than 17. I feel like an adult child. You know because for a long time I have been taking care of myself. When I was very young my parents weren't able to take care of me longer. So I'm going to force to care for them in the house where I can return 10 and 12 girls live as opposed to my intimate family won't if she's here when I have the feeling I was again since I was like 13 and it was hard for me because again going back to the foster care thing there wasn't much support there and especially not for kids who thought they might be you know lesbian or gay. When I heard about homosexuals it was adult and when I did feel them it will be on things like talk show. I never heard anything about homosexuals.

You and so when I found out that there was a place. For such a group I found it fascinating that I was not the only youth that had these feelings. Good morning. Today it's basically an escape for the protection and the empowerment of LGBT youth. I'm sorry lesbian gay bisexual you and transgendered you. BT So what I'm going to ask you guys is. Who knows the story of Hamlet I don't know. Gibson did a bad job at it from the right. One of the things I had to learn has one of the programs that they have is something called the Harvey Milk School. People who identify as gay lesbian or bisexual questioning or transgender basically come to school here so they don't have to worry about being taunted being attacked or discriminate against a regular public high school. They could come here without having to worry about you know anybody saying oh my god that's a faggot at the locker. They don't have to deal with that here. Hamlet is basically the story of the Prince of Denmark right.

And his father is a king and his mother his mother is the queen. Not the other way around. Right. So what happens is that you know so what how do you bed more and what it provides is a family. Especially with my gay lesbian youth coming out you have family you lose that that bond with your hand I think morning you know it's pretty much like the family you know but you might not have. I came to ASH from what I was first to socialize me out who probably would do the same things I've gone through. Then I found out that much of what is and so offered other things. Things that will help me build myself even more like the education of. Everybody I'm Sheena and I want you all to close your eyes close your

eyes close your eyes. It's a workshop about homophobia usually the question is Why are people gay. Now I want you to think back to a day in the past when you have the part this person wants far so you figure let me say something to this person this is not the perfect time for me to speak to this person. How do you feel. OPEN I'M SOME How do you feel nervous. Nervous afraid. OK now let's get no milk among other stuff. Being around a bunch of kids the nitty gritty stuff. Now what happened saw a body. You know what happens when you don't either since when the juices flow and I like that. What actions can you control these things. But this is happening and all these things fall under something called sexual orientation and some people have these feelings for people of the same sex. People of the opposite sex and of both sexes. What about what we call ourselves. What if someone here looks a little bit feminine. They're a guy but they look a little feminine. Does anyone have the right to come out and call them gay.

I'm sorry. I am the only saw me and it looks like the guy in the class like it looks like it's a. Son. That's all based on stereotypes that we have of something stereotype about a gay man is I have to be very very feminine. I had to talk with a high pitched voice and with a lift at the walk like this. And I have to have sex with many many many men. No. I don't fit the stereotype. So I don't walk like a duck. I don't talk like a duck but yet I'm still the duck. At this point in time we give you an opportunity to actually questions and for your mind how you had to Ali Al fields early in this presentation right. Yeah well I was nervous around there a chance to get in I mean what is your sexual orientation for our intention. I can find out if I personally identify as bisexual. This is my real identity. I date both comfortable we're both I love both. I don't know you like I used to label myself as being a lesbian but I find us attractive guys too but it's not

extreme as bisexual it's not like if you go attraction so I just say I like beautiful people like I like beautiful people. But usually. Not. I think a lot of clarity first came the morning and that was because it was a pretty much accepting spirit to feel like. I've always been one to keep my feelings inside it when I express how I feel. That's what I hear out me to do to express my feelings. Whenever I pictured myself out of the closet to people who identify themselves as straight. If it was a quote here I would think I would have done that. I mean I think it's every generation's responsibility to pave the way for the new generation that comes after eight years older generations paved the way for us and now we're paving the way. I think like every every generation contributes something to the struggle. And hopefully I'll contribute something from my next generation.

I think it's impossible to grow up in New York without getting a sense that the things that you hold absolutely sacred somebody else perhaps doesn't and that's continually being thrown in your face. You grow up because you realize. There are things besides beauty and nature and kindness. Many people see that as a terrible thing for a kid to have to live with all those negative things. And yet I see them as a very sort of realistic life lesson very early. There's a certain confidence you develop the sort of swagger. That stays with us for better or worse and I know that times were really bad. But it got us pretty far. When I got out of growing up in New York. Is a kind of sense of

survival. I feel like I've got the ultimate you know Swiss Army knife and first aid kit and everything else you could possibly need like surgically implanted. You can never go wrong. It's paid by us thank you.