This teen is shutting down bullying and intolerance with a simple t-shirt
As Meryl Streep reminded us during Sunday night’s Golden Globes, bullying and intolerance are two major issues plaguing America in 2017. This is why Twitter user Aaron’s Golden Rule t-shirt is so important, and going viral like crazy as fans take in its inspiring message.
As Aaron, a 17-year-old Houstonian, told Buzzfeed News, he purchased the shirt on Green Box Shop when he “had problems in the past with people being homophobic.”
“I have been a victim of bulling because I am gay and, yes, I have overcome all of those obstacles in my life, and when I saw the shirt I was amazed because of the message the shirt says,” he told the outlet.
A LOOK pic.twitter.com/ZlIEMCP5z2
— aaron (@lustdad) January 6, 2017
He wore it to school, and when his friend snapped a photo of his lewk, it blew up — as of press time, it has garnered over 85,000 retweets.
“[The message is] ‘just be quiet,’ as in, ‘If you have nothing nice to say, just don’t say it at all,’” Aaron concluded.
Some, of course, had ignorant things to say in reply to Aaron’s viral shirt — this is 2017 and the internet, after all. But Aaron brushed off the haters and kept on Tweeting about … well, cute boys, obviously. (Same, Aaron!)
WHY ARE PEOPLE SO PRESSED IM SCREAMING LOLOLOL pic.twitter.com/Dw7s4Nyls4
— aaron (@lustdad) January 7, 2017
It’s disheartening to see replies like the one from Dian Williams, someone who clearly misinterpreted Aaron’s message. Because demanding one “be quiet” instead of spreading transphobia, homophobia, racism, or sexism isn’t really demanding anything except one’s right to life as a female, a person of color, or a member of the LGBTQ community without hatred and prejudice. Having a conflicting “opinion” about one’s right to live in peace isn’t the same as having a conflicting opinion as, say, who should win the Game of Thrones (though it’s definitely, 100 percent Sansa).
When the rest of America gets on board with the message on Aaron’s shirt, we’ll all be way, way better off. We just, you know, hope that day comes sooner rather than later. We’re all so tired of waiting.
