Every now and then I wonder if the struggle for equality, understanding, and respect is worth the time and energy that I and so many others put into it. ¹ I’m basically a cynic in other matters, so why do I so need to see change in the acceptance of homophobia?

Last night, I was reminded of why we fight when I ran across this news article from rural upstate Illinois.

Bourbonnais bus driver arrested after alleged taunting
10/10/2008, 10:35 am

A Bourbonnais Elementary School District No. 53 bus driver was arrested Thursday for mob action after he allegedly taunted a 10-year-old student and encouraged others on the bus to chase after the boy.

Russell A. Schmalz, 46, was arrested by the Kankakee [Illinois] Sheriff’s Police Department, Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said. Schmalz is also charged with endangering the life of a child and battery.

“The incident occurred last Friday,” McCabe said, alleging that Schmalz was taunting the boy by calling him “gay.”

“When the boy got off the bus the driver encouraged several other students to go after him and tackle him. Our investigation shows that occurred,” McCabe said this morning.

Investigators are also looking into allegations that Schmalz got off the bus and grabbed the boy he had allegedly been taunting.

Bourbonnais School District officials would only say the driver has been terminated.

This short week-old story has gotten little attention nationally. In fact it wasn’t even reported locally until nearly a week later. The school district has (thankfully) fired the bus driver. The local authorities have (thankfully) taken the correct action.

And a ten-year-old boy’s life has been changed forever.

I don’t know if the kid is gay or not. It’s entirely possible that he isn’t. Either way, the damage has been done and homophobia has been stamped on his soul. Forever.

Maybe he’ll turn it inward and learn to hate himself. After all, it’s his fault, he’ll tell himself. He said something or did something that let people know that he’s different. Maybe he doesn’t like football, or he has an unusual name, or he’s good at math. Maybe his best friend is a girl. That’s enough sometimes.

Or maybe he’ll turn it outward and learn to hate others. Maybe he’ll be the one to beat the hell out of the next kid who’s different. Maybe he’ll grow up to be the next Jim Dobson or Donald Wildmon. Maybe even Fred Phelps. I hope not. I pray not. But it’s a path that this bus driver has opened up for him.

Worse yet, maybe he’ll kill himself. It’s a frightful thought, but a full third of LGBT youth make an attempt every year, and they don’t do it for nothing.

I’m tempted to say that this boy will never forget last Friday when the bus driver shouted “Get him!”, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he blocked it out altogether. There are some things a ten-year-old shouldn’t know, and I’m pretty sure that an authority figure calling you names and telling other kids to beat you up is on the list.

This is the reason for the fight. Until the monsters like Russell A. Schmalz of Bourbonnais, Illinois ² are defeated, people like this little boy are at risk. I can’t stop everybody like Mr. Schmalz, but I can add my voice to the growing chorus of people not willing to put up with hate and violence anymore.

Incidentally, this is a perfect example of why we need hate crime laws. Without a hate crime charge, I’m betting that the maximum punishment allowed is pretty small. Illinois has a law that punishes monsters like Russell A. Schmalz of Bourbonnais, Illinois (we don’t know if he’ll be charged under it yet), but national standards like the almost-passed Matthew Shepard Act are still needed to protect people like this ten-year-old boy whose life was changed last Friday.

(h/t to Box Turtle Bulletin)

¹ To be clear, there are many many other people across the country who put so much more time and energy into the struggle than I do. I’m a lightweight at best. ⇧
² I’m hoping to get listed for when a potential employer of Russell A. Schmalz of Bourbonnais, Illinois does a search for his name. ⇧