Anderson Cooper stands up against bullying

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper interviewed US school teacher Clint McCance, a member of the Midland School District board in Arkansas, who came under fire for writing hate-fuelled posts against homosexuals on Facebook.

McCance wrote that he didn’t want to wear a purple ribbons “because five queers committed suicide… the only way I’m wearing for them is if they all commit suicide.”

Under scrutiny of national television, the teacher did a complete U-turn and apologised, before announcing his resignation from the school board.

Cooper told McCance, “Do you really hate gay people that much, that you like to see them die?”

“It was over the top, Anderson,” McCance admitted. “It was — I — I just went too far with it.”

Cooper continued to press him. “But, I mean, do you have any idea of the… pain and fear you have caused to kids maybe even in your own district who are being bullied or who are gay or who don’t feel safe telling anyone that they’re gay?” he asked him.

Cooper has championed anti-bullying before, recently slamming the trailer for the Vince Vaughn movie The Dilemma after it used the phrase “that’s so gay.”

“I just find those words, those terms – we’ve got to do something to make those words unacceptable ’cause those words are hurting kids,” he said at the time.

Source: Hollywood Reporter