Alye Pollack is a 13-year-old student in the eighth grade at Bedford Middle School in Westport, Conn. For the past two years, Alye has been unhappy and spent more time in therapy than in class. In a poignant YouTube video, Alye says that not a day has gone by without hearing one of these words: 'bitch,''whore,''fat,''lesbo,''slut,''freak,''ugly,''weird,''f*g'.
What's unique about Alye's video is that none of her words are spoken.
"I am bullied," are words that appear on a sign Alye holds up, while music plays in the background.
As of this blog's publishing, Alye's video has received more than 426,000 hits since it was uploaded to YouTube on March 14. Recently the video made headlines in both local and national media. Dr. Drew Pinsky was so moved by Alye's video that he invited Alye and her mother, Audra, to be guests on the premiere of his new show for HLN, CNN's sister network.
Alye Pollack and her mother, Audra, appear on the premiere episode of HLN's "Dr. Drew." Click on the image to see part of the interview.
GLAAD encourages you to watch Alye's video and share it with others. As Alye powerfully demonstrates in her video, "words are worse than sticks and stones." Alye hopes that after watching this video, viewers will think before they say things, noting "it might save lives." We think those are words of wisdom.
GLAAD has reached out to Alye and her family and hopes to provide spokesperson training in the near future.
