No H8 Nails

Bullying is not funny. It is not cool. It is not right. And more importantly, it is not okay.

Most of us are, thankfully, residents of countries that support tolerance and many of our families have settled in these places simply for that reason. Generations later, it is our responsibility to perpetuate that message of tolerance across our new social platforms, including the internet.

As members of the nail polish blogging community, we all share a love of beauty, color, and lacquer. Other than that, we are remarkably different: from our race to our religion to our hair color...even to our polish application techniques. To marginalize anyone because of those differences is completely unacceptable and today I take a stand against that. I refuse to allow other people's view of "normal" dictate how I behave, believe, and blog.

In solidarity with a multitude of bloggers linked below, my purple manicure represents my proud commitment to the No H8 movement. Today, November 8, I dedicate my post to ending bullying of any kind and to encouraging diversity and imperfection among our colorful community.

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Have people forgotten one of the cardinal rules? Do unto others? If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all?

I have personally experience some hateful things in the polish community. I once confronted a contest entry that was using my nail art to win a contest. I asked them to remove the entry as it was mine (and breaking the rules of the contest). It turned into one of the worst and most hateful posts I've ever read. Two girls and their mother were primarily responsible for the hateful comments, calling readers in support of my request that the entrant remove the post "morons", "losers", and "retards". I couldn't believe that sort of thing was happening, and that an entire family had rallied around such a hurtful cause. The kicker was that the mother scolded me for not stopping the behavior, calling me a bully.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, just as everyone is entitled to a vote. You may not agree with that opinion, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you feel the need to express your disapproval, do so in a respectful way.

There are differences between arguments and discussions, constructive and destructive criticism, and being opinionated and being hurtful. Take a second to reflect on what you have to say and how it might make others feel before you express yourself.

There's a serious sense of commradory and community I feel when I blog and get comments from readers. It's this sense of togetherness that inspired tonight's No H8 manicure. Let's all support each other in everything we do, and leave the bullying to the bulls.

My inspiration for this design came from this stock image.

You can share your support along with the list of bloggers below. I was personally inspired to do this post by Lindsey at Neverland Nail Blog, who could be quite possibly the sweetest blogger I've ever come across.

If you or someone you know is experiencing bullying and needs help, here are some resources (again, thanks Lindsey!)

Stopbullying.gov

Report Cyber Bullying

National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 800.273.TALK (8255)

EradicateH8