Hanahan Mayor to Speak at Anti-Bullying Vigil

Hanahan Mayor Minnie Blackwell will be a featured speaker at a vigil Thursday night in support of young gay people who are bullied and in memory of those who have taken their own lives after anti-gay harrasment.

Blackwell was a strong supporter of Steven Parham, a Hanahan High student who created a Gay-Straight Alliance at the school in 2010 after he was bullied by fellow students.

"Laws like the recently repealed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ teach kids that it is ok to lie," Blackwell said in a statement. "You have to be proud of who you are. As adults, educators, and individuals, we all must stand up for our children and say 'enough with the bullying.'"

The vigil will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the College of Charleston Multicultural Student Center at 207 Calhoun Street downtown. The event will be followed by a screening of "Out in the Silence," a documentary about homophobia in a small Pennsylvania town.

Other event speakers include Pastor Robert Arrington of Unity Fellowship Church of Charleston; Austin Bucholtz, Wando High School GSA President; and representatives from the College of Charleston GSA. Music by Austin Bucholtz and the band, “A Fragile Tomorrow” will lead the candle-lighting ceremony.