Louis shares how he took action on his newfound values of compassion and nonviolence by standing up for a vulnerable peer, and reflects on how this connects to positive masculinity, social power, and growing up as a young man.
In the midst of everything that was going on, Louis ended up switching to a new school. That meant leaving behind his friendships, but it also offered an opportunity to set aside who had been in the past and try out a version of himself closer to the kind of young man he wanted to become.
This is friendship, violence, shame and vulnerability—but more than anything else, Louis’ story is a story of transformation.
At a new school and among a new group of peers, Louis noticed a boy in his class who was being targeted and harassed for not fitting in. He risked his social status with his peers—and went behind the teacher’s back—to be the ally that his classmate desperately needed.
He still gets called a fag sometimes.
But in the journey of discovering true friendship, aligning with his values and standing up for others, he developed social skills, toughness and an unparalleled clarity of purpose.
This is the kind of young man our world needs. His story is the roadmap to get there.