When Tom Greene began teaching in fall 2007, he decided he was going to do so openly.
“There is nothing wrong with being gay. It is not abnormal,” Greene said. “I am not going to closet myself.”
About a year ago, Greene, who teaches government, economics and honors African-American history at Chapel Hill High School, founded the Proud Apple Social Club — a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual group for teachers.
Since then, the group has expanded to 45 members from 32 members, as media attention in recent weeks helped create a surge in popularity.
Greene said he created the group, which meets once a month in various locations in and around the Triangle, as a way for participants to discuss ways to stop bullying in schools — especially violence directed toward gay students.
“There is such a large number of teens who commit suicide due to bullying over their sexual orientation,” Greene said. “People don’t realize that bullying is deadly in an indirect sort of way.”
Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, committed suicide Sept. 22 by jumping from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and another student allegedly posted a video of Clementi having a sexual encounter with another man.
Students and faculty members at Rutgers University held a candlelight vigil for Clementi on Sunday evening.
“It’s an unfortunate result of a society that is based on bigotry,” Greene said. “Events like this are going to continue to happen until society changes.”