I would like to point out to Joseph Farrugia (Cruelty To Children, November 5) that I went to school and, apart from that, have also been working with children, with all kinds of special needs, for the past 14 years. I am no stranger to the reality of bullying.

Bullies would pick on someone for anything that makes him or her different to them, not necessarily because they are the children of gay parents. One must not succumb to that. Overcoming the bullying, becoming your own man (or woman), not thinking you have to be like everybody else, knowing your worth and expecting respect, plays a vital part in growing up.

Let’s face it, bullying is not a subject restricted to childhood. Not so long ago, I watched an excellent television promotion for the Paralympics that almost brought a tear to my eye. It featured a close-up of a young man with Down’s syndrome saying something on the lines of “when you’re like me... people stare at you... they point their fingers and say things... they say he’s different...” And then, finally, you don’t see it coming because everything sounds so negative, he says: “It’s fantastic!”

Individuality is not something I merely respect, it’s something that I personally praise and, to me, it’s what makes the difference between a star and common folk.