[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] hey how y’all doing you having a good
hey how y’all doing you having a good
hey how y’all doing you having a good time so far yeah cool yes we are solemn
time so far yeah cool yes we are solemn
time so far yeah cool yes we are solemn okay great I appreciate that you’re in
okay great I appreciate that you’re in
okay great I appreciate that you’re in the zone cool um so yeah my name is Toby
the zone cool um so yeah my name is Toby
the zone cool um so yeah my name is Toby as this giant screen says and I’m a
as this giant screen says and I’m a
as this giant screen says and I’m a writer from Leicester straight out of
writer from Leicester straight out of
writer from Leicester straight out of Leicester as was just said and I was
Leicester as was just said and I was
Leicester as was just said and I was asked to come here and to perform one of
asked to come here and to perform one of
asked to come here and to perform one of my poems to you which I’m going to do
my poems to you which I’m going to do
my poems to you which I’m going to do and when we were talking ages ago about
and when we were talking ages ago about
and when we were talking ages ago about me coming here and I was asked to come
me coming here and I was asked to come
me coming here and I was asked to come here and I was thinking about what poem
here and I was thinking about what poem
here and I was thinking about what poem I would perform I was thinking about
I would perform I was thinking about
I would perform I was thinking about what the themes of today were and what
what the themes of today were and what
what the themes of today were and what the themes of this event are talking
the themes of this event are talking
the themes of this event are talking about bravery and courage and pride and
about bravery and courage and pride and
about bravery and courage and pride and what those things meet what they really
what those things meet what they really
what those things meet what they really mean and what they mean to me and what
mean and what they mean to me and what
mean and what they mean to me and what they’ve meant in my life
they’ve meant in my life
they’ve meant in my life and I thought I have to perform this
and I thought I have to perform this
and I thought I have to perform this particular poem today because this is
particular poem today because this is
particular poem today because this is TEDx youth you’re all very youthful I
TEDx youth you’re all very youthful I
TEDx youth you’re all very youthful I like to think I’m youthful but I’m less
like to think I’m youthful but I’m less
like to think I’m youthful but I’m less youthful now than I used to be obviously
youthful now than I used to be obviously
youthful now than I used to be obviously as Eddings and that made no sense and
as Eddings and that made no sense and
as Eddings and that made no sense and yeah I realized that I left school I
yeah I realized that I left school I
yeah I realized that I left school I finished my GCSEs 10 years ago which is
finished my GCSEs 10 years ago which is
finished my GCSEs 10 years ago which is terrifying and when I was at school I
terrifying and when I was at school I
terrifying and when I was at school I found it very difficult to find my
found it very difficult to find my
found it very difficult to find my courage and to find who I was and accept
courage and to find who I was and accept
courage and to find who I was and accept who I was and be proud of who I was and
who I was and be proud of who I was and
who I was and be proud of who I was and some of you in here today some of you
some of you in here today some of you
some of you in here today some of you watching online might feel a similar way
watching online might feel a similar way
watching online might feel a similar way he might have had similar experiences
he might have had similar experiences
he might have had similar experiences and since I left school I’ve done a lot
and since I left school I’ve done a lot
and since I left school I’ve done a lot of work in and outside of schools with
of work in and outside of schools with
of work in and outside of schools with young people and groups of young people
young people and groups of young people
young people and groups of young people and I found that sadly the problems that
and I found that sadly the problems that
and I found that sadly the problems that I faced when I was at school and the
I faced when I was at school and the
I faced when I was at school and the issues that were going on when I was at
issues that were going on when I was at
issues that were going on when I was at school and the stigma that was there
school and the stigma that was there
school and the stigma that was there when I was at school is still very much
when I was at school is still very much
when I was at school is still very much there now and it’s still very much a
there now and it’s still very much a
there now and it’s still very much a problem for young people today and it’s
problem for young people today and it’s
problem for young people today and it’s something that not enough people not
something that not enough people not
something that not enough people not enough adults are talking about and
enough adults are talking about and
enough adults are talking about and doing something about and so I wanted to
doing something about and so I wanted to
doing something about and so I wanted to come here today and and talk about it
come here today and and talk about it
come here today and and talk about it and perform this poem for you and share
and perform this poem for you and share
and perform this poem for you and share my experience with you so that’s what
my experience with you so that’s what
my experience with you so that’s what I’m going to do this poem is called
I’m going to do this poem is called
I’m going to do this poem is called Alliance pride
Alliance pride
Alliance pride and basically I went to this all-boys
and basically I went to this all-boys
and basically I went to this all-boys State School in Leicester for five years
State School in Leicester for five years
State School in Leicester for five years when I was growing up right it was a
when I was growing up right it was a
when I was growing up right it was a sports college as well it’s pretty
sports college as well it’s pretty
sports college as well it’s pretty brutal and I thrived I just didn’t do
brutal and I thrived I just didn’t do
brutal and I thrived I just didn’t do any sports so it’s great for me and yeah
any sports so it’s great for me and yeah
any sports so it’s great for me and yeah we the the logo on our Blazers was this
we the the logo on our Blazers was this
we the the logo on our Blazers was this Golden Lion and in our first ever
Golden Lion and in our first ever
Golden Lion and in our first ever assembly our head teacher told us that
assembly our head teacher told us that
assembly our head teacher told us that we would grow from spotty little curbs
we would grow from spotty little curbs
we would grow from spotty little curbs into full maned men ready to seize the
into full maned men ready to seize the
into full maned men ready to seize the world at sixteen ready to take a mate
world at sixteen ready to take a mate
world at sixteen ready to take a mate from the girls school next door as
from the girls school next door as
from the girls school next door as Nature had intended I know of only one
Nature had intended I know of only one
Nature had intended I know of only one who admitted to not wanting that and he
who admitted to not wanting that and he
who admitted to not wanting that and he was reduced to carcass the smell of his
was reduced to carcass the smell of his
was reduced to carcass the smell of his blood in the playground served as a
blood in the playground served as a
blood in the playground served as a warning this was not that kind of pride
warning this was not that kind of pride
warning this was not that kind of pride so we all met up with the girls
so we all met up with the girls
so we all met up with the girls in the walk home wilderness we all
in the walk home wilderness we all
in the walk home wilderness we all learned the Nokia 3210 mating calls and
learned the Nokia 3210 mating calls and
learned the Nokia 3210 mating calls and I learned how to convince myself that
I learned how to convince myself that
I learned how to convince myself that this felt right
this felt right
this felt right but it’s kind of like telling yourself
but it’s kind of like telling yourself
but it’s kind of like telling yourself that you’re a lion when your ribs stripe
that you’re a lion when your ribs stripe
that you’re a lion when your ribs stripe your insides tiger when you have pink
your insides tiger when you have pink
your insides tiger when you have pink flamingos lining your lungs each breath
flamingos lining your lungs each breath
flamingos lining your lungs each breath in is a chest full of shame a hearty
in is a chest full of shame a hearty
in is a chest full of shame a hearty reminder of how disgusting you are each
reminder of how disgusting you are each
reminder of how disgusting you are each breath out a red flag that you are
breath out a red flag that you are
breath out a red flag that you are always wiping from your lips the smell
always wiping from your lips the smell
always wiping from your lips the smell of mealtime that you’re constantly
of mealtime that you’re constantly
of mealtime that you’re constantly washing from your skin and some nights
washing from your skin and some nights
washing from your skin and some nights the thought of what kind of animal you
the thought of what kind of animal you
the thought of what kind of animal you might be is too much to tame and then
might be is too much to tame and then
might be is too much to tame and then school the next morning and it’s
school the next morning and it’s
school the next morning and it’s happening again the teachers are
happening again the teachers are
happening again the teachers are defending the week from the teeth of
defending the week from the teeth of
defending the week from the teeth of their hunters saying why did you keep
their hunters saying why did you keep
their hunters saying why did you keep bothering him do you fancy him are you
bothering him do you fancy him are you
bothering him do you fancy him are you gay met by a classroom of hyena cackle
gay met by a classroom of hyena cackle
gay met by a classroom of hyena cackle we were never more than the butts of an
we were never more than the butts of an
we were never more than the butts of an accepted joke never acknowledged by
accepted joke never acknowledged by
accepted joke never acknowledged by chalkboards textbook not once in five
chalkboards textbook not once in five
chalkboards textbook not once in five years with a punchlines embroidered into
years with a punchlines embroidered into
years with a punchlines embroidered into my chest explain to me how we feed the
my chest explain to me how we feed the
my chest explain to me how we feed the beast
beast
beast how we breed intolerance and act
how we breed intolerance and act
how we breed intolerance and act surprised at its ferocity how we teach
surprised at its ferocity how we teach
surprised at its ferocity how we teach the word tolerance like diversity was
the word tolerance like diversity was
the word tolerance like diversity was something to be put up with like it with
something to be put up with like it with
something to be put up with like it with a limp dog in the pack the lame bitch
a limp dog in the pack the lame bitch
a limp dog in the pack the lame bitch how she is first to be turned on when
how she is first to be turned on when
how she is first to be turned on when the heat is up when my cousin told her
the heat is up when my cousin told her
the heat is up when my cousin told her teachers the jungle fight had become two
teachers the jungle fight had become two
teachers the jungle fight had become two hearts that she could no longer outrun
hearts that she could no longer outrun
hearts that she could no longer outrun the howls of Dyke that chased her down
the howls of Dyke that chased her down
the howls of Dyke that chased her down corridors they told her well you
corridors they told her well you
corridors they told her well you shouldn’t have cut your hair so short
shouldn’t have cut your hair so short
shouldn’t have cut your hair so short how we feed the beast
how we feed the beast
how we feed the beast Howie it gets better people into
Howie it gets better people into
Howie it gets better people into believing the promises that we refuse to
believing the promises that we refuse to
believing the promises that we refuse to keep how our silence hangs like a noose
keep how our silence hangs like a noose
keep how our silence hangs like a noose how it cries like a gun it bleeds like a
how it cries like a gun it bleeds like a
how it cries like a gun it bleeds like a dance floor this is why when they ask
dance floor this is why when they ask
dance floor this is why when they ask well why don’t we get straight bars
well why don’t we get straight bars
well why don’t we get straight bars straight parades why don’t we get a
straight parades why don’t we get a
straight parades why don’t we get a straight parade we say you do you have a
straight parade we say you do you have a
straight parade we say you do you have a straight pride we watch it snarled on
straight pride we watch it snarled on
straight pride we watch it snarled on these streets I have felt its fear and
these streets I have felt its fear and
these streets I have felt its fear and its teeth and we refuse to celebrate it
its teeth and we refuse to celebrate it
its teeth and we refuse to celebrate it anymore thank you
anymore thank you
anymore thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
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