Lawrence King, a 15-year-old boy who self-identified as gay, was shot in the head on February 12 in class by a schoolmate. A week prior to his death, Lawrence had asked his fellow classmate, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, to be his Valentine. (Some of you may have heard about this crime on Ellen’s daytime talk show).
On February 12, 2008, Brandon, while in the middle of a normal class, on a normal school day, took out a gun and shot Lawrence in the head. Lawrence was pronounced brain dead later that day.
To make matters worse, Lawrence was already struggling through a difficult life. At the time of his death, he was living in a home for battered and abused children.
As a gay man, I probably hear about more on-going hate crimes against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community than the typical American, but this one is especially devastating to me.
Lawrence King was still learning about himself and still maturing as a man but, even at a young age, he knew that his sexuality should be a non-issue. Lawrence set the standard that the gay community should live by: be proud and be yourself. But, tragically, others around Lawrence weren’t able to find the same acceptance of his sexuality as he was.
When I discuss gay rights with heterosexuals, I’m always told how much better things are now for the gay community. Yes, there are states offering same-sex marriage and civil unions, but that’s more impressive than it sounds. One state currently offers full marriage rights to same-sex couples, while the others offer civil unions, which, as I’ve stated before, aren’t offering the same level of protection to gay couples as heterosexual couples enjoy.
But, the truth is, we still live in a world where a child can be so threatened by the idea someone might perceive as being homosexual, he’s willing to kill someone else. This Brandon kid was so troubled by Lawrence’s misguided advance, he took a gun out and shot him in the head. In class. With other children and faculty around.
The other frustrating part is the lack of media coverage. It’s as if people want to believe that this couldn’t happen, so they ignore the fact that they are still promoting a culture of hate or intolerance. In fact, a recent discussion within the 9rules community proved both infuriating and disappointing at the same time. (link) I was shocked and disgusted to learn so many people think that calling using the word gay to describe something ugly, unwanted or uncool is acceptable. And this is what we’re teaching our children; to associate the word gay, which represents millions on individuals, with negativity, or a lesser social status.
I am an optimist; I believe things are changing and, in the future, being gay won’t be any more of an issue than having red hair. But how many people have to die before we get there? How many 15-year-old children need to be buried before we take a step back as a society and realize that, while we may not fully agree with each other’s lifestyles, violence is never the answer?
So, today I am taking a stand. I am going to be more vocal about gay rights, and I’m going to make sure I’m doing everything I can to make life easier for my fellow LGBT community. We might not be able to change the world overnight, but hopefully we can make it better for the next generation of gay children. Maybe we won’t be reading about another Mathew Shepard, Lawrence King or
If you want to get involved:
- http://www.rememberinglawrence.org/
- http://www.myspace.com/rememberinglawrence
- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8088192263
- http://www.dayofsilence.org/
- 4 Steps to prevent violence
- MTV’s Coverage
But, most of all, be conscious of what you do and say; someone is always paying attention. Treat your fellow humanbeings with respect. Make a difference.