being more accepting of differences, it seems that Lawrence never had a chance. Does any kid deserve to die for how he dresses or because he might be gay?

Some kid thought so and had access to a gun to up the ante on the more conventional bullying that queer kids face in school. This is so sad. Some studies estimate that students THOUGHT to be gay are five times as likely to be harmed with a weapon. This is unacceptable.

This story will likely bring all sorts of sensationalistic reporting with some even reasonable sounding people, naively or even shamefully, asking why Lawrence could not conform by dressing like all the other boys.

Communities need to come together in addressing this matter even if it takes looking beyond fundamental ideological differences. I can't imagine that even the biggest homophobes would want to risk losing their children to the criminal system for acting out on their intolerance/hatred.

Lawrence King

Mikey and Guillermo -I couldn't agree with the both of you more. What a horrible and sad story. I wonder where the 14-old got the gun in the first place? That source needs to be held guilty to some degree as well.  

I think we all feel sad about this story. It's a crying shame.

I hate how the media picked up on something one of his class mates said to the effect of: he wore make-up, women's clothes and high-heeled shoes? Like that explains it. Peopls nod their heads. It Lawrence's fault. But what does that really mean? What if he penciled in his eyebrows, so does Ryan Seacrest. What if he wears a silk shirt, so does Jay Leno. What if he wears high heels, so does George Bush.

And nobody seems to be asking where the bully got a gun. Yeah, I feel sorry for his family too, but not so much.

Thank you for reminding us of his courage. Like you said, don't be afraid to kiss your lover today. And when the two of you are out and you see that boy at the mall wearing a little too much cherry colored Chap Stick, smile and tell him how nice his hair looks.

kind of homophobia is going to stop is when no one, famous or not, is still in the closet. 12 years ago when my son was in high school, there was another boy that occasionnally wore skirts to school. He usually always wore nail polish and makeup. He was heavily involved in drama so that seemed to smooth the way a bit. He experienced a fair bit of bashing and usually always hung with a tough goth chick friend of his, although the two of them were amoung the kindest and gentlest of the school. One weekend the drama class had to go to another town for a convention. There was an incident where this boy was cornered and threatened by a group of phobes from the other school. My son and the rest of the drama class all got between him and the other boys and told them to back off or someone was going to get hurt. This was a class of students that were usually ambivalant or at times even harsh teasing toward the boy, but when the time came to protect their own, they came through with flying colors. My son thought that the incident changed a lot of the attitudes of the kids from his school and that the act of fighting for one student's right to look different brought them to a new level of evolved thinking.

I guess my point is that when seeing "someone different" is no longer an anomaly, just par for the course, it won't be such a big deal anymore. My home town is full of "alternative" types of peoples and even the old establishment is so used to it because gays holding hands or serious dred locks/tattoos/piercings or utterly authentic punk dress is so common place the locals barely notice anymore.

 

I say we take the warning labels off everything and let nature take it's course.

it just disturbs me how young people are getting such easy access to guns.

such a sad incident. :-/

Let's stick to the point.  Matt Shephard was just as dead from being beated as Larry King is from being shot to death.

(Yes, I know Matt was pistol whipped.) 

 http://www.pinkpistols.org/

but the fact that a 15-year old kid who was thought to be gay was murdered by a 14 year-old using a gun, in my mind gives guns a material role in the story.

I am curious as to why you chose to use this thread/incident to post the link to The Pink Pistols, a gay gun rights organization in the United States and Canada, whose mottos are "Armed gays don't get bashed" and "Pick on someone your own caliber."

Is this a "If you can't be them join them" scenario? Do you think that underage Lawrence's death could have been prevented if he carried a gun to school? Do you think that The Pink Pistols could be helpful to kids who are being bullied?

Or am I barking up the wrong tree? Since Pink Pistol members are encouraged to "generate publicity," did you simply post the link to bring them to our attention as an aside?

Yes, while armed self-defense may be an option for an adult gay in public, it most certainly was not an option for a teenager in school.  So I think that the idea is a rather pointless one.

One can hope that prosecutors will be successful in charging the kid as an adult, because this kind of pre-meditated murder is just to extreme to warrant a few years in juvenile hall.  To allow it would send a message that murdering people is just a way of getting out of school.

It's all kind of ironic though.  Back in the early-80's even a lot of straight boys went around in effeminate clothing, especially when English pop stars and American hair metal bands were "in".  When this country was founded well-to-do gentlemen (our Founding Fathers among them) commonly wore powdered wigs and lace.  Gender roles are so fashion trend driven.  And even if Lawrence was provocative in his appearance it does not justify his murder.