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Rafael Morelos took his life because of Bullying

Two weeks ago, 14-year-old Rafael Morelos hanged himself because he was bullied in school. Rafael was gay. Friends knew he was being bullied and did what they could to help, but it wasn't enough.

Rafael's mother had no idea this was happening, she thought he was going through normal teenage problems. Rafael's school, Cashmere Middle School, didn't know that it was this bad either. Rafael reported an incident a year ago and according to the principal at they handled those particular incident quickly.

But now, there is no ongoing investigation.

I really hope the school look closely at this incident. Rafael's gone and if people were truly paying attention, he would still be here.

Rest in Peace, Rafael.



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In Tennessee: A Gay teen took his life because of Bullying

Another teen took his life because of bullying. Phillip Parker killed himself because no one tried to stop students from picking on him. He was only 14-years old.

WBIR reports:

More than 100 people gathered in Gordonsville on Saturday night, grieving the loss of Phillip.
"He was fun, he was energetic, he was happy," said Gena Parker, Phillip's mother.

To his many friends, Phillip was known as the boy who told everyone they're beautiful.

"He kept telling me he had a rock on his chest," said Ruby Harris, Phillip's grandmother. "He just wanted to take the rock off where he could breathe."

Phillip's family said they reported their concerns over their son's bullying to Gordonsville High School on multiple occasions, but the bullying by a group of students just got worse.

"I believe my whole family up in heaven's taking good care of him," said friend Megan Redinger. 

This happened in Tennessee, the state that believes students should not say Gay. It is also the place that may allow students to bully others in the name of the Lord. The officials in Tennessee need to see how this foolish and hateful measure hurts the kids.

Hopefully, Phillip's death will make them think about the truly protecting the youth.

Jacob Rogers' Funeral is Covered

Within 2 hours, LGBT blogs raised over $5000 to pay for the gay suicide victim Jacob Rogers' funeral. That's truly amazing.

Jonah's Story - Please Watch

Jonah is a gay teen who was bullied. This is his story

Lance Lundsten took his life

We lost another one... Lance Lundsten may have taken his life due to anti-gay bullying. Dallas Voice has the story

Friends of gay teen Lance Lundsten of Miltona, Minn., are saying this week that they believe anti-gay bullying played a role in the 18-year-old’s suicide over the weekend, according to KSAX-TV‘s website.


Officials with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed that they responded to an emergency call at Lundsten’s residence about 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, and that Lance Lundsten was then transported to Douglas County Hospital, where he later died. Sheriff’s department officials also confirmed that they believe the young man’s death was a suicide.


Lundsten’s friends at Jefferson High School have created a Facebook memorial page for the teen, and several people posting on the page have said that he was bullied because of his sexual orientation, and that they believe the bullying played a role in his suicide.

 My heart goes out to the family and friends of Lance.

Tyler Clementi's Parents may Sue Rutgers University

After his roommate invaded his privacy, Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge. Now his parents are considering suing the university.

The parents, Joseph and Jane Clementi of Ridgewood, N.J., filed legal notices with the university on Friday, said Paul Mainardi, a lawyer for the family. By law, they must wait six months to file a lawsuit, but they had to give notice within 90 days after the death to preserve their right to sue. 

The filings were reported on Wednesday by The Home News Tribune of East Brunswick, N.J.
Mr. Mainardi said that the notices did not necessarily signal an intention to sue. “A decision as to whether to file suit against Rutgers University in the future has not been made,” he said. 

....Also

One of the legal notices filed last week, a notice of tort claim, contends that Rutgers “failed to put in place and/or implement, and enforce, policies and practices that would have prevented or deterred such acts.” Another notice claims the university broke its agreement with Mr. Clementi to protect him.
E. J. Miranda, a spokesman for Rutgers, said the university shared the family’s sense of loss and understood that they would question whether an institution or other people were to blame. “While the university understands the reaction,” he said, “the university is not responsible for Tyler Clementi’s suicide.” 

The 2 students involved in his suicide can face more charges.

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Neo-Nazi sentenced to life without parole after Killing a Gay Teen

A Teen Murdered another Teen because of Gay Panic

This is so horrible! Please watch the news story

A day after a missing Pearland teenager was found dead, a classmate has been accused of beating him to death. 

Authorities now say that Joshua Wilkerson, 18, was beaten with a large wooden rod and that his body was burned. Hermilio Moralez, 19, is charged with murder in Wilkerson's death. 

We are told by police that Moralez knew Wilkerson for about five years, that they were friends and that he often received rides home from school from Wilkerson. Now Moralez is in jail, accused of killing his own friend. "While this is not the end that we had hoped for, we had to know something. They have helped us to bring a little sense of closure for us," said Laura Wilkerson, Joshua's mother. 

As she thanked the community for helping locate her son's body, we are learning more about the suspect. He was arrested Tuesday, allegedly roaming near the crime scene. Authorities say after initially refusing to identify himself, he claimed he had struck Wilkerson with a piece of wood after the teen made advances towards him. According to court documents, Wilkerson gave Moralez a ride home from school Tuesday and Moralez stated that Wilkerson began to make sexual advances towards him. Moralez said they got out of the truck and began to fight when Wilkerson grabbed a large wooden rod and tried to hit him. 

Moralez said he took the piece of wood from Wilkerson and began to hit him with it. He said Wilkerson was not moving afterwards. 

My heart goes to the family. More to come from this sad, sad incident

WATCH Gay student Graeme Taylor defends his teacher for disciplining an anti-gay student

Weeks ago, Howell High School economics teacher Jay McDowell was reprimanded for addressing a student for making gay slurs in class (see here). Jay was suspended without pay for 14 days.

During a school board meeting, Graeme Taylor approached the stand and defended his teacher.

Thank you, Graeme for standing up for your rights and the rights of others

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A Great Story of a Gay Teen rising Above

Here is a great story of how this gay teen dealt with adversity and kept moving. Kadeem Swenson is living proof that It Gets Better.

Kadeem Swenson looks forward to graduating from D.C.’s Ballou STAY High School in June and is applying for admission to college. He gets good grades and his principal considers him a promising student with a good future.

But the strapping, six-foot-tall 18-year-old, who came out as gay at age 16, says he spent most of the past year hiding a part of his life that became far more difficult to deal with than his sexual orientation.
Forced by his parents to leave his home in Waldorf, Md., two years ago after he told them he’s gay, Swenson stayed with friends and relatives in D.C. and North Carolina for several months. He and his grandmother then prevailed upon his mother to enroll him in Ballou STAY, one of the D.C. public school system’s vocational and academic high schools that offer classes at night.

He stayed at the D.C. home of a student friend and her mother until the family moved to Chicago last year, leaving Swenson without a place to live. Believing a return to his mother and stepfather’s home in Waldorf wasn’t an option, Swenson said he set up residence in abandoned apartment buildings in the city’s Congress Heights section near Ballou.


With some financial support from his grandmother, he managed to get through his junior and part of his senior year at Ballou while hiding the fact that he lived a secret life as a homeless person. He stayed most of the time in a debris-strewn abandoned apartment building a few blocks from his school with no electricity or running water.

Please read more on Kadeem, it's a great story. Thanks to Son of Baldwin for the heads up

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Police are searching for the Body of Gay Teen, Andrew Compton

A young gay student, Andrew Compton, met someone online near the end of October and went missing for over 2 weeks.

His parents start searching through his email and found that he was meeting a 40 year old man named, Gregory O'Bryan.

The police found Gregory and questioned him about Andrew. At first, he claimed that he picked Andrew up on campus and to took him to his home. Then Gregory said that Andrew left his house and walked back to campus.

But that was a lie... Gregory later confessed that Andrew died while they were having sex. Greogory was arrested and pleaded "not guilty" see here


To make things worse, Gregory panicked and put his body in cardboard TV box and threw out in a landfill in Indiana. Here's more:

Gregory O'Bryan's bond is set at one million dollars.  He's scheduled to appear in court later this month.

On Tuesday night, the students held a vigil for Andrew at his college, Sullivan University.

My heart goes out to Andrew's family and friends. This story is truly hard to really think about. Andrew shouldn't have suffered like this.


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Brandon Bitner took his life

We have lost another one... Brandon Bitner was harassed and bullied at school. Then last week, he ran out in front of a truck and killed himself.

Here's more:

Freshman Brandon Bitner, 14, of Mount Pleasant Mills, ran in front of the truck at 3 a.m. near Liverpool, according to state police at Newport.

The boy’s family discovered him missing at 3:45 a.m., and contacted police.

The road was closed for about three hours after the crash.

There seems to be little doubt in the students’ minds why Bitner did what he did.

“It was because of bullying,” friend Takara Jo Folk wrote in a letter to The Daily Item.

“It was not about race, or gender, but they bullied him for his sexual preferences and the way he dressed. Which,” she said, “they wrongly accused him of.”

His death came just days after an anti-bullying assembly at the high school, which, according to district Superintendent Wesley Knapp, was not held in response to any specific problems at the school, but because it is an issue Principal Cynthia Hutchinson has always felt strongly about.

After the assembly, according to student Briana Boyer in another letter to The Daily Item, “No one took it seriously, and joked around about it.”

Former Midd-West student Erin Barnett sent a letter as well, blaming the school, saying that when students report bullying, “Nothing is done.”

No more! Schools start reach out to the students! Stop this, please!

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The 2 Rutgers Students have Withdrawn from School

The two Rutger students responsible for the suicide of Tyler Clementi's suicide, has withdrawn from school.

Steven Altman of New Brunswick, the attorney for Dharun Ravi, Clementi's roommate, said the withdrawals of Ravi of Plainsboro and his co-defendant Molly Wei of Princeton, both 18, mean neither face university disciplinary hearings.



"They were given the option of withdrawing and they can reapply,'' Altman said. "Realistically, they couldn't go back no matter what. He definitely plans to go somewhere else.''

Altman said both students withdrew earlier this month, but he did not have an exact date.

He was unable to comment on what Ravi has been doing since removing himself from school.
Withdrawal was raised as a possibility by university officials during phone conversations in early October, Altman said.

Their withdrawal sparked a group called, Queering the Air to protest:

The group also condemned comments made on several websites that mentioned the two students' Asian background and posted messages that urged the two to "return to their countries,'' according to Felton.

"We are against the crucifixion of two individuals for the sins of the larger society,'' said Robert O'Brien, an anthropology instructor and one of the leaders of Queering the Air.
According to Felton, the group, and other organizations on campus that represent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, have "re-claimed'' the word queer, once considered an offensive slur.
Among the chants led by O'Brien Wednesday night were, "Queer liberation. Human liberation. It's all one struggle.''

In a press release, the group condemned Garden State Equality, an advocacy group that demanded Ravi and Wei be charged with hate crimes and receive "the maximum possible sentence.''
Goldstein, the director of Garden State Equality, the largest advocacy organization in the state for gays and lesbians, called Queering the Air a "radical fringe group.''

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Pictures from Corey Jackson's Candlelight Vigil

Corey was one the kids we lost to suicide last week. Here are some pictures from the vigil held for him.

Gay Teen, Terrel Williams committed Suicide after being Bullied at school

17-year-old Terrel Williams took his life last week after being attacked by students at Clover Park High School in Lakewood, WA.

Here's more:

Terrel’s mother, Cheryl Williams, found her son in their Lakewood home — he had hanged himself in his bedroom closet. Terrel left a suicide note:


“I’m sorry to my immediate loved ones, but I feel suicide is the only way out. I felt coming out, and being happy with Daric, was the best thing I could’ve ever done. But I didn’t think it would lead to my death at an early age.


“Today, was the record worst day of my life, some kids at school stole some of my stuff that I got from people I really cared about, and that really pushed me over the top, next to being shoved into a wall, and my ribs being broken.”

Terrel’s boyfriend, Daric Rawr, told LGBTQ Nation that following the incident on Oct. 13, Terrel had to be picked up and brought home from school. Daric said he was unaware of the attack and was on his way to Terrel’s home to attend a family dinner when Terrel’s mother called to tell him she had found her son hanging in his closet.

In a statement posted on Terrel’s Twitter page on Wednesday, Cheryl Williams wrote:

My son meant the world, and high school bullies pushed him over the edge. I hope and pray, that no other child ever has to go through what he did. Bullying isn’t worth it. Why can’t people just be nice?

Terrel would have turned 18 this week.

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19 Year-Old Aiyisha Hassan took her Life

 This is from her vigil


Aiyisha Hassan took her life a few days ago. She was a student of Howard University and a lesbian.
Here's more information:

Amari Ice, 22, president of C.A.S.C.A.D.E., the Coalition of Activist Students Celebrating the Acceptance of Diversity and Equality, Howard University's LGBT student group, said Hassan was a lesbian who attended C.A.S.C.A.D.E. meetings regularly.


'It's devastating to say the least,'' Ice told Metro Weekly on Saturday, Oct. 9. ''It's been a lot to deal with especially with all the other youth suicides that have been happening. It's just fuel to the fire. It brought the national issue very very close to home.''


Details regarding Hassan's suicide have yet to be determined.
Lauren Morris, 21, a senior at Howard, who lived in the same building as Hassan from 2008-2009, said she introduced Hassan to C.A.S.C.A.D.E. Morris added that friends have reported Hassan's suicide was related to her struggles with her sexuality.

''She was having a lot of trouble with a lot of different things,'' Morris says, ''but mainly her sexual identity and just trying to express that.''

Sterling Washington, co-founder of C.A.S.C.A.D.E. and former president, came upon news of Hassan's suicide after attending a C.A.S.C.A.D.E. event at the university this week.
''I absolutely think that this is connected in a way to the failure of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to be repealed,'' Sterling, who is gay and an a 2004 Howard alumni said, speaking to Metro Weekly on Friday.

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Gay Teen Zach Harrington took own life after an Anti-Gay discussion

Another one loss...

A week after attending a Norman City Council meeting where a heated debate played out in public, 19-year-old Zach Harrington took his own life at his family’s home in Norman.

At the Sept. 28 meeting Harrington attended at City Hall, the council acknowledged receipt of a proclamation recognizing October as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender History Month in the city. Council voted 7 to 1 in favor of it, with only Councilman Dan Quinn casting a nay vote.

Support for and opposition to the proclamation were fairly even and the public comment portion of the agenda item lasted for three hours — the entire time allotted.

The entire process was an exercise in representative government, with both sides — and those in between — given their chance to speak their minds.

One man said he moved to Norman because he thought it was the kind of place that would never accept the GLBT community with open arms. A woman, who described herself as “bi-racial,” said she was tired of the GLBT plight being compared to Civil Rights.

Some of those who opposed the proclamation claimed that members of the GLBT community would use it to infiltrate the public school system, essentially allowing the “gay lifestyle” to become a part of the curriculum.

Others claimed that council recognizing October as GLBT History Month was a waste of their time. Some members of the audience even suggested that any council members voting in favor of the proclamation may have trouble getting reelected.

This has to end, this has to end.
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UPDATE on Raymond Chase: JWU's Response

I wanted to update y'all on the latest loss to suicide, Raymond Chase. Over the the weekend, Johnson & Wales responded to the students about the incident:

Yesterday, the Vice President of Johnson & Wales, Ronald Martel emailed all students the following message, “Today I contact you with the deeply sad news of the passing of Raymond Chase, sophomore, 19, culinary arts major. The campus community is mourning the loss of this vibrant young man who leaves many JWU friends and teachers, and a loving family of Monticello, New York. Funeral arrangements are not available at this time. As we obtain more information that can be shared, we will do so. Ray’s JWU friends and the university are planning a memorial service for the campus community. Those details will be forthcoming”.

I will update everyone as soon as I get it.

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UPDATED A Rutgers Gay Student is Missing, presumed Dead from Suicide

This is going around work and the blogs today.

Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student, is missing and may have killed himself over stupid idea. His roommate secretly recorded him having sex with a guy and broadcast the video live.

Here's more:

Tyler Clementi, 18, of Ridgewood, is presumed dead after his car, cell phone and computer were found near the George Washington Bridge last week, law enforcement sources said. His wallet was found on the walkway adjacent to the New York-bound lanes. No body has been found.


Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro, and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for setting up a camera in a dorm room on Sept. 19 and using it to view and transmit a live sex scene, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

I hope Tyler is alive, maybe he ran away. I really hope that's the case.

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UPDATE: They found Tyler's body. Read here