Zachery Grey attempted Suicide, Now Brain-damaged and Paralyzed

Due to anti-gay bullying, Zachery tried to kill himself a year ago. Saved by his mother, Zachery survived, but now he's brain-damaged and paralyzed. Please watch the clip

Jay “Corey” Jones took his life

We lost another teen to suicide. Jay “Corey” Jones took his life because he was bullied in school.

Jones, a member of Century's gay-straight alliance, had an image on his Facebook page that said, "Gay & Proud." He was open about his sexuality and occasionally wore tight, colorful tank tops and short-shorts to school, Strader said.

"He just got really depressed about it because the guys weren't accepting him," Strader said.

Jones jumped from a pedestrian bridge near Century High School on Sunday, according to police.

In response to an inquiry from the Post-Bulletin, schools Superintendent Michael Muñoz issued a statement acknowledging there are issues related to bullying in the district. He did not directly address Jones' situation.

The district is in the planning stages of providing training and support for students, staff and families, Muñoz said, and will continue anti-bullying collaborations with Gov. Mark Dayton’s recently formed anti-bullying task force, Rochester police and others in the community.

This has to stop.

Friends of Dharun Ravi begs the court for Probation, instead of Jail Time

Dharun Ravi's friends are trying 'save' him by writing letters of support to prove he is not homophobic or a bad person. They hope to move him from jail time to probation.

HuffPo reports:

"He loved to joke around with people, though his humor could sometimes be classified as sarcastic," wrote Mohini Singali in a letter included in court filings by Ravi's attorneys on Friday asking a judge to sentence him to probation rather than prison. "Not many people were a fan of this, but that is who Dharun was. Never did he have any intentions to injure anyone."
..........
Sentencing is scheduled for May 21. The most serious charges each carry a maximum sentence of five to 10 years. As an Indian citizen raised in New Jersey, Ravi may be deported after serving his sentence. If probation is granted, deportation would be less likely, Ravi's lawyers wrote. 

Ravi spied on his roommate, Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, 18, with a webcam, watched with another student, then tweeted about it. Clementi leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge days later.

The letters, many from high school classmates, are part of the ongoing defense campaign to characterize Ravi's actions as a bad prank gone awry. In Friday's filing, defense lawyers portray Ravi as an ostracized young man who withered under the blazing glare of the news media. 

Wow, ostracized?

In Ohio: A Gay Teen is in a Coma after a Suicide Attempt

15-year-old Austin Rodriguez attempted suicide last week, by taking over 120 pills of his own medication. His family him and rushed him to the hospital.

He's still there in coma.

33WYTV News reports:

 His mother said the reason he tried to commit suicide is because he was bullied.

"Absolutely nothing was going through my head, and everything at the same time," said Bonnie Rodriguez.

That's how she described last Friday when her son, Austin, 15, told her he had taken more than 120 pills of his own medication and then collapsed on their kitchen floor.

"The night before this happened he said that we didn't know what was going on in his personal life, and we let him know that we were more than willing to listen to anything that he had to say," Rodriguez said.

She said Austin is openly homosexual, a good student and a great son with whom she has an honest relationship. But she didn't know how badly kids were bullying him.

"Until friends came out of the woodwork saying 'we knew Austin was going through this, we thought he was handling it a lot better, we didn't know what to do'," Rodriguez said.

Wellsville Schools Superintendent Richard Bereschik said the case involving Austin Rodriguez is currently undergoing a complete administrative review, and he can't discuss specific details. He said once the review is complete, school officials will follow the bullying policy in place.

Hang in there, Austin. Please, hang in there.

Glee's Karofsky saved lives... For Real

I don't watch Glee, but this scene did something to me. It was a reminder that many teens are struggling everyday to keep going.

This scene was quite powerful, check it out

Th good side of my post is how this particular episode of Glee saved lives.

EW reports

 The episode of the Fox hit led to a record number of traffic for the organization’s website and phone number. “What was great about the show is that they worked in conjunction with us so we knew in advance that there was going to in all likelihood be an increase in volume,” says cofounder Peggy Rajski. “What happened was the volume went up about 300 percent, but we were ready.”

Rajski says the Trevor Project toll-free number fielded triple the number of calls normally received, plus a huge online boost. “On average, our site probably attracts about an average of 1500 visits a day,” she admits. “Tuesday we got 10,000. There’s the power of network TV.”

Wow!

The Tyler Clementi Case kicks off

Today, the case of Tyler Clementi begins with a look into Dharun Ravi's character. First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure started off with the reasons why Ravi did this:

“These acts were purposeful, intentional and planned,” said First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure. “They were meant to expose Tyler (Clementi) and his sexual orientation and encourage others to participate in those invasions of privacy.”

But Ravi’s attorney, Steven Altman, said that wasn’t the case during opening statements to the jury. Ravi’s actions may have been stupid but they were not criminal and he isn’t anti-gay, Altman said.

 “You’re going to see he’s not prejudiced, he’s not a bigot and he never did anything that suggested he targeted his roommate for any reasons,” Altman said of Ravi. “He never spoke negatively about his roommate. He thought he was a nice guy.”

Really? Ravi tried to cover up his involvement of Tyler's suicide, by erasing emails, texts and tweets. Then, telling friends what to say to the cops. Ravi faces 15-count indictment with charges including invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and tampering with evidence.

The case is scheduled for at least 4 weeks.

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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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We Lost Eric James Borges to Suicide

A month after he made this video, Eric James took his life.

The real reason is unknown, but Eric James had a rough life. He was kicked out of his home and teased throughout his life. It's really sad it ended this way. I hope his family and friends stay strong.

Rest in peace, Eric James.

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.

Jacob Rogers took his Life due years of Bullying

In Tennessee, another teen took his life because of bullying


There is word that the family may not be able to pay for the funeral. If you would like to help. Please visit Towleroad to donate.

Students suspended for bullying Jamey Rodemeyer

The students involved with bullying Jamey Rodemeyer have been suspended from school.

NYT has more on the story:

The Williamsville Central School District suspended several teens last week following a criminal investigation into Rodemeyer's September suicide, the Buffalo News reported.

The suspensions came after Amherst town police failed to find enough evidence to charge the students who made the vicious taunts.

"[The police\] shared some information with us, and we followed up," Superintendent Scott Martzloff told the Buffalo News.

Martzloff wouldn't say how many were suspended, or provide any names. The teens were likely to be barred from school for up to five days, the News reported.

I'm sorry, but this is not enough. More should happen to these students. They need to be held accountable for this. Jamey is dead because their ignorance and stupidity. Receiving this slap on the wrist sends a message that nothing will happen and nothing will get better. I hope other students start speaking out on this issue and push for stronger protections in school. These suspensions are unacceptable.

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In Indiana: A Mother is Suing the School for her Son's Suicide

The mother of a bullied victim filed a lawsuit in federal court against Hamilton Southeastern Schools for not stopping attacks and harassment of her son, Jamarcus Bell. Jamarcus was bullied and harassed so much that he took his own life.  The mother, Natalie Moore, feels that the school could have prevented this.

Natalie Moore alleges teachers and administrators at both HSE Junior High and HSE High School ignored reports that her son, Jamarcus Bell, suffered racially-based bullying and harassment for "perceived homosexuality and emotional disability."

According to the lawsuit, filed Nov. 21 in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, the African-American student was the victim of "constant and ruthless harassment and bullying from other students" who allegedly threw pieces of metal at him during a welding class, stole his shoes, his clothing, had his book bag dumped and was physically assaulted in hallways and classrooms.

Bell, who had survived an earlier attempt to hang himself at school in a janitor's closet at the junior high, ultimately ended his own life on Oct. 20, 2010, at his mother's home during fall break.
The lawsuit hinges on what Moore 's lawyers -- Delk McNally, LLP of Muncie -- say was the inaction of school officials to respond to the bullying that was taking place in the months leading up to the suicide.

This lawsuit should force the school district into creating ways to prevent bullying. This could have turned out differently if the teachers were more concerned about the students' safety.

Jamey Rodemeyer's Bullies will not face Charges - WATCH the Press Conference

This was disappointing to hear. The tormentors of Jamey will not face any disciplinary action. Yesterday, Amherst Police Chief John Askey delivered the news:

Askey announced he was closing Jamey's case without arrests or charges because, in this case, what is wrong is not the same as what is criminally prosecutable.


Askey admitted to being disappointed at being unable to send a stronger message that bullying and harassment is intolerable.


"I would have liked to have arrested someone for this," he said of a case that has gained national attention, but "we can't make a case when the proof necessary to prosecute it isn't there."


Police investigated a total of seven bullying incidents involving Jamey, the chief said, two of which occurred at Heim Middle School and five at Williamsville North.


But no charges will be brought forward because all of the alleged perpetrators were juvenile classmates, either 14 or 15 years old, who could not be held criminally accountable for what would be considered violations -- not even misdemeanors -- had they been adults.

Please watch the presser

Gay Teen Suicides Are High in Michele Bachmann's District

Michele Bachmann has some explaining to do. In her school district, 9 students has taken their lives due to bullying. So far, Michele hasn't done anything to address this issue:

The situation in Anoka-Hennepin Schools is so bad that Minnesota public health officials have deemed the area a "suicide contagion" because of the unusually high number of suicides and attempted suicides, according to the school district's website.

Bachmann has since stayed quiet on the issue. She didn't respond to inquiries from Mother Jones or the New York Daily News.

She historically wasn't a supporter of anti-bullying legislation. In 2004, she took part in a rally that pushed for the ban of gay marriage, according to the New York Daily News. Slate reports that in 2006, she said passing a bill that prevents bullying wasn't worth the time.

"I think for all of us, our experience in public schools is there have always been bullies," Slate reports Bachmann telling the Minnesota state legislature. "Always have been, always will be. I just don't know how we're ever going to get to the point of zero tolerance... What does it mean? ... Will we be expecting boys to be girls?"

Critics are arguing that Bachmann's impassiveness for bullying issues, her opposition to gay rights alongside Anoka-Hennepin Schools' controversial policy on teaching or talking about sexual orientation, creates a threatening environment for at-risk youth in the district.

She better get on it soon, because it will hurt her in the presidential race.

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X-Men Comic: Generation Hope #9 will address Gay Teen Suicide

X-Men writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie, will be collaborating on a story about gay teen suicides in, Generation Hope #9 (A X-Men Comic).

Kieron talks about the story on iFanboy:

It was directly inspired by the conversation around the very public gay suicide stories. It doesn't get much more sensitive."
...

"When the stories [about gay teen suicide] started to break, the first place I heard about it was actually from Fraction. We'd just passed the baton, and he said "If I was still writing the X-Men...". I read the news and could only agree.

It's not the type of story that fits in any other major superhero book. It's simply not what those books are about. But the X-Men? X-Men is a book about mutants, used as a metaphor about prejudice. And of the X-Men books, Generation Hope is fundamentally about new mutants trying to survive dealing with the fact they're mutants. With the metaphor in place, you can not just do a story about it - I dare say you should tell a story about it. In a real way, it's the sort of story Generation Hope exists to tell. If we can't tell this story and tell it as well as we can, the book may as well not exist."

The issue will be out on July 20th

A Look at Gay Suicide Risk in the our Country

This is an interesting look at the trials of our troubled gay teens. Following Dr. Mark L. Hatzenbuehler's work, we can learn how the gay teens' environment contributed to the high risk for suicide attempts.

Here's more

More than 70 percent of the thousands of calls to the 24/7 Trevor Lifeline originate in the southern and central regions of the United States, where there are traditionally fewer legal protections, in- and out-of-school support services and accepting environments for LGBTQ young people. While there are wonderful programs in these areas that do excellent work, some youth in these areas receive less support and face tougher challenges in their communities and schools.


For example, 1.95 percent of the United States population resides in the state of Missouri, yet 3.37 percent of the 2010 volume to The Trevor Lifeline originated there -- illustrating a disproportionately high demand for LGBTQ crisis intervention and suicide prevention services in that state. 

Other states with disproportionately high call volume include: Nebraska, Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi to name a few. The youth in these states, along with countless others, are in need of help that just is not often accessible at the local level. 

Dr. Hatzenbuehler's research serves to highlight what we have seen for more than a decade: Non-accepting community, school and familial environments are associated with an elevated risk for suicide attempts among LGBTQ youth. Examining counties across Oregon, he finds that youth living in environments with less support for lesbian and gay people are 20 percent more likely to attempt suicide than those youth living in areas with support.

Nonetheless, the data here are drawn from a population-based sample, a relative rarity in LGBTQ youth research, which has largely depended on smaller convenience samples. This study highlights why asking sexual orientation questions on larger population-based surveys is so important; those data allow us to make larger generalizations and better target our programs to the young people most in need.

This info is a great start in applying next steps. Hopefully, something will be done in order to protect our youth.

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Facebook bullying may have led Kameron Jacobsen to Suicide

Sources: Teenager Kills Himself After Facebook Taunts: MyFoxNY.com

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.

Captain America fights Teen Suicide

In a new comic, Captain America confronts a new enemy, suicide.

The character armed with his trademark shield faces off against suicide in a new story that publisher Marvel Entertainment released Wednesday for free through its website and app.
The toll-free hotline for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is featured in the work, too.

John Draper, director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a network of crisis centers across the country, told The Associated Press that Marvel approached the organization about using its logo in the book "which we happily granted them."

The 11-page story "Captain America: A Little Help" is written by psychologist Tim Ursiny and illustrated by Nick Dragotta.

In it, a despondent youth is poised to jump off a building when he spies Captain America facing a bevy of villains on a nearby roof. The fracas keeps him from going over the edge, literally and figuratively.

There is no dialogue, save for the end, which ends with the boy saving both the hero and, in the process, himself.

"Super heroes fight a lot of battles, but there are few more important than combating suicide," said Tom Brevoort, Marvel Entertainment's senior vice president of publishing.

"That's why we're making 'Captain America: A Little Help' available for free via our digital comics outlets," he said in a statement. "If even one person calls this number instead of doing something very tragic, we know that means we succeeded."

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New Video: Marsha Ambrosius – Far Away

Marsha (some may remember her from Floetry) wrote this song in response to LGBT bullying and suicide. I'm glad to see her speak out about this issue.

Here's what she had to say:

"Dear friends, every year over 1 million people commit SUICIDE. Some were BULLIED because of their SEXUALITY. I lost a friend to SUICIDE, and I'm asking all of you to support alternative lifestyles," Marsha states. "Don't put up with or join in with BULLYING. It's time we become more aware in this WORLD. Take a responsibility to make a difference. So if my MUSIC can save one life, I've done my job."



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