Young, Gay and Murdered

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  • Posted By: robocop123 @ 10/11/2008 8:16:18 AM

    It is no more inappopriate for Epstein as a gay person to talk or mentor a troubled gay youth in her care at school, than it is for the football coach-teacher to talk or mentor a player on the team throughout the school day. The difference is rooted in prejudice, i.e. football is good and gay is bad in your view. Ah, then there are the predatory fears, that supporting gay youth is encouraging more little gay recruits. FYI, the shrinking closest does not mean that more of your sons and daughters are becming gay. Rather it means that your sons and daughters who are gay can live with greater self-esteem and acceptance in society. Do you really want what is best for your children? The answer is no if the convenience of your prejudice more important.

  • Posted By: LOVE-FREEDOM @ 10/11/2008 7:28:43 AM

    Children at that age had to have allready learned the value and importance of Tolerance. Specialy in affective and sexual matters. It have to be part af any sexual and affective education and of education as a hole. The school can do so much to fomment tolerant characters. Peace and Lovefreedom.

  • Posted By: LOVE-FREEDOM @ 10/11/2008 7:24:19 AM

    Kids at that age had to have allready learned the the value and importance of Tolerance. Specialy in love and sexual matters. It have to be part of any sexual and affective education, and in education as a hole. The school can do so much. Peace and Lovefreedom.

  • Posted By: cheerleader23 @ 10/10/2008 5:24:53 PM

    I am a 14 year old who also came out in 8th grade and this makes me sick. I hate stupid ass ignorant people who don';t know how to get use to people who are different. I go through crap every single day but I try not to let it get to me. I'll definately be looking out for myself now.

  • Posted By: sue_H @ 10/10/2008 4:38:29 PM

    I'm not gay but, my brother is. I choose to not judge him because of his lifestyle. The Bible tells us to "judge not lest we be judged". We are made in the Lords image so what exactly does that mean. Beating or killing someone simply because they dont' agree with your point of view is biased and evil. Should be counted as a hate crime!!!

  • Posted By: sue_H @ 10/10/2008 4:35:30 PM

    Comment: I am not guy but, have quite a few friend who are. Judging a person by what they do in the privacy of their own home or who they do it with goes against the Bibles teachings."Judge not lest ye be judged"!!! We are all created in Gods image so what does that say abouit our heavenly father??? Killing just because you don't agree with their lifestyle is wrong on so many levels and I see no reason or way to justify it.

  • Posted By: csnellen @ 09/18/2008 8:27:18 AM

    I am both gay, and a Christian. I used to be ashamed that I was gay - I was in the closet for many, many years. These days I'm more ashamed of the "Christian" attitudes of many toward the GLBT community. No matter what your personal opinion, tolerance is something that ALL deserve. You don't have to agree with someone, but you can still respect their right to life and to be themselves. This is such a sad story - and I am afraid it is one that will be repeated too many times before we find a solution.

  • Posted By: csnellen @ 09/18/2008 8:26:59 AM

    I am both gay, and a Christian. I used to be ashamed that I was gay - I was in the closet for many, many years. These days I'm more ashamed of the "Christian" attitudes of many toward the GLBT community. No matter what your personal opinion, tolerance is something that ALL deserve. You don't have to agree with someone, but you can still respect their right to life and to be themselves. This is such a sad story - and I am afraid it is one that will be repeated too many times before we find a solution.

  • Posted By: csnellen @ 09/18/2008 8:25:47 AM

    I am both gay, and a Christian. I used to be ashamed that I was gay - I was in the closet for many, many years. These days I'm more ashamed of the "Christian" attitudes of many toward the GLBT community. No matter what your personal opinion, tolerance is something that ALL deserve. You don't have to agree with someone, but you can still respect their right to life and to be themselves. This is such a sad story - and I am afraid it is one that will be repeated too many times before we find a solution.

  • Posted By: pseudofunk @ 09/16/2008 7:05:18 PM

    to hoo7e52 - Your ridiculous views and damaging attitude is exactly what millions of people find very unsettling about Christians. Your bitterness shines through in almost every statement from the flippancy of 'sure, murder is wrong at any age' to 'Does the media show sympathy in their news towards Christians'. It will be clear to anyone reading your remarks, Christian and non-Christian (and I would point out that I was raised Roman Catholic), gay and straight that any lack of sympathy for Christians (which incidentally is all in your head) is well founded should your views be indicative of the millons of Christians around the world. The funny thing is, I was always taught, 'Love thy neighbour as thyself'. Better than that, I am gay and still a practicing Catholic and I will pray for you because someone has to.

  • Posted By: josh.barton49 @ 09/08/2008 1:13:02 AM

    wow. the extent of the stupidity displayed by the journalist who wrote this piece and the comment by friendly foe doesn't astonish me anymore.I've come to terms with the fact that heterosexual society is too dense, too archaic, and too f**king stupid to comprehend anything beyond the idea that love, desire, sexuality, and gender can exist outside anything but the missionary position. Its disgusting and sick to even think that Larry's death was a result of his own doing . Larry died because he lived in a heteronormative society that dictates that the queer person is subhuman, deviant, perverse, and unworthy of the right to life. His death is tragic but everyday queer people are victims of INSTITUTIONALIZED VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION. Just like jim crow queer people are set in society where the laws are set up to deny them of basic human respect or consideration. larry was flamboyant but so what? is the woman who is raped at fault because she "FLAUNTS" her sexuality when she wears a revealing dress that the heterosexual society expects her to wear because as a GOOD woman she must not only be submissive and vulnerable but desireable and seductive? were the black man or woman at fault when they were hung from dixie trees and lynched because HEY they are black and we can't let them begin to think of themselves as human beings with human rights let alone as AMERICAN CITIZENS with AMERICAN RIGHTS. Queer people are set ina space where the heterosexual paradigm and the heterosexual way of life is FORCED ON US. Our lives are not set in stone, we all make the choices that define our journeys, and Larry chose to be himself, he chose to be honest, and he chose to live life on his terms But that life was taken from him because another boy made the choice to take it. That boy was told that gay people weren't people, hurting them was okay, they deserve it, they ask for it, His life is tragic as well because he's going to prison for a long time, but what he did was still his doing Blaming larry only makes it easier for the next person and the next person and the NEXT person do kill us because we refuse to adopt their standards of life. I WONT STAND FOR IT.

  • Posted By: NetAmigo @ 08/26/2008 9:40:04 AM

    For those interested in a similar situation, link gives the case of a 12 year gay Texas boy who killed his 14 straight friend because his friend did not reciprocate his feelings of attraction back. These are both such tragic events.
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5966061.html

  • Posted By: clenchedcheeks @ 08/15/2008 8:38:42 PM

    Give Brandon a medal, and leave him alone. Someone was bound to eventually kill the little ***, and the sooner the better. Because our society now allows a small vocal minority to push around decent people, the self described *** was allowed to harrass anyone he desired. If he had been "straight" would this behavior been allowed. H#ll no! Why was it allowed in this instance? Because the perpetrator was queer. Not a gay, gay is happy, this child was not happy, he was just queer. Call it as it is, and part of the problem vanishes immediately. He knew he was queer, so did all the other kids. If only one adult had stepped in and said, "You shouldn't act so queer, someone might kill you," this would likely never have happened. Damn political correctness. Damn queers. Straight talk and discipline would have prevented this travesty.

    • Posted By: Suthrnraisd @ 08/19/2008 2:48:23 PM

      ARE YOU SERIOUS???????????. You are stating that "Larry shouldn't have acted so "queer" as you mildy put it, then he wuold be alive today? CRAP is what I call your statement. You would be telling a teen not to be himself. And yes, I do understand that the principals at the school (homosexual or not) should have acted on this and he shouldn't have been able to act the way he did. His caregiver should have also taken action to make sure Larry dressed appropriately. It's considered harrassment either by a straight person or a gay person. IT DOES NOT GIVE ANYONE THE RIGHT TO KILL ANOTHER HUMAN BEING... Do not give excuses for a a child that is out of control to kill another child. He shouldn't have been murdered regardless of what was being said or what his friends thought. That was Brandons entire outlook on the situation. He was too worried about what other people thought about him instead of either complaining about it and/or shrugging it off. " Brandon deserves a medal for standing up for his own reputation and getting rid of a problem that no one else was willing to address." WHAT PLANET ARE YOU LIVING ON JACKA$$ ?????? You are stating that it is okay for one person to kill another person be cause he's worried about his REPUTATION. What the F*&% kind of reputation will he have now you moran. "They are not normal" IN YOUR EYES and don't say you have nothing against homosexuals when you are stating that "they are not normal". YOU don't need to accept them as normal....IF YOU DON'T WANT IT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM, THAT IS YOUR CHOICE. "Brandon at least protected his own identy and self worth by taking action" HE SHOULD BE SHOT HIMSELF. You are a dispicable example of a human being by your words. GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: parsifal81 @ 07/23/2008 7:07:13 PM

    I just think that Newsweek's story is completely outrageous! This is a story about the murder of a young teenager in which the media finds occasion to dissect every mistake that the victim made while barely touching upon the cruel act that was done to him. When was the last time we had such an insensitive report about a tragedy?

    As for blame, it is mainly the school that is suspected in the murder. Where did the teachers and principles fail these boys? Was it neglect? The lack of communication? An unwillingness to address sexuality and violence? The lack of overall discipline? The lack of training in conflict resolution or tighter security measures? No! Not according to Newsweek. The school is guilty because it did not prevent Larry from wearing a certain type of clothing. Because once he did so, it was a natural outcome that he would be murdered. Everyone should have forseen that.

    I especially feel sorry for Joy Epstein. It is shocking enough that the support she gave to Larry would be seen as inappropriate, but it is utterly maddening that people would actually suggest that she played some sort of "role in his death". If she weren't a lesbian, she would never have been under such suspicion.

    The Newsweek editor is a hypocrite when he accuses Larry of using his "sexuality as a weapon". Isn't that what we ourselves are doing when we dehuminize people for having a different sexuality than ourselves. It's like blaming a woman for her own rape, just because she dressed a certain way, or blaming someone who acts out against injustice, for "causing a disturbance", rather than blaming the cause of the injustice itself.

    This is a cowardly article, as is often the case with mainstream coverage of hate crimes that they attempt to consider both sides of the argument, in order to provide a "more balanced" viewpoint, but there is no balance between love and hate.

    Newsweek might as well be FOX News!

    How can this article claim to discuss the issue of coming out in middle school without ever touching on homophobia at all?? In fact, every other reason for the murder was given EXCEPT homophobia!

    Sadly, Newsweek's cowardice will inspire a new generation of homophobes (it already has...just read through the comments page) and insure that Larry's tragedy continues to repeat itself.

    P.S. My point is not to judge Brandon. It's the media who I'm judging here.

    • Posted By: kjcmsw @ 08/19/2008 11:21:37 AM

      Joy E., is to blame. She had a homosexual agenda, and it was the agenda she cared about, not the child. This is exactly why people don't want homosexuals as teachers or in any direction contact with their children. This is not to excuse one boy killing another, but what could he have done? Gone to Joy and tell her he was being harrassed? I doubt if she would have told the homosexual to stop the harrassing. She backed the other kid into a corner. Homosexuals: do what you have to do, but keep it out of the schools and away from kids. You do NOT have the right to bring it to the schools. It's time for people to speak up and no more of this around kids. Read the studies (the ones NOT written by homosexuals or those biased by their homosexuality) homosexuality is a result of mental issues. The APA was forced into changing it in the DSM, BEFORE any study could be done to assist in the decision. Due to that, it is still, as aways, a mental illness. Homosexuals need to get help for their sake and for the future sake of our children.

  • Posted By: joshua_lewis1982 @ 08/17/2008 10:37:15 AM

    You guys need to quit pickin' on a deceased child, who are to blame, the school system like his parents said . The child was allowed to wear these clothings to school by the schools staff. And anyways who has the right to say anything or do anything to anybody that is gay anyways straights and gays should be allowed to do whatever they want in public. We were made the way we were and thats how life is. So if you have to shoot someone because they are different than you or pick on them then you don't really have any room on here take your comments elsewhere. If you wanna talk to me, anyone, my email is joshua_lewis1982@hotmail.com NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS!!! Oh and to the guy who said he brought it on himself, what if he was being himself. Would you want someone to come up and shoot your child for exposing his homosexuality or heterosexuality. Gays flaunt it, but so does a straight with his ego.

  • Posted By: joshua_lewis1982 @ 08/17/2008 10:28:26 AM

    You guys need to quit pickin' on a deceased child, who are to blame, the school system like his parents said . The child was allowed to wear these clothings to school by the schools staff. And anyways who has the right to say anything or do anything to anybody that is gay anyways straights and gays should be allowed to do whatever they want in public. We were made the way we were and thats how life is. So if you have to shoot someone because they are different than you or pick on them then you don't really have any room on here take your comments elsewhere. If you wanna talk to me, anyone, my email is joshua_lewis1982@hotmail.com NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE OTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: aniangel @ 08/16/2008 6:19:20 PM

    Did anyone read the story? The boy did not live with his paernts he lived in a halfway house.

  • Posted By: shlomoh @ 08/16/2008 6:16:13 PM

    His parents, the school, BULLSHIT!
    He who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his own blood be shed - Genesis
    Kill the murderer!

  • Posted By: shlomoh @ 08/16/2008 6:12:46 PM

    The school, his parents, BULLSHIT!
    Why are you making excuses for this MURDERER?
    "But he who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his own bl be shed" - Genesis
    Fry the murderer of this innocent young man!

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