Brain Dead, Another Child Dies at the Hands of School Violence

Lawrence King, an eighth grader at E.O. Green Junior High School, located in Oxnard, California was shot Tuesday morning in class allegedly because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.  The "bullies" will be charged with murder and a hate crime.

Gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, and questioning youth are subject to un-excusable violence in school settings.  Spending upwards of 30 hours per week in school settings, GLBTQ Youth are often surrounded by an administration and faculty who lack the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively create an atmosphere of tolerance, and state education departments who work aggressively to protect school districts who are hiding, or simply ignoring, the violence occurring against GLBTQ youth in school settings.

It is unfortunate that Lawrence King's life ended so tragically.  If one removes sexual orientation and the question of morality from the "equation", Lawrence was a human being, a child, entitled to every civil and human right as his heterosexual peers, which includes the right to a life of living authentically without fear of persecution or retribution. 

Update: 18 February 2008

Lawrence was taken off of life support after his organs were donated.