Ellen Degeneres: We Are Not Second Class Citizens

The murder of Lawrence (Larry) King has now made it about as national as you can get. Thank you, Ellen. (and Joe.My.God.)

Has anyone seen Freeheld: The Laurel Hester Story? I haven't, but apparently it chronicles the fight of a terminally ill New Jersey woman to leave her pension benefits to her lesbian partner. It won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary last night (thanks Joe My God). Netflix doesn't carry it, so I just emailed them a request.

Why are people blowing a gasket over the release of this photo? It's a sad, sad day when trying on the traditional garb of a country doesn't point to your compassion, empathy and cultural expertise but instead at best is mocked as "silly" and at worst is said to imply you might be siding with "the terrorists."

Give me a break. It's an outrage when Muslims are lumped together as terrorists. And it makes me crazy that only a self-proclaimed old-style Christian could have a chance at winning the election. We'll have a woman President and Presidents of many colors (and maybe even a gay President)before we have a President who is Buddhist, Sikh, Pagan, Atheist, Rastafarian, or Agnostic. What's up with the Christian fetish? Why not more open minds, religiously speaking, in this democratic country of ours?

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At last: there's some solid national coverage (thanks Collin) of the horrible, homophobic murder of Lawrence King.

BLOGGER ALERT: Please Blitz-Post About the Homophobia-Inspired Murder of Lawrence King

When I posted about gay middle-school student Lawrence King's murder in my previous entry, it became abundantly clear that not enough people know about it.

The national media has been all but ignoring this story. Let's get Lawrence as much attention as Matthew Shepard. That kind of attention makes a huge difference in combatting homophobic violence.

The Washington Blade has a good piece about Time magazine's inane article claiming that King's murder is an abberation, that homophobia is not so much a problem in schools anymore, and that "we may never know the real motivations for King's murder." Time misinterprets many of GLSEN's conclusions about homophobia in schools; here's what GLSEN really says.

Never mind that faggot and gay are still the put-downs of choice. Never mind that even with the support of GSA's, it's very hard to be an out queer or gender-bending kid.

Lawrence King was harrassed non-stop at school. The "motivation" is insidious and ubiquitous. Hate and belittling of "difference" are toxins in our society.

In Memory of Lawrence King

Gender non-conformity is punished in our society in so many ways--subtley and overtly.

So is being queer, especially if you deign to flirt with another person. A boy flirting with a girl isn't supposed to be considered a threat--why is a boy flirting with a boy? If you're not into it, just say no thanks.

The recent murder--execution, really--of a 15-year-old middle school student from Oxnard, California, is hitting me hard.


His name was Lawrence (Larry) King. He was such a strong spirit that he continued to dress exactly how he wanted to when going to school. He wore makeup and was an out, gay kid in the face of constant harrassment.

Now that he's dead, some of his classmates are expressing regret.

It's crucial that teachers and other adults discuss these issues with kids. And that we don't ever pathologize gender non-conformity but celebrate the creative expression of others, in whatever form it takes.

I wish I could attend the vigil for Lawrence tonight in San Francisco. I can't, but I will light a candle for him at home.