A message from Executive Director Kevin Jennings

Friends,

As you may know, I returned to GLSEN following a five month sabbatical last week.

The below was not the kind of welcome back news I was hoping for.

Lawrence King was a self-identified gay student who attended Green Junior High in Oxnard, California. His feminine gender expression "was freaking the guys out" according to one of his classmates.

Apparently, for this, he had to die.

On Tuesday morning Lawrence was shot at point blank range in his eighth grade English class by a boy who had apparently been one of his anti-LGBT tormentors. Now he's going to die once they turn the machines off, which they may have already done by the time you get this message.

Ten years ago a gay college student, Matthew Shepard, was tied to a fence and beaten to death. Today, it's a gay junior high student being shot in the head. When will we, as a society, say enough is enough?

Kevin Jennings
Executive Director,GLSEN
90 Broad St., 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10004

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard14feb14,0,7204301.story

Oxnard student declared brain dead

Lawrence King, 15, was shot and wounded at a junior high school Tuesday. A classmate faces murder charge.

By Catherine Saillant and Gregory W. Griggs

Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

February 13, 2008

An Oxnard junior high student who was shot in the head by a classmate earlier this week was declared brain dead Wednesday, and the 14-year-old male suspect now faces a first-degree murder charge, authorities said.

Lawrence King, 15, was declared brain dead by two neurosurgeons about 2 p.m. at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, said Craig Stevens, senior deputy Ventura County medical examiner. King's body remains on a ventilator for possible organ donation, he said.

Authorities initially believed that King was improving following the shooting early Tuesday inside a classroom at E.O. Green Junior High School. But the boy's condition worsened early Wednesday, and he was placed on a ventilator a few hours later with his family nearby, said an official who asked not to be named.

David Keith, an Oxnard police spokesman, said the family would have no comment and asked the media to respect its privacy.

Police said the suspect, whose identity was not disclosed because of his age, shot King at least twice at the beginning of the school day and then fled the campus. The boy was apprehended by police a few blocks away and is being held in Juvenile Hall.

He is scheduled to appear in court today.

Dist. Atty. Gregory Totten said prosecutors would decide whether the case should remain in juvenile court after reviewing the police investigation. Under state law, prosecutors can ask the court to try the suspect as an adult, he said.

"In all probability he will be charged in adult court," Totten said.

Police have not determined a motive in the slaying but said it appeared to stem from a personal dispute between King and the suspect. Keith and Totten declined to elaborate. But several students at the south Oxnard campus said King and his alleged assailant had a falling out stemming from King's sexual orientation.

The teenager sometimes wore feminine clothing and makeup, and proclaimed he was gay, students said. Some of the male students were bothered by his appearance, calling it a distraction, several students said.

"He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails -- the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out."

Student Juan Sandoval, 14, said he shared a fourth-period algebra class with the suspect, whom he described as a calm, smart student who played on the basketball team.

"I didn't think he was that kind of kid," Sandoval said. "I guess you never know. He made a big mistake."

"Their lives are both destroyed now," said student Hansley Rivera, 12, after learning of King's death.

Several students said that a day before the shooting, King and several boys had some kind of altercation during the lunch period. Police and prosecutors said they had heard the same stories but have not come to a conclusion as to motive.

If the suspect targeted King because of his sexual orientation, it could rise to the level of a hate crime, authorities said.

"We've heard that and a lot of other things," Keith said. "But I can't say what the motive is until we finish our interviews."

Totten said he could not comment on the specifics of the case until he reviewed the police investigation. But a hate-crime enhancement is something that prosecutors would consider as they move forward, he said.

"It's something we will look at," he said. "But the case is going to be reviewed as a murder involving the use of a firearm, and that carries a potential sentence of 50 years to life."

Jerry Dannenberg, the school district superintendent, said E.O. Green staff were aware that King had butted heads with other students, including the suspect, and that they had offered both students help.

"They had been doing a lot of counseling and a lot of work with [King] to help him deal with some of his concerns and issues," Dannenberg said. "But I can't go into specifics about what was going on."

Bullying in schools has long been a problem. But recent studies show that a student who comes "out" as gay or lesbian is far more likely to suffer abuse than others, said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network based in New York.

A student thought to be gay was five times as likely to be threatened or injured by a weapon, according to a 2002 California Department of Education study. Jennings said subsequent studies have found similar results.

His group advocates more teacher training on how to handle bullying and harassment, specifically bullying of gay students.

"This Oxnard shooting is very upsetting but not surprising," Jennings said. "The real issue is not the kid coming out, but the kid sitting next to him. Schools must teach that we may not like one another, but we must respect one another."

Teachers and counselors at E.O. Green Junior High, meanwhile, sought to calm fears about escalating violence at the south Oxnard campus. About a quarter of the school's 1,000 students stayed home Wednesday due to fear of reprisals, Dannenberg said.

He said the school will have extra staff and police on campus for the next few days. Counselors will also be on hand as long as needed, Dannenberg said. The school district will hold a meeting for parents next week to discuss concerns.

This week's shooting was a first, not only for the school but for all of Ventura County, which has never before seen a classroom fatality. Dannenberg said school administrators can take steps to keep guns out of schools but that nothing would ever work perfectly.

"It's not just the schools," he said. "We have a societal problem. Last week, it was gunfire at a City Council back east. And this week, unfortunately, it was us."

I wonder what it feels like to get a paycheck, to show up to work, to feel like there is a purpose to my life. I am a year away from high school graduation and I have yet to find my purpose in life. I feel as if must be one of lost dreams, corrupted hope and no sense of direction. I only see a cliff that I am being pushed towards after graduation. Does anyone hope this for a child they think so highly of? I would not for my own children, but I sometimes feel like this is the secret of the people around me. I have been told that someone is leaving a job “soon” and that I could have it when he leaves, but how long is “soon” may I ask of you? Or were you just saying something to say something? I just keep my face emotionless as people I know rub it my face that they are getting paid, and I don’t express it until I get home; but I feel like shit that I never felt the feel of a paycheck in my own name.

What does it feel like to receive a paycheck? To be able to do things, to have the ability to go out and do what you want to do. I wonder what it feels like to hold a paycheck in my hands to feel in my fingers, to feel the grain of the paper. The letters and numbers on the piece of paper, what does it feel like? What does it feel like to endorse the check? To feel the flow of the ink onto the box where you endorse the check?

I cannot understand the difference between someone being truly sympathetic and willing to help, and someone just giving advice with mal intent just to get my hopes up anymore. I sometimes feel angry and want to scream at the ones who give me misconceived chances of hope, but these are some of the same people I feel do a lot of positive things in my life. I don’t understand it at all why I have been told things just to get my hopes up when it just creates more sorrow in my soul.

I feel no purpose to my life without a job, I feel as if there is nothing to look forward to, nothing there for my future. I feel as if society does not want me to be a productive citizen. I sometimes wonder if it is because I am gay, is it because I am different. Am I too offending for your workplace? Do you not want someone that looks like me to work for you? I sit here day by day, seeing the economy sink, sink even deeper. I see predictions of unemployment rising and I lose my hope every time.

What is wrong with me that stopping me from getting a job? I have searched and wondered and asked myself questions, but they come back without the answer I need. What is it? Is it the fact that I am gay? Is it because I am the way I look? I beg of you what is wrong with me?

All I ask for is a chance, a chance to be employed, a chance to feel worth something. I just wonder what it feels like to have a job.

I submit application, after application. I call; I ask questions, I talk to mangers. But what is it that’s wrong with me from not getting a job? I wonder the mall trying to collect applications just to hear “no, sorry” many times in a row.

Hey,

I wrote a journal entry, but I haven't finished it yet and have been busy with school and everything. But I wanted to give a slight update I will be away this weekend Friday Jan-25th to Sunday Jan-27th. I will be going skiing and having a good time with some peoples. Well I'll post that journal of mine on Sunday, despite me wanting to look for a job I have decided that I should leave the computer home this weekend.

In an recent exchange of emails with a slightly older college senior friend of mine, I had discussed my never ending quest for employment and how I am constantly ignored and turned away. I applied for seasonal all over the place and just no one ever called back. I don't understand when my peers are having no trouble obtaining employment and I'm the one here struggling. I don't know what to think anymore, I feel as if there is something wrong with me. Is there something wrong with me? I have been searching for a job for nearly a year and for a teenage part-time job many people are saying it is way too long. I just don't know what to do anymore, I feel as if I am a failure, I have caused things to fail in my life because of this. I have lost people in my life because I never had any money to spend time with them. I just feel like a total failure because I can't get a job. I have become depressed about it, I have started digging into my scalp with my finger nails again. I am just a pathetic jobless piece of shit.

sent as a messege to me on facebook from ricky a few people here have been sent this already... This wasnt me who came out, It was someone I really like, a member here, Ricky.

"I had a feeling"

that today I would come out to Mom. A few weeks ago, I picked out a day to come out to her and wrote it down: August 25th. So it's fate, I guess.

This is how it's gonna happen: I printed out an article someone sent me about how God doesn't hate gays and loves everyone equally. I put it on my desk. She's gonna walk me to the train station, once we get there I'm going to ask her to read it, but not tell her what it is, and I'll ask her to call me once she's finished reading it. When she calls, I'm just going to tell her about how I'm gay, how I've known for years now, how it's just natural, etc.

I'm gonna get my haircut and I'm going to be working on a project in the Library. So chances are, if she does as I asked her, she'll call me then.

I'm also packing some essential things that I might need in case she gives me the boot. I'm actually going to call my best friend Nick now and explain, he knows how homophobic Mom is, and I'll ask him should anything go wrong if he could let me spend the night at his place.

Whatever you do after you get this message, don't worry about me. I'm going to be fine.

Well everyone I called Ricky today :) this seems like it might go somewhere. That somewhere is to the magical land of gay teen romance. In any news it was raining here for a while today... and I'm also listening to bad music on some sh outcast internet radio station thing. but I changed the channel and its better a bit now.

so yea this proves to be interesting and everything, I start school soon like 17 more days of vacation I go to school on the 7th til 12:45 and my first full day Monday the 10th

I sometimes wonder if people do things to be nice and get my hopes up. I sometimes wonder if they really do care about things. or if I'm just taking too much and that they just feel bad? I've been waiting like a little puppy dog for its owner to come home for this damm phone of mine to ring about this job it's been almost 2 months... The guy keeps getting my hopes up (He's a friend of the family have mentioned him in other posts) but I really wonder if he is actually offering me the job or just trying to make me feel good...

I just feel stupid because of that...

Well tomorrow Jeff (the creator of this site will be turning 39... So I just thought if you would like to say something to him leave it here...

Thanks for donating the books... Even though you still haven't technically donated them yet...

Just wanted to publicly thank you here on Oasis.

Thanks all for now

-John

Not much is going on my gay little world lately... Just ushual things in my home nothing new except I'm eating a box of cheeze it's I remeber when I put them in a VCR when I was a little kid... I know how bad of me

I just got done looking through all 46 pages of a schools group thingy on myspace because theres this kid I know from that attic that I'm a lil interested in... He kinda grabbed my attention from acrost the room and no luck... :(

but thats all for now... Catch yall later lol...

Beyond the Border Is what I want to see

All I want is to go beyond the border at least once, to see beyond the border, to see something far away. I'm tried of having less then everyone else and being left behind and just everything else. Being left out from most things, and not just a weekend a way I want to go for a week or two weeks... I'm just sick of being a loner, pretending to fit in and pretending to have friends who care. I'm tired of the If we had that and the If we had a car stuff. I just want someone special in my life. Maybe not even beyond the border just somewhere nice, just some place.

All I want is Freedom and Power but the only thing that brings that is Money which I don't have very much of...

I have friends, I got invited to a party but I can't get her damm myspace url to work so therefor I'm considering myself technically uninivited

I think I'm just gonna go eat my pain away... I've edited this like 50 million times now... I'll just go be a poor lonely emo depressed gay boy...

Just go ahead throw me in the dirt, let me down, just do everthing without me... Not that anyone will notice

My mom says everything that I'm doing is going to turn off people at my school. Make them think negatively of me, I don't know what else

I just don't care any more just shoot me. Fuck it all, I don't want to fight any more.

Since she says Peter just wants to use me, I will just return to dwelling about Chris.

I wish things would change for something else...

Raise Your Hand if you are an Oasis whore?

I raised my hand there see :)

Why aren't the most obvious people out when ever I walk through the gayborhood? Does my grandmom scare em all away?

I did get to walk past the gay book store "Giovannis Room" and see a little sticker in the window of a map of the us with rainbow all over it :)

\end rant

I'm getting away from this god forsaken city of mine. It is really becoming a mad house of blood and bullets and tears. I don't know how the media is able to bring it to words, It has become so far that I have caught the media lying on T.V. about the number of murders here. I don't live in the ghetto but it's all over and soon no area of the city will be sane and blood free. I have seen some of the guns on the news that people have in this city, unregistered. I know I will be away from my gay little world here in Philadelphia and online but I will return.