This is from a fabulously angry post over at the FruitFly blog. The whole thing is just well written and well researched.
…because most feminine boys need to be bullied and kicked around once in a while, don’t they? I’m sure Superintendent Dannenberg can drive home proudly knowing that there will be one less queer kid who won’t be showing up at his school no more. And I’m sure he’ll have plans to “talk” to other students about bullying. There’ll be some student wide meetings about bullying. *yawn* Boring stuff that’s all put on to make sure everybody knows the school “cares”. But since the “problem child” is dead, the superintendent’s concern will last about seventy-two hours…maybe a few minutes more.
In a month, Dannenberg won’t even remember the kid’s name.
What does it take for a couple of professionally trained educators to see a 15 year old boy wearing make-up and girls clothes to keep an eye on the kid? Make sure he’s safe? An occasional “watchful eye” on the boy as he’s walking down the halls or out on the grounds? You can’t tell me every faculty member in that school knows which kids are living in Casa Pacifica and that those are the kids who don’t have a family to go home to. And here comes this strange little boy with fingernail polish and wearing a pair of girls high-heeled boots and their answer is to “send him to counseling”?!?!
Somewhat sappy, but nicely done over at Garyblog.
In times when a mind reels with sadness what can a person do?
well . . .I sent flowers to the church for the service tomorrow.
If I could travel on a whim I would sit on the sidewalk . . .and most likely cry my eyes out. . . but no ..I send flowers with a note from myself and my partner.
Why? Because my heart is broken. . . again.
broken for a kid who wasn't given the opporunity. . . again.
broken for a kid that will never have. . . again.
broken for a kid that didn't know. . . again.
broken for a kid who loved butterflies and bugs.
Hits into my core.
From the Kate Evans blog.
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.
From the Unusual Music ("Everyman is guilty of the good he did not do...Voltaire") blog. This one, which I just discovered is a really good blog.
Tell me, how many more people will we kill with our fear and hate? How many more lives will we stunt and destroy? How much more blood will we bathe in while we turn up our noses, selfrighteously? When will we stop? Will we ever stop?
From the GenderShift blog.
If the events of the past week act as a catalyst for change there perhaps their young lives will not have been in vain, unfortunately noticing that the anti discrimination legislation due to have been enacted on December 21st has still not been represented to parliament two months later I will not hold my breath. Regrettably I suspect that a few more innocent lives will be lost before the government has the balls to tackle these problems.
There's also a great take on the British media's spin on Cameron's death here at the F-Word blog, though, for some reason, I can't copy. And there's no "one thing" I wanna post.
Overall, I've noticed two things:
1) There are far too few things being said about Lawrence King out there. The big ones are talking, and few minor blogs, but, for the most part, the blogosphere is more quiet than you'd expect.
2) Where the issue of Lawrence King is quiet -- the issue of Cameron Williams is almost silent. Perhaps because it was a suicide (his decision) versus a murder (someone else's decision), or because Americans blog more than the Brits, it just isn't out there much.
The media has been silent, but, at the same time, it happened at the exact same time as the NIU shooting, which was equally tragic. Let's just accept that this has been a hard week for kids, and let's remember everyone who died... and those who have to live, knowing others have died.
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