Down
in El Paso, Texas, Brandon Elizares, a sixteen-year-old Andres
High School student killed himself last Saturday after being bullied for over
two years.
He was openly gay.
"He
got bullied simply for being gay," his mother, Zachalyn Elizares said. "He's been threatened to be
stabbed. He's been threatened to be set on fire."
For
being gay.
But,
what makes this story different, is that Zachalyn Elizares
reported the bullying to the school district, and she says they did all they
could to stop it.
"They've
reprimanded several kids and they did everything that they could,"
Elizares said.
But,
Brandon friends say that last Friday, after more episodes of
bullying, someone insulted her son and planned to fight him the next week.
On
Saturday, after running errands, Zachalyn Elizares came home to
find her son's body: "My son had every right to live his life the way
that he wanted to, without having to fear that people would call him names or
threaten to beat him up," she said.
And
he did, as do all LGBTQ youth. But how can they, when we live in a world that
sees politicians consistently tell them they have no value, that they have no
rights that they are less then.
How
can any young LGBT person feel safe in this country when you have pastors and
preachers and so-called men of god saying we need to be locked up, or that the government
needs to kill us?
How
can we expect children to treat LGBTQ youth with compassion and tolerance and
acceptance when they are being taught every day by religious leaders and
political leaders to do otherwise?
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI wish I could talk to some of these kids before they make a permanent solution to a temporary problem which is what suicide is. Ever since I came out 49 years ago I have refused to be discounted as a human being just because I happened to be born gay. Over those years this unflinching attitude of mine has made many people angry, both gay and straight, but it is the only way I knew how to life my life. I can imagine that some LGBT kids probably feel there is no way out, but there is. I think a lot of their attitude has to do with their self-esteem. My "problem" was that I never felt like I was "less than" anyone else. Even today, I still am the object of derision and hatred by both straights and gays because I dare to live my life as an open gay man. They have the problem, not me and that makes them even angrier.
I'm thinking maybe the school should have involved the police regarding the threats of violence.
ReplyDeletei would also like to some famous young men (sports stars, music stars, actors, soldiers and the like)forcefully talk about what a cowardly and unmanly thing it is to bully and beat up on others who are different.
no more
ReplyDeletewipes tears, if only he could see that there is life, and a good one at that, after hateful high school. his mom should have pulled him out of school and home schooled him if he was getting bullyed to that degree. he might not have gotten the best education, but he would still be alive!
ReplyDeleteI love how they always blame "men of God".... FYI, I'm Christian and as a Christian I have been called to love my neighbor as I would love myself....even our enemies. Now, if we're loving our enemies and blessing their lives why would you think the LGBT community is an exemption?? Please don't generalize... You're doing something you wouldn't like to be done to you. It breaks my heart everytime I hear about a teen taking their own life because of something that could be prevented. My prayers go out to the family. :(
ReplyDelete