Monday, June 11, 2012

Another One: Brandon Elizares


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?

5 comments:

  1. Bob,

    I 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.

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  2. I'm thinking maybe the school should have involved the police regarding the threats of violence.

    i 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.

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  3. wipes 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!

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  4. Anonymous12:49 PM

    I 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. :(

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