Ellen DeGeneres Discusses The Recent Tragic Death Of Lawrence King

I promised myself to keep this blog as light-hearted as possible.  But I need to share and discuss this because it’s very important to me.  If you’re gay, this is very important to you too.

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It’s a sad thing.  Imagine this.  You just turned 15.  Before Valentine’s Day, you asked somebody if he could be your Valentine.  A month later — two days before Valentine’s Day — this same person comes in to school with a gun then shoots you on the head.

He kills you because you are gay.

That is what happened to 15 year old, Lawrence “Larry” King.

I only have general details about this tragic incident, but with what we do have is disturbing.  For one, the murderer is 14 years old and the victim is of the same age.  The motive: hatred against an openly gay child.

I only found out about this incident recently.  The murder took place on February 12, 2008 and I am flatly outraged at the lack of coverage about this issue.  Of all places, I learned about this on a YouTube video where Ellen discusses this incident.

Just when I was feeling comfortable with this blog, and just when I would feel comfortable posting on other bear blogs just like a starry-eyed typical 15 year old kid would do, something like this happens and a gritty realization seeps in.

We are all silent, invisible victims.  Unlike race, age, handicaps, our homosexuality is an easy target for hate because our distinguishing difference is not clearly visible.  Because of it, many ignorant people out there not only believe that we are an abomination who have chosen to live such a lifestyle, but a threat to their perfect civilized world.

Lawrence King was not a victim of a “Hate Crime.”  If we all need to be treated equally, this crime should not be treated any differently.  Larry’s murderer does not deserve a special type of punishment.  He killed someone and he needs to be persecuted just like any other murderer.

I never used to think that way.  I used to believe in “Hate Crimes” but to achieve true equality, everybody should be treated fairly and with dignity and respect.

Murdering ignorant scumbags included.

And as much as I respect and appreciate Ellen for all of her contributions to the GLBT Community, there is one thing that she said in the video that I disagreed with.

But I would like you to start paying attention to how often being gay is the punchline of a monologue.  Or how often gay jokes are in a movie.  And that kind of message, laughing at someone because they’re gay, is just the beginning.  It starts with laughing at someone, then it’s verbal abuse, then it’s physical abuse, and then it’s this kid Brandon killing a kid like Larry.

I agree to a point, but you cannot blame nor censor the idea of jokes centering around gay people.  Not everyone is like Brandon.  There are other hateful and spiteful people out there who passionately hate homosexuals but would not even go to the extent of killing another human being — gay or not.  Yes, this is an isolated incident, but just like all things, it is an isolated incident that would hopefully open the stubborn eyes of those who refuse to accept and treat us as their equals.  Though they might feel that our loves and attractions are immoral and misguided, I just hope that tragic crimes such as this one would make them understand that we also bleed and die just like they do.