Boy’s Killing, Labeled a Hate Crime, Stuns a Town

The New York Times ^ | February 23, 2008 | Rebecca Cathcart

[VeniVidiVici]

The boy was in Casa Pacifica, a place for extremely troubled youths.”

Knowing this, I think the State of NY and his parents should be arrested as accessories.

[ARE SOLE]

Knowing this, I think the State of NY and his parents should be arrested as accessories.

This happened in California. I am however in full support of arressting the State of NY.

Regards

[VeniVidiVici]

LOL! Ok, California and New York. And not a state less!

[Grunthor]

“Gay Teen’s Killing Labeled a Hate Crime”

Had he been straight, it would just be called “murder.”

[kcvl]

You can see who and why this is being pushed...

Lawrence King — Student Who Was Murdered For Being Gay — To Be Honored With National Day Of Silence

Candlelight vigils also being organized to raise awareness about California hate crime.

A series of candlelight vigils have been held throughout the U.S. in the wake of the student’s death (an estimated 1,000 people marched in Oxnard the weekend following the murder), in an effort to raise awareness of what many feel was a largely underreported case. MTV News attended one such vigil on Friday night, just outside of Los Angeles, where dozens gathered — not with candles but glowsticks — to remember King.

Now the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a leading gay-rights student organization, has decided to make King’s murder one of the central themes of this year’s annual Day of Silence on April 25.

Since King’s murder, there have been 30 candlelight vigils throughout the country, with one planned for Washington, D.C., early next week (a complete list of these events can be found at GLSEN.org).

[kcvl]

The story struck a powerful chord among gay, lesbian and transgender advocacy groups, who planned memorials for King from California to Massachusetts. E-mails poured in to the groups, and a Web site set up to honor King buzzed with chatter about his sex orientation.

A close friend of the King family said he appreciates the outpouring of support, but he feels the real story is about a young man killed at school, and the focus on sexual orientation paints a one-dimensional portrait of a beloved son and friend.

"I want Larry remembered for who he was as a person, and not just this facet of his life," said Phil Cohen of Torrance, a family friend who created the Web site at www.rememberlarry.com to honor King's memory. "I'd rather not have him known as that gay kid. I'd rather have him known as Larry, a good kid who tried his best."

Family members and friends have said Larry was a sweet, artistic boy who loved to sing folk rock songs, enjoyed studying bugs, preferred vegetables to meat and helped out at his younger brother's baseball games.

******

'This is a global issue'

The case is a powerful symbol for gay communities used to frequent school bullying and educators unprepared to deal with it, said Jay Smith, executive director of the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group.

http://tinyurl.com/3a9854

[TChad]

Articles are in the Ventura County Star.

Thanks. Here's one of them with some interesting details.

As I suspected, it sounds like there was a fair amount of contact between the killer and the gay boy.

[drubyfive]

Love crimes=crimes of passion.