Of course the girlfriend’s shocked. Usually it’s an apple.
British cider company: Anal about their ads
Fighting the good fight with LifeWalk
- RECOGNITION | Robert Moore, left, presents three-time LifeWalk co-chair Ray Warner with LifeWalk’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2009.
This is the third in a series of columns by past co-chairs of the AIDS Arms LifeWalk that will be published in Dallas Voice leading up to the 20th anniversary of the event on Sunday, Oct. 10.
Ray Warner Special Contributor
Because of my involvement with Nelson-Tebedo Health Clinic as an HIV counselor and phlebotomist, a good friend asked me one day if I would be interested in joining the AIDS Arms LifeWalk steering committee for 2005.
“Are you crazy?!” I answered. “I don’t have time to volunteer with another agency.”
But I said I would go to the event and see what it was all about.
Somehow I found the time to volunteer at both places, manage a home and still work full time.
The steering committee was made up of both past committee members and new members, and the people I met that day were a wonderful group. So I joined, and I had a really great time planning and doing fundraisers.
When the day of the walk finally arrived, I felt like I worked my butt off. But at the end of the day, when they let us know how much unrestricted money had been raised, I suddenly did not feel so tired. In fact, I was very excited about getting started for LifeWalk 2006.
Several months before the committee was to meet, I got a call from my friend Bill telling me that AIDS Arms had a new director of development, named Margaret Byrne. I had not met her yet so Margaret, Bill and I met for lunch. And that, as they say, is how it all began.
Bill was asked to be LifeWalk chair, and he suggested me as his co-chair. I was so honored to be ask to do something with an organization that I was passionate about.
During the 2006 LifeWalk, we raised nearly $100,000 more than we had raised in 2005. The steering committee built a float for the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade and won the “Carson Kressley Trophy” for best costumes.
I was co-chair again in 2007, and again we raised even more money than we had the previous year. And we won yet another trophy in the parade, this time bringing home the “Queen Latifa Trophy” for best nonprofit.
Then came 2008, and once again I was LifeWalk co-chair, the first person to be co-chair for three years in a row. That was a huge honor for me, especially being in such a great group of co-chairs, both past and present. We again exceeded our fundraising goals in 2008. And when Margaret Byrne and Robert Moore presented me with the Volunteer of the Year Award at the 2009 LifeWalk, I was surprised and honored beyond belief.
I am so honored to have held the position of LifeWalk with such a great group of family, because, believe me, it is just like a family. We argued like brothers and sisters. There were ups and downs. But just like a family, we had each others’ backs.
Bottom line, raising money to help the clients of AIDS Arms and the other LifeWalk beneficiaries is the most important task at hand.Volunteering just a little bit of your time is so important to a nonprofit agency. These agencies are very special to my heart; some of my best friends are living with HIV, and some others have already lost their battles with the virus.
I know that a cure will be found so that no one else has to lose the battle. You can help. Get out there and volunteer for LifeWalk, walk, or just tell others about this wonderful event. I hope that I see you as I walk with the Nelson-Tebedo Team on Sunday, Oct. 10.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 01, 2010.
SMU’s first gay dean may not lead the parade, but he sure isn’t in the closet
David Chard heads up SMU’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education, started 3 years ago
DAVID TAFFET | Staff Writer taffet@dallasvoice.com
- David Chard
David Chard wanted to make sure before taking the job as dean of Southern Methodist University’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education three years ago that he wouldn’t be closing himself back into a closet. That’s why he was upfront with administrators about being gay when he applied.
Before even coming to Dallas to interview, Chard asked an SMU faculty member he knew if he should reveal his sexual orientation. She told him SMU administrators all knew he was gay, but that they probably weren’t looking for someone who would be grand marshal of the gay Pride parade.
“So now,” Chard said recently, “I want to be grand marshal of the Pride parade.”
But, he added, he’ll probably take a pass on performing in drag at S4’s Rose Room with Joe Hoselton, the graduate admissions coordinator at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts who performs regularly under the stage name Jenna Skyye.
Although Chard was named the first permanent dean of the Simmons School three years ago, the school just became consolidated under one roof with the dedication of the new Simmons School building on Sept. 24. Before then, Simmons’ education, dispute resolution and counseling, and physiology departments were part of other SMU schools.
Among the various named areas of the new building is the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Dallas Reception Area outside the dean’s office.
“About six to eight months ago, I met with the [GLFD] board and asked if they’d sponsor a fundraising event,” Chard said, explaining how the reception area got its name.
At the time Gay and Lesbian Fund for Dallas was involved in another project, but GLFD members made plans to raise funds with an event later, nothing their intent on the fund’s website.
Chard said GLFD received an immediate response that included donations from many alumni and faculty, which funded the reception area in time for the building’s dedication.
Chard came to Dallas from the University of Oregon. While Oregon has a reputation for being gay-friendly, he said that part of the country has more of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Chard said SMU has a more welcoming environment, with many more gays and lesbians on its faculty and staff.
SMU made Princeton Review’s list of most homophobic colleges in the country again this year. But Chard doesn’t believe the school deserves that position on the Princeton Review list, calling SMU’s administration very respectful of him and his relationship.
As an example, he said, “My partner is invited to every major event and he receives the spousal gift.”
Chard said the listing is based on student responses, and “Student responses don’t match [SMU’s] policies,” he said.
Chard did acknowledge that the ranking was helpful in demonstrating where community relationships need to be built. He said he has used the school’s rating to encourage participation by other deans in LGBT community events such as the Black Tie Dinner.
He also said that his being a member of the LGBT community has presented opportunities for SMU. The Simmons School’s counseling department provides counseling through Resource Center Dallas. And Chard said that there is a waiting list to participate in that internship program. Once Resource Center has more room in its planned new building, he’ll provide more students for the program, he said.
Resource Center Executive Director Cece Cox said SMU has made “a huge commitment” to RCD, and that the school’s connection to the Resource Center goes further than its counseling program. Chard hired Resource Center to do diversity training for students training to be teachers and counselors.
He said that all SMU student teaching is done in Dallas. Because Dallas Independent School District has non-discrimination policies in place, it was important for his students to understand diversity issues.
Cox said the relationship with Simmons has expanded to the business school. Resource Center provides training for MBA students to understand LGBT diversity policies at most Fortune 500 companies, including most of the top Dallas-based corporations.
Chard named Cox to the Simmons School’s executive board, he said, because she represents an important group of potential donors.
“She represents gay alumni,” he said. “It’s a community we need to build a relationship with.”
“He’s incredibly innovative,” Cox said. “He’s helped SMU get involved in the community.”
Cox said that community extends far beyond just the LGBT community and that Chard has made important contributions in many areas around Dallas.
The department of dispute resolution based on the Legacy campus in Plano works with local companies such as American Airlines and J.C. Penney. The department of applied physiology works with the area’s professional sports teams and the education department is currently working with Southwest Airlines.
“We’re helping them think about the format they use for pilot training,” he said.
Simmons faculty members serve on planning committee of the upcoming Perot Science Museum that will be built in Victory Park and advised on the Children’s Adventure Garden at Dallas Arboretum.
Chard said that Simmons was never intended to be just another education school. “We’re here to build community relationships,” he said.
Now that Simmons School is established and settling into its own home, Chard has plans to expand the school’s mission of research and beginning new programs, including a special education program.
He said special education attracts a large number of gays and lesbians to the field and thinks it’s because of the connection to helping those needing the most help.
Chard earned his own Ph.D. in special education. He began his career as a high school math and chemistry teacher. Then he joined the Peace Corps and taught in Lesotho for four years where he met his wife.
Chard joined the faculty of University of Texas, and he and his wife had three children.
After coming out, Chard accepted a position at the University of Oregon. A motivation to move back to Texas was that his children were still here.
Comparing SMU with UT, he said, “SMU is a face-to-face campus. UT is a city.”
His partner of two years recently moved from Boston to Dallas, and Chard said they are just getting settled.
Chard said Dallas pleasantly surprised him. He called the city nice, giving and gracious.
“I found Dallas to be a lot more interesting than Austin,” he said. “Great neighborhoods. The gay community is more active.”
Chard brought one of his daughters to last week’s Pride parade. He said seven students marched in an SMU entry. His daughter suggested they march with them next year.
He said he’s thinking about it — unless he’s the grand marshal.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 01, 2010.
It’s Texas-OU weekend and parking will be a pain — but hopefully not a costly pain
Finding safe — and legal — parking can be tough on any weekend in Oak Lawn. But throw in the annual Texas-OU showdown, and finding parking anywhere gets even tougher.
A parking scam during the 2008 Texas-OU weekend cost a lot of football fans some big bucks. But Dallas city officials said this week that they will be coordinating with state agencies as they did last year to make sure nobody gets scammed again.
The ’08 scam was a coordinated effort between fake parking attendants and licensed towing companies, where “unsuspecting fans were flagged into private parking lots where they paid the ‘attendants’ to let them park for the game. Towing companies then swooped in and hauled off the vehicles,” the city’s statement said.
Last year, the city put new procedures in place to avoid such scams, including special permits and city-issued signs to let people know where they could park, and Dallas police and the Texas Department of Licensing beefed up patrols and enforcement around Fair Park. They will be doing the same this year.
Paul Curington with the Dallas Police Department’s parking enforcement division suggested people headed to the game park inside Fair Park where fees will probably be lower and the area safer. But those who park in an off-site private lot or in someone’s yard need to look for the official green signs that indicate that property owner has a valid city permit to offer parking, and a “towing enforced sign.”
If you head down to Oak Lawn in your own car, be sure to park in a well-lit area — one where your vehicle won’t get towed — and park as close to your destination as possible. Don’t walk alone, and stay out of the dark areas. Park in one of the lots with security if you can.
Curington also suggests leaving the car at home and taking DART to the game. The same holds true for those headed to Oak Lawn to party, either before, during or after the football game. If you don’t want to ride the bus, consider a taxi; it might cost a few bucks, but not as much as having your car towed and sure as hell not as much as being robbed or assaulted. Isn’t it worth a little extra to be safe?
Local briefs • 10.01.10
The Group for HIV-positive black men celebrating 4th anniversary
“The Group,” an organization for black men who are HIV-positive, will celebrate its fourth anniversary Thursday, Oct. 14, with a meeting beginning at 7 p.m.
The theme or the evening is “Thankful! Celebrating Four Years of Education, Empowerment and Support,” and guest speaker will be Sabrina Y. Taylor, MSW, of Tibotec Therapeutics.
For more information or to become a member of The Group, call 214-455-7316.
First Community Church holding benefit Sunday for Youth First Texas
First Community Church will celebrate its Alternative Christmas on Sunday, Oct. 3, to raise money and awareness for Youth First Texas, beginning with the 11 a.m. worship service, followed by a potluck luncheon in the church social hall where handmade Christmas cards will be sold for $5 each.
All proceeds benefit Youth First Texas.
Alternative Christmas is an annual event at First Community Church, and each year handmade Christmas cards are sold to raise money for a designated ministry partner.
Each card comes with an insert stating a gift has been given in the recipient’s honor to that year’s designated beneficiary.
In addition to raising money for Youth First, the Christmas cards this year will also help raise awareness of the organization and its programs.
Sunday’s worship theme is going to be “When The End Is A New Beginning,” with services focusing on the scripture in Genesis where God’s new covenant with humanity is symbolized by the rainbow. First Community Church is an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ located at 9120 Ferguson Road. For more information, go online to fccdfw.org.
Monday is deadline to register to vote in November elections
The deadline to register to be able to vote in the Nov. 2 elections is Monday, Oct. 4.
To register to vote in Texas, an individual must be a citizen of the United States, a resident in a Texas county, and at least 18 years of age by election day.
A voter’s registration remains in effect unless the voter changes his/her residence.
Texas voters can check to see if they are registered by calling their county Voter Registration Office or by going online to VoteTexas.org.
To register, go to the voter registration office in your county, or complete and mail in the voter registration form available at post offices, libraries and Department of Public Safety offices.
The application is also available for download online at VoteTexas.org.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 01, 2010.
Pet of the week • 10.01.10
Bruce is a 2-year-old beagle mix. He has a short, white coat with a black-and-brown mask on half of his face and a sprinkling of black freckles on his ears. Bruce is a happy guy who smiles a lot and stands on his back feet to clap his front paws together when he’s excited. He’s good with other dogs and just loves people.
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Bruce and many other great dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are available for adoption from the Dallas Animal Services Adoption Center, located at 1818 N. Westmoreland at I-30 on the northeast corner. The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays. The cost to adopt is $85 for dogs and $55 for cats and includes spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchip and more. All dogs are negative for heartworms, and cats have been tested for FeLV and FIV. For more information, visit DallasAnimalServices.org or call 214-671-0249.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 01, 2010.
‘A’ game
Logo tries to beat Bravo at its own reality game with ‘The A-List’ and ‘The Arrangement’
ARNOLD WAYNE JONES | Life+Style Editor jones@dallasvoice.com
- MEN BEHAVINGLY GAILY | Is Reichen Lemkuhl, above left, an ‘A-Lister?’ In those swim trunks, he is; below, a naked challenge kicks off ‘The Arrangement.’
With the success — and appeal among the gay community — of the Real Housewives franchise, it seemed only logical that someone would eventually come up with a gay version … only it’s not on Bravo, but Logo.
So as we watched a screener of The A-List: New York, I asked the man sitting on the couch next to me — my frequent plus-one at events — whether either of us could be considered “A-listers.” “No, honey,” he said without hesitation. “Not even in Dallas. We’re not important enough.”
I’m not sure I agree, assuming the standard for “A-list” status is the klatch of bitchy queens who snipe at each other on this new reality series. They go see Reichen Lemkuhl in a dopey off-off-Broadway play and hang around for the reception after; I do stuff like that three times a week. They gossip over coffee and attend fashion shows and museum openings; I turn down more of those invitations than I accept.
I’m not claiming to be an A-lister, and might even admit I’m lower on the totem than Kathy Griffin; I just don’t see that they are any higher. Except that they are on TV.
That must be it.
But that is not to say the show doesn’t have its appeal. In fact to me, self-delusion is almost juicier than actual achievement. To be fair, some of these men have accomplished something: Mike Ruiz, a daddy who likes to take his shirt off (bless ‘im), is a famous photographer, and Lemkuhl won The Amazing Race. But hairdresser Ryan? Wannabe model Austin? I don’t think so.
Of course, the “real” housewives never struck me as real anyway (there, like here, the “friendships” feel manufactured). While The A-List is just as un-real, it’s also hotter, especially Reichen’s Brazilian boyfriend Rodiney. Looks like there could be some claws coming out with that sexual tension. Thing is, I wanna know what happens. Guess I’m hooked.
Grade: Three stars
Rodiney isn’t the only cute South American debuting on Logo this week; there’s also Argentinian Guillermo, one of the florists competing for title of top flower arranger on The Arrangement, from the Bailey-Barbato team that produces RuPaul’s Drag Race. Just how suspenseful, or interesting, is a competition show about floral design? Well, considering that Tyra Banks has made a TV career out of herding a pack of empty-headed waifs through the rigors of walking while chewing gum, at least these folks have marketable skills.
At least part of the appeal of reality series is the cleverness of the terminology (quickfire challenges, “You’re fired!,” etc.). The jargon here is hokey: “Are you a grower or a shower?” Gigi Levangie Grazer, the smug and uninteresting host, asks the contestants, before setting them on their “seedling challenge” to find out who will be “weeded out” and who gets to wait in the “greens room.” Uggh.
Butch florist Russ says he’s here to “promote masculinity” in floral arrangement, but having to decorate naked people with sushi and rose petals doesn’t really convey that to me. But ehh! These crafty game shows long ago ceased being about the prizes or the skills and all about the personalities. There are some here. Whether they will wilt on the vine before the final challenge is anyone’s guess. But this is the new reality of television — I guess we should be thankful it’s also where gays are just as prominent as their straight counterparts. Even if it is on Logo.
Grade: Two stars
The A-List: New York debuts Monday at 9 p.m. and The Arrangement at 10 p.m. on Logo.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 1, 2010.
The way we were
Face-off: ‘Our Town’ vs. ‘Dreck the Musical’
ARNOLD WAYNE JONES | Life+Style Editor jones@dallasvoice.com
ON THE BOARDS
OUR TOWN, Addison Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road,
Addison. Through Oct. 24.
WaterTowerTheatre.org.
SHREK, Fair Park Music Hall,
909 First Ave. Through Oct. 17.
DallasSummerMusicals.org.
……………………
Even in the program notes of WaterTower Theatre’s current production, the reputation of Our Town as sentimental tripe is difficult to escape. Except in this exquisitely rendered production, it’s clear that rep is completely undeserved. Maybe abuse by countless high schools has soured opinion, but Thornton Wilder’s bare, simple snapshot of small-town life may be idyllic, but hardly is it idealized. This is humanistic theater in the best sense.
True, there would be no It’s a Wonderful Life without Our Town, but don’t allow the Capra-corn style to blind you to this show’s plainspoken beauty. Even before Act 3, when residents of the graveyard propel the action, this is a play dominated by ghosts: Memories, shadows, feelings about things and people from the past that are both specific and universal.
The Stage Manager (Terry Martin, who also directed) narrates from an omniscient P.O.V., walking us through a few days across two decades in the lives of Grovers Corners, N.H., population 2,642. No one here is spectacular, but in that prosaic bubble, spectacular things happen.
Although more than 70 years old, it still has resonance for contemporary issues, from the closeted chorus master (achingly played by Ted Wold) to an off-handed observation (“people are meant to live two by two — ‘taint natural to be lonesome”) that subtly defends gay marriage (Wilder himself was gay).
There’s not a misspent action or false note from anyone in the impressive cast (especially Wold, Joey Folsom and Maxey Whitehead), and Martin’s canny decision to take the bare-bones set and change it, just briefly, into a tactile, realistic tableau is breathtaking. Don’t let your prejudices about the show scare you away — this is the best show of the fall.
WaterTower does a lot with a little in Our Town; over at Fair Park Music Hall, the opposite is true. Shrek the Musical exudes expensivity with admittedly great costumes, big sets and a flying dragon. It’s also about as bloodsuckingly lifeless as a big Broadway musical can be.
- PLAIN AND SIMPLE | WaterTower’s ‘Our Town,’ above, delves poignantly into the American psyche; ‘Shrek,’ opposite, delves into flatulence. (Photos courtesy Joan Marcus and Mark Oristano)
At first, you think it might at least capture the snarky, subversive humor that the graphic novel and animated film did. But that track is quickly diluted in favor of banal family-friendly fare with cornpone plotting and sophomoric fart jokes. (Rhyming “classy” with “gassy?” That’s schoolyard nonsense — and not a good school, either.) And Shrek’s Scottish accent doesn’t translate in the hard-to-hear space of the Music Hall.
Hiring David Lindsay-Abaire, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his play Rabbit Hole about the death of a child, to write a kiddie musical sounds like a bad punchline, but not as bad as most of the jokes here. Aside from a brilliantly flamboyant turn by David F.M. Vaughn as the prissy Lord Farquaad and some hambone whimsy from Alan Mingo Jr. as Donkey (although the character borders on parody — think Trotin Fetchit), it’s more like Dreck the Musical.
The other major flaw of the production — and it would be too time-consuming to list them all — is that it makes smug references to many much better musicals, among them: Wicked, Dreamgirls, The Lion King, Lez Miz, Hairspray and 42nd Street. If you’re reminding your audience that it could be watching a better show, you’re not helping yourself any. By the end, I’d wished the dragon had eaten me — preferably in Act 1.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 1, 2010.
Travel Diary
The biggest news in travel is the latest from Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. The airlines announced plans this week to acquire AirTran Holdings, which includes low-cost flyer AirTran Airways. What this means for travelers is added destinations, many originating from DFW. Although the merger won’t have immediate effects, once in place, Southwest wil increase its presence in New York and Boston and add service to the Caribbean and Mexico.
As if Palm Springs already doesn’t have enough attraction, they go and add more fabulosity. The new gay resort Escape Palm Springs is open in the former Chestnutz spot. Renovations are complete and deals are now available for this clothing optional resort. Visit EscapePalmSprings.com for more information.
Also, the 24th Annual Palm Springs Pride Festival and Parade is scheduled for Nov. 6–7. The festival will fill up the Palm Springs Baseball Stadium featuring a concert by Martha Davis and the Motels. Then it’s followed up by the jumbo-sized parade on Sunday. Visit VisitPalmSprings.com for details.
If you haven’t noticed, Expedia has added a charming bit for their LGBT travelers. When you use the site to search for hotels, you can now filter in “LGBT-welcoming” as an option. They have tagged hotels in popular destinations throughout the U.S. and internationally such as Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.
The travel site has also began an LGBT travel page listing events from around the globe. Visit
Expedia.com/daily/gaytravel for details.
New York-based G Worldwide has launched the first gay luxury hotel and hospitality brand across the nation.The hotels will cater specifically to LGBT community and supporters.
With plans to launch in five locations over the next two years, they will focus first in New York, Florida, California and Las Vegas before going international. Visit GResorts.com for information.
— Rich Lopez
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 1, 2010.
Advocates push safe schools bill in wake of suicide
Parents of Houston teen who shot himself last week say school officials didn’t respond to repeated complaints, leading to 13-year-old being ‘bullied to death’
John Wright | Online Editor wright@dallasvoice.com
- Asher Brown
HOUSTON — The recent bullying-related suicide of a gay Texas teen highlights the need for comprehensive safe schools legislation protecting LGBTQ students, advocates said this week.
Asher Brown, a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Hamilton Middle School in northwest Harris County, fatally shot himself on Thursday, Sept. 23 after his parents said he was “bullied to death” over a period of 18 months for, among other things, being gay.
Asher’s parents allege that school officials failed to respond to their repeated complaints about the bullying — which included other students simulating gay sex acts on their son. Asher came out as gay to his stepfather the same day he took his own life by shooting himself in the head with a 9mm Baretta.
His suicide was one of four in recent weeks around the country tied to anti-gay bullying, prompting calls to action from advocacy groups and tentative plans for vigils in cities nationwide the weekend of Oct. 9-10.
“It’s devastating. It’s horrible,” said Chuck Smith, deputy director of Equality Texas, the statewide gay-rights group. “You don’t want to see any child hurt, much less lose their life, because of an unsafe school environment.”
Asher’s suicide is the first in recent memory in Texas that can be directly tied to anti-gay bullying, Smith said. However, a national survey in 2009 found that 90 percent of LGBT middle and high-school students had experienced harassment at school in the last year, while nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation.
A safe schools bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity was introduced — but failed to pass — in each of the last two state legislative sessions.
“Part of the reason why the bill hasn’t passed is because it hasn’t risen to the level of being deemed legislation that we absolutely have to deal with,” Smith said.“If there is any silver lining to Asher Brown’s death, hopefully it raises awareness that please, let us deal with this before another child dies.”
Equality Texas this week called on members to contact legislators and urge them to support the safe schools bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, in next year’s session. The group also noted that Asher’s suicide marked the second time in less than a year that officials in Houston’s Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District have been accused of failing to respond to complaints of anti-gay bullying until it was too late.
Last November, a freshman at Cy-Fair ISD’s Langham Creek High School was beaten with a metal pipe in what he said was an anti-gay attack. Jayron Martin, 16, said at the time that he had begged two principals and his bus driver to intervene prior to the attack, but they failed to do so.
Asher’s death was one of four this month in the U.S. that stemmed from anti-gay bullying and harassment in schools, according to media reports.
Seth Walsh, a gay 13-year-old from California, died in a hospital on Tuesday, Sept. 28 after hanging himself from a tree in his back yard several days earlier.Billy Lucas, a 15-year-old high school freshman, hung himself in his family’s barn in Greensburg, Ind., on Thursday, Sept. 9. And Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University, jumped off a bridge this week after his roommate secretly streamed on the Internet a live recording of him having sex with another man.
“These horrific stories of youth taking their own lives reflect on school bullying culture in this country,” said Charles Robbins, executive director of Trevor Project, a national organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth.
“To be clear, they do not point to a contagion of teen or youth suicide, but that the media, parents, teachers and friends are more in-tune to speaking up about the causes,” Robbins said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by the loss of these wonderful individuals.”
Hayley Gorenberg, deputy legal director for Lambda Legal, the national LGBT civil rights group, also expressed condolences.
“But sympathy is not enough — we all have a responsibility to take action, and to keep working until all young people are safe and respected, no matter what their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Gorenberg said. “We must push for laws on the federal level and in every state that prohibit bullying and discrimination.
“We must hold people accountable, and use the courts when necessary. And most importantly, we must love and teach all our children to be their best selves and to respect and support others to do the same.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 01, 2010.
