Funny lady Ellen DeGeneres struck a somber note this week when she discussed the unfortunate murder of Lawrence King, who was shot by an allegedly anti-gay classmate.
Says Ellen:
We must change our country and we can do it with our behavior, we can do it with the messages we send our children, we can do it with our vote. This is an election year and there’s a lot of talk about change. I think one thing we can change is hate. Check on who you’re voting for, and does that person really truly believe that we are all equal under the law? And if you’re not sure, change your vote. We deserve better. My heart goes out to everybody involved in this horrible, horrible incident.
This incident is so horrible, in fact, that two presidential candidates have released statements on the 15-year old’s death. No single gay death since Matthew Shepard has rocked America in such a powerful way.
We can’t help but wonder, then, why King’s death has captured the national imagination. Just days after King’s death, another queer teen was killed: Simmie Williams Jr. As we’ve previously reported, the trans teen was shot down while hanging out on a corner with his friends. So, why didn’t America address Simmie? Because he’s darker skinned? Because he allegedly took place in prostitution? Is King’s death more shocking because of the scholastic setting or because he’s so sweet-faced and innocent?
Why hasn’t the press talked more about Adolphus Simmons, a South Carolina man who was shot to death last month. Like Simmie, Simmons dressed as a woman at times and, yes, had high levels of melanin.
Here’s some information, which a reader sent over:
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder in Monday night’s shooting death of Adolphus Simmons at Bradford Apartments in North Charleston.
…
Simmons, 18, who dressed as a woman and was doing freelance work as a hairstylist, was shot multiple times about 8 p.m. Monday when he took out his trash, witnesses said.Pryor has said that investigators found nothing to suggest that Simmons’ slaying was a hate crime. On Thursday, he said police were not releasing a motive for the killing.
Simmons’ mother, Felicia Moultrie, said a group of people about two weeks ago had burst into the apartment where Simmons was staying, but Simmons was not home. “They were looking for him,” she said.
So, readers, any idea why King’s death would capture the spotlight, while two other – very similar – murders go virtually unnoticed?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
BillieXX
Because gay victims, when they are black, do not count in the mainstream media and gay press.
David L. Wylie
Simmie Williams Jr.’s killing took place just a week ago. Lawrence King’s killing took place over two weeks ago. It took the mainstream media and the presidential candidates over two weeks to respond the Lawrence’s killing.
I’m sure the setting of each murder may play a part in the way the stories are covered but I can assure you, the media outlets (Television & print) in south Florida are covering this story.
I attended a rally at the place Williams was murdered yesterday and met with his mom. We had a story posted at gaysofla.com the day after the murder happened.
Please don’t play the race card which only serves to divide the LGBT along ethnic lines. We’re divided enough!
The local LGBT community has mobilized quickly, raising money for funeral expenses and bumping the reward for capture of the murderer to over $10,000. Let’s instead focus on fighting all hate crimes….let’s work together to get anti gay hate crime legislation passed. Let’s not bicker over who got the most press attention.
For those interested, we’ll have comprehensive coverage of yesterday’s rally, along with a photo gallery of the event, posted later today. And tonight we’ll hold a candlelight vigil in Miami Beach to remember both of these boys.
Regards & Respect,
David L. Wylie
Senior Editor
http://www.gaysofla.com
Woof
Here here Ellen.
Dave
AMEN Ellen! She spoke beautifully and eloquently.
Alexa
Being cute and innocent makes you a more compelling victim, it happens all the time. Think of the attention paid to cute blonde girls like Natalie Holloway compared to the countless minority women and girls who go missing or are murdered. It’s shameful, but normal. I’m just happy people are taking notice, period. And maybe all the attention will make people focus more on the entire problem of hate crimes.
jerekeys
I’m sure racism and transphobia (cisgenderism) play a part in why some anti-queer violence gets more attention than others, but let’s look at other differences: age and location. King was 15 and was shot at his junior high school. Williams was 17 and shot at night on a street corner known as a hangout for sex workers.
Both crimes are horrible, but I’m not surprised that middle America responds more strongly to the story about a child murdered in a public school. Sending children to junior high is something more people can relate to (i.e. King could be my son/daughter) than an almost-adult who is going out in the middle of the night and leading a hidden double life.
ninebone
Why does one gay teen murder get national attention while others don’t? Based upon what you have reported here it is location, motive and apprehension of perpetrator(s).
Lawrence King – public junior high school during school hours – fear of public humiliation by gay person? [my words] – fellow school mate Brandon.
Simmie Williams, Jr. – street corner at night – words exchanged – assailant(s)unknown.
Adolphus Simmons – sidewalk outside of home at night – assailant(s) unknown.
Looking at these bare facts and without any pictures, which one grabs your attention?
I am not trying to downplay the tragedy of their deaths, but until more facts are known and made public, the deaths of Simmie Williams, Jr. and Adolphus Simmons only affect their immediate families, friends and communities.
Lawrence King, a gay young boy, expressed his ‘love’ for another young boy. That young boy spurned his love by shooting him down.
So which story strikes more fear in your heart? A drive by shooting or your desired person of affection rejecting you by shooting you down?
James
Ninebone,
According to that logic some of our gay youth are more equal than others. The death of any child is tragic.
David L. Wylie
Our follow up article on Simmie’s vigil yesterday is now up on our home page…
http://www.gaysofla.com
regards,
david
katrina
amen ellen
katrina
ellen spoke good for her
SeaFlood
David Wylie,
In case you haven’t noticed, we are divided and IGNORING race (indeed, it is racist to even speak of a “race card”) is not going to create a united gay people.
In fact, I believe positions like yours create division. Of COURSE it’s race — I didn’t even hear about the murder that took place in SC until I read it here! The same thing happened when Matthew Shepard died, too. You are creating second-class citizens in the GBLT community by NOT addressing or acknowledging race. And it saddens me, greatly, that you are an editor of a paper somewhere with all that power to back up your racism…
Asking why did this teen get attention while that one did not isn’t “bickering” — it is asking us to be aware of inequalities. Not merely within our communities as GBLTQQISGLF people, but within heterosexist recognition of us since most media is filtered through white heterosexist lens. And let’s NOT forget transphobic.
It is 2008 and the media is still concerned with producing a “clean” body — someone beyond reproach, someone homophobes can’t say, someone homo-homophobes can’t say “deserved what they got.”
Amazing.
Jackie
Honestly, I don’t think ANY of these stories have been reported enough, especially Simmie Williams and Adolphus Simmons. While Lawrence King’s murder has been more publicized, it has hardly been in the spotlight.
Bravo to Ellen for showing America that hate should not be tolerated on ANY level.
MILLER
While both of these hate crimes are horrendous acts of evil and violence, please do not bring race into this issue. Until today; I knew about neither murder (thank you TIVO)! But there is a big difference between an 18 year old (technically an adult) cross dresser (white black brown red or yellow) and a 15 year old CHILD being murdered by a 14 year old in a JUNIOR HIGH Computer Lab. Thank you Ellen for talking this and informing us on your show.
MILLER
June23
Perfectly said, Ellen. Thank you.
dbb
What amazes me is the lake of outrage by our leading lobbying organization, HRC. I just checked their web page to see what they said I was shocked that none of these crimes were even mention outright on their first page, instead they had a “back story” with a link about Ellen speaking out against hate. This angers me because they seem to have tried to dare I say “white washed” these items. HRC threw our transgendered community to to the floor when will we wake up and throw them to the floor and put our gay dollars to groups that actually do something about these kind of crimes and issues.
dbb
I will stand corrected I went back and HRC did have another link on transgendered hate crimes so I will correct myself on that issues. However I still beleive they have a long way to go on these and other issues.
Tom
Adolphus Simmons is the victim of a racist and homophobic media and society. The Charleston media, particularly the Post & Courier, have buried their heads in the sand on this one. The Post & Courier alluded to the victim’s gender identity/sexual orientation, in passing, but it was left at that. No evidence of a hate crime, the North Charleston police said. Publicly, folks point to the kid being in the wrong place at the wrong time (bad neighborhood), gang initiation, but no one wants to talk about a hate crime. Hell, South Carolina doesn’t even have an anti-hate crime law. Queer kids like Adolphus don’t exist in the eyes of society and the media.
MILLER
One more brief comment: The Adolphus Simmons murder makes me very SAD. The Lawrence King murder makes me very MAD and angry! Thank’s!
fredo777
It irritates me when people try to make it seem like Simmie’s murder was any less horrible b/c of his age and lifestyle. As a matter of fact, it downright pisses me off b/c it comes across as judgmental. Hate crimes are hate crimes, regardless of age, race, lifestyle, setting, or anything else. We should be just as outraged by one as the other, not making allusions to one victim leading a less “palatable” life.
Wake up to how ridiculous that is.
Jerry
While tragic and unfortunate the loss of life is…everyone has to understand that unfortunately we don’t live in a world where a gay male can easily walk up to another straight male and ask him to be his Valentine…or didn’t the Jenny Jones incident prove that already? We don’t live in that world, and I am not asking straight men to live in that world, nor straight women. I have absolutely no problem with homosexuality, but an invisible line has been drawn in the sand. He deserved to be shot based off of a stupid assumption…just the same as I would if I were in a similar predicament. You can call me a homophobe, gay-bashing nut job all you want, but those are the facts. Hell you can even pull the “he is a closet case” rhetoric all day, but you can’t beat the facts. Racism is the oldest form of hatred there is, and it ain’t going no where…coupled with homophobia…you better start buying bulletproof helmets if you want to take a risk.
fredo777
#21 Jerry
“He deserved to be shot…”
You’re a moron.
James
I need to agree with Fredo here. Making Simmons’ death somehow “less tragic” is why the talk about “gay community” is just that. A whole lot of useless talk.
Fredo is also correct to call Jerry out for his crappy reasoning.
jess
yeah, number 21, your a moron. Okay, maybe he shouldnt have asked a straight male to be his valentine, but shooting him DOES NOT justify it.
And, I’m not justifying why those other reports weren’t as huge as Lawrence King, but he was ONLY in 8th grade. That’s kind of major. That’s barely puberty.
And, if I remember correctly, I’m pretty sure Lawrence sometimes wore “girly” clothing items, as did the others. So, you can’t say they weren’t major because of that reason.
All in all, all these hate crimes, need to be stopped. Gay is not a choice. You don’t choose who you love. If gay was so wrong, god would not have created it. Life is God’s most precious gift. Who are we to take that away from ANYONE?