In September, gay 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself. One month later, the police decided not to press criminal charges against his bullies. But this month, Rodemeyer’s high school has at least suspended some of them after reading what shits they were to Jamey in the police report.
Though the school wouldn’t say just how many students they suspended, here’s some of the delightful antics they inflicted on Rodemeyer before his suicide:
* A witness said one female classmate who had known Jamey since middle school told Jamey something along the lines of, “Faggot, why don’t you just kill yourself?”
* In a separate incident, the same student later told Jamey something like, “You’re a faggot” (and reportedly told a friend of Jamey’s sister that she was glad Jamey was dead after his suicide).
* Another identified student pushed Jamey as he passed him in the hallway and called him a fag.
* Yet another identified student made “an inappropriate comment” to Jamey regarding his sexual orientation, Askey said.
* Jamey had previously reported in his blog that a group of North classmates had spit on a plate of brownies and given them to him in the cafeteria (though investigators found no witnesses).
We imagine some of these kids are among the ones who also happily mocked his suicide at a school dance. They will likely join their school’s Young Republicans group sometime in the near future.
Sadly, it is against the law to publicly flog these hate-gremlins in the town square or to expel them outright (something to do with them being “kids” or some crap). However, all of the miserable little jerks will get suspensions of anywhere from five days to much longer depending on a an upcoming hearing.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Me
And this is the problem with people like Matt Stone, and Trey Parker trying to convince us that when kids say fag, or faggot, that they don\’t mean it as being anti-gay. As long as hets continue to promote that myth, queer kids will continue to live in an anti-gay environment. And after all, that\’s the goal of the great majority of hets.
John
Daniel, while I’m glad your wrote this article because I believe it is important, let me ask
is the comment that “They will likely join their school’s Young Republicans group sometime in the near future.” Really necessary?
For someone that is supposed to be so open minded, I believe you think that every republican must hate gays, and that the democrats are god sent. But let me tell you, there are more openly gay republicans that you think. More then that there are plenty of republicans that support Gay rights, including my parents and relatives. But every time you say things like this, don’t you think it alienates potential allies by insinuating that every republican bullies children to death? it’s not only offensive to me as a moderate republican gay male, but it is down right ignorant.
Also, let me provide you with a little history lesson. DEMOCRAT Harry S. Truman signed in to law the “Don’t ask don’t tell” Policy, DEMOCRAT Bill Clinton signed in to law the “Defense of Marriage Act”. How does it feel to be used?
Both sides have done much to harm us, at least one side of the radicals will admit it.
the crustybastard
@John: “…there are plenty of republicans that support Gay rights…”
“Plenty”? LOL.
No. There is an almost vanishingly tiny, fringe faction of the Republican Party that doesn’t think that working against gay equality should be a policy priority. However, this equality fringe refuses to make working on behalf of gay equality any sort of priority. While it is true that the Democrats are just awful on gay rights, Republicans do not even aspire to be as awful as Democrats.
Try some perspective, please.
Also, when you’re giving us a history lesson, you may want to have your facts correct, professor.
Clinton signed DADT, not Truman. And it was a DOD policy directive, not a law. (The law the policy directive modified was the “Homosexual Conduct Act,” which Clinton signed after it was passed by a veto-proof bipartisan majority.)
John
“Also, when you’re giving us a history lesson, you may want to have your facts correct, professor.”
No, how about you get your facts correct. It was legal policy (10 U.S.C. § 654) that homosexuality is incompatible with military service and that persons who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they are homosexual or bisexual were to be discharged. The Uniform Code of Military Justice, passed by Congress in 1950 and signed by President Harry S Truman, established the policies and procedures for discharging service members.
It is much larger than a “tiny, fringe faction”, or else New York wouldn’t have gay Marriage. The actual republican base doesn’t hate gay people or oppose their rights, most of the opposition if from the broken republican politicians. But even assuming that statement was true, it still doesn’t mean that republican is synonymous with bullying innocent children to death.
Parson Thwackum
What the fuck is up with people who read an article about a gay teen killing himself due to being tormented by Christian Republicans and have as their first impulse “better defend Christians and Republicans!”
the crustybastard
@John:
LOL. It’s like watching a cat try to cover up a turd on a rug. Furiously but pointlessly paw, paw, pawing away…
(1) USC stands for United States Code. That’s federal LAW, not policy.
(2) DADT was the CIC’s POLICY directive to the DOD, modifying 10 USC §654 to allow for conditional service.
(3) You didn’t claim that Truman signed the UCMJ. You claimed he signed DADT. That’s patently false.
Bad kitty, John.
I’m not even going to bother telling you what’s wrong with that pastiche of opinion and cherry-picked facts used to support your second point. Not like rational argument has so far proven to dissuade you from whatever bullshit you wish to believe.
Have a super day.
KMX
@John: You’re already two layers deep so STOP DIGGING! Somebody needs to give you a clue as to where the clues are kept. Get a clue from there and apply it. But that would only get you back to normal cluelessness, so you still need another clue to get back to even.
Connie
I am an openly-gay college student with a supportive, pro-equality Republican family. While these bullies were probably fed these things through their conservative Christian pastors and parents, it’s really unfair to say “They will likely join their school’s Young Republicans group sometime in the near future” as if all Republicans are hateful bigots. Remember, it took a few brave Republicans to repeal DADT and to pass marriage equality in New York. Yes, I’ve seen and heard what most conservatives think about our community, but we don’t have a right to immaturely put people down when we crusade against that.
m1hoffman
@Me: Please don’t refer to heterosexual individuals as “hets”. I am not heterosexual, but I have many loved ones who are, and it hurts me to see the cycle of hatred continuing. Please reconsider what you said.
k
Not all republicans are against gay rights.
By showing such hatred for republicans, you are doing no better
than these bullies showing hatred towards gays.
Ignorance is not bliss, it just makes you sound completely uneducated.
bagooka
It’s a small victory, but I’ll take it.
Kricket
As a conservative bi-sexual, I think the comment about the bullies soon joining the young republicans group pointless and mean. Why turn what could have been a small victory as bagooka said, into a war about politics?
Pitiful, dear author. Just as pitiful as the bullies.
Ken
@k:
ya, won’t someone think of the few good klansmen?
Seriously, the Republicans, as a party, and as a vast majority of individuals amongst the party, are against gay rights, they’re working diligently to overturn both court and legislative decisions permitting gay marriage, all but one of the Republican candidates for president say they are against allowing gays to openly serve in the military. You’re saying that it’s unfair to associate individuals who are part of a party with the platform of that party. It is eminently fair, they have the option of changing party, yet they continue to associate with people who work diligently to create a second-class citizenry for gay people.
Peter
“this is the problem with people like Matt Stone, and Trey Parker trying to convince us that when kids say fag, or faggot, that they don\’t mean it as being anti-gay”
The amount of ignorance in that statement is astounding.
1. South Park is a show meant for adults, adults that understand what SATIRE is.
2. Don’t blame shows for other people’s irresponsible parenting. If you don’t want your kids watching things they don’t understand, then don’t let them. Your logic is severely flawed if you think the “problem” is the show and not parents.
3. There is a difference between the word “faggot” being used with ill-intent, and being used for comical relief or in a jabbing or playful manner.
You have to contextualize words before you shoot them down as “harmful”. You know the word “female”? Have you ever heard that word being used in a demeaning and insulting manner, despite the fact that it is a word meant to describe a different sex than male? The point is that many words can be used harmfully and not harmfully, and that teaching and recognizing those differences is what’s important, not BLAMING people like Matt and Trey for the death of a child via bullying, just for using them in their comedy show (which again, is meant for adults, not children).
As for your comment on promoting an “anti-gay” environment, I’m strictly positive that Matt Stone and Trey Parker don’t want to “promote and anti-gay environment” and saying so proves how little you know of them as not only comedians, but as people too. You know who’s really promoting “anti-gay” environments that you should be taking issue with? People who take quotes from the bible such as “You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman: it is abomination (leviticus, 18:22)” and interpret it “GOD HATES FAGS”. If you’re actually against “anti-gay environment promotion” I think you might know who I’m talking about.
chink change
@bagooka: I don’t know. A suspension is not the same thing as having a criminal record for bullying a gay kid to death.
Dylan
To all those trying to attack the article for joking about the Republican Party, I have two points to make.
First of all, one of you mentioned that it is hypocritical to attack the Republicans while taking offense to anti-gay sentiment. That is ridiculous. Political affiliation is a choice, not a genetic predisposition. It is a disproportionate argument, this making it a logical fallacy.
Secondly, for those of you claiming that not all Republicans are against gay rights, you are absolutely right. However, what you cannot deny is that the vast majority of conservatives do oppose homosexuality. My Dad is a center-right Republican, and while he does not oppose gay rights, he has a slightly homophobic side to him, as many conservatives do. So, while I agree it was a generalization, it was also a joke. Democrats and Republicans alike have failed the LGBT community. However, the Republican party has made it their mission to attack the rights of gay people. Not all of them, but nearly all the Republican elected officials.
Yellow belly
I’d like to know what the maximum amount of time for a suspension is. That way I can tell whether the school district intends to use the suspension as an actual punishment or not.
Riker
@Yellow belly: I can’t speak to what the law is in that state, but here in New York, the maximum a principal could give was 5 days. If he asked for a Board of Education hearing, they could be suspended for the remainder of the school year (and then homeschooled)
Karen Kalpin
these are clearly hate crimes. IF indeed there is any proof on internet or anywhere else of these comments by “peers” they should totally be charged criminally. Even better, make part of their punishment community service work, doing something for the gay community. Knowledge is power and these kids have obviously been raised by homophobic haters and fools. Give them the benefit of the doubt that, if given some exposure to gay people that they may actually learn to think for themselves. If they do not have exposure to gay people then they are just living out the hatred their parents taught them. It sounds far fetched but………. my daughter filed a complaint at school re: anti gay language being used, and threats issues by a school mate. He was reported. He used ‘his parents’ religion” as his excuse BUT the good news is that THIS INTERACTION (with the guidance counselor, my daughter and myself) really DID change his life = his outlook on different people and made him look at HIMSELF not through his parents’ religion but as a human being. Sometimes people CAN CHANGE. We have to try. To just persecute these haters who are only kids does nothing – to try to actually expose them to people they have never been exposed to can actually TEACH, CHANGE and help them to grow……………….
Kaley
Listen, I’m not an american citizen, nor do I live in the US. But this problem isn’t just a matter of the US, it’s a worldwide problem. Thinking that just a group of people is guilty is wrong. If MORE people would raise their voice against this bullshit, that wouldn’t happen. I’ve been bullied in school for years and I do live in Munich which is a very liberate city at all. But the problem was: No one really had the courage to say something against it. People were simply watching people bullying me. If you want to change something, raise your own voice and fight for it in talking to those who do make problems. If the state doesn’t do anything against it at all, it’s because people don’t show them, that this topic is important to them. So, simply show them. Go on the streets. Fight for it. Sitting in front of the computer and discussing about it isn’t enough.
— Kaley.
Dennis
As an outsider, and by that I mean heterosexual, supporter of the LGBT Community, and non-political person, I thought the republican comments were unnecessary. I found this article from a shared link on the NOH8 facebook page, and my first impression of this site is from this article. Though I support the cause, my impression of the article and thus the site is yet another ‘news’ site that pretends to report news but in all reality is doing nothing more than use headlines to outline its own political agenda. (aka Fox News, MSNBC) Reading the article made me not want to support this site, and reading the authors responses to someone within the community made me want to scream.
Let me educate you all on something here. The same people that are on your side for equal rights, they have families that find themselves tied to one party or another. There are LGBT people all over this country who are slowly fighting their own battles at home to overcome homophobia within their own families and friends. Writing an article with such pointed attacks on essentially HALF of those people will only go to set these efforts back. If we cannot win over our own family and friends, we will never win over the country to support equality. My advice, report the news, and keep the political attacks and hate to yourself.
In addition, as the author, when someone points out something in your article that takes away from your story, take it as constructive criticism. The people that see those comments the way I saw them, they are thinking outside the box. They want your story to aid their cause, which is the same as your own. They just recognize that the hate only removes your credibility. They know that people like me are likely to see these comments and be turned away. Attacking them for pointing this out, it shows ignorance and a lack of respect. If you cannot respect each other, how can you demand respect from the rest of the world?
o
“Reading the article made me not want to support this site, and reading the authors responses to someone within the community made me want to scream.”
Then you should see a psychologist about your bizarre and erratic anger problem, Denny.
simply_T
Wow! When I read this it kind of made me want to cry. Straight on gay hate is dumb. Any hate is dumb. MEN KISS OTHER MEN GET OVER IT!!!! WOMEN KISS OTHER WOMEN GROW UP!!!! If it’s not your life don’t worry about it. If a gay man or woman hits on you all you have to do is be like sorry I don’t play for your team. Not make a huge deal over a little thing. And the term that’s so gay why does it have to be for bad things. Like aww man I have homework “that’s so gay”. Why can’t it be like “yeah no homework that’s so gay”. Why can’t straight be an insult. “Eww did you see that movie, it was so straight”. But then there would be a huge conflict over that but it’s okay when the shoe’s on the other foot, right? Wrong! It’s not okay. I myself choose not to be gay, but I will not pick or judge someone that is. In fact I admire the LBGTC members. It takes a lot of balls to come out. Then people want to be mean to them. Or when old people role their eyes at gays in stores. Just because people didn’t do that back in the day. Times have changed, change with it. Then they want to say that all gays go to hell. God picks what your going to be, why would he punish you for being what he wanted you to be? I think the world would be a better place without hate.
Cam
This is just sad and horrible… I made me nearly cry..
How could you live with yourself after you push a young boy to kill himself.
I hope all student who did this and encoraged it have nightmares for the rest of their lives! and get crminal charge or better GO TO JAIL!!!!!
R.I.P Jamey
I hope you are in a better place and know that many people love and miss you.
You were perfect just the way you were!
<3
Riker
@simply_T: What in the name of Eris does LGBTC stand for? I’ve never ever ever seen a C used. “gay community” or “gay and trans communities” might be more appropriate here.
RVH
@John: True, Democrats suck on gay rights, they’re spineless on the issue as they are on most other important issues. But to invent a false equivalence between them and you people is mind-boggling. If you want to be a member of a party that openly hates you, and will always hate you, that’s your choice. It’s akin to a black person trying to be a member of the Klan. Just look at what the gay-to-straight conversion group known as GOProud did: they were convinced by Ann Coulter to remove advocacy for same-sex marriage from their group’s agenda. Even the gay Republicans hate gay people.
John
the story is a young person committing suicide. If you are unable to find a thread pertaining to all of this “repub/anti gay/etc”, start your own. And story author…see # 2….sometimes i think some of you people cant be serious about some of this BS….
RVH
@John: Yes, reprimand the liberals for talking about politics and commend conservatives for doing the same thing. Charlatan.
InisMagrath
@John: Here’s the Republican/Democratic difference:
At gatherings of Democrats with Democratic Party politicians, I hear Democrats congratulate those Democratic politicians who support equal civil rights for LGBT Americans. I also hear Democrats skewer those Democratic politicians who are not fully on board with the whole equality thing. Even President Obama is chastised by Democrats regularly for his frustratingly silly “evolving on the issue” stance.
By contrast…
At gatherings of Republicans with Republican Party politicians, I hear nothing but a pandering to the farthest right position, with Republican politicians vowing to advocate to deny LGBT Americans their full rights as citizen — with the Republican crowd cheering them on.
Where, I sincerely ask you, where are the Republican Party members that publicly and loudly demand of their Republican politicians to advocate for equal treatment of gays? All I hear are crickets…
And, that’s why the snide remark about the bullies going to join the Young Republican group resonates with readers.