Slain gay teen Lawrence King’s parents are making it hard to be sympathetic.
The family filed a lawsuit last week against the 15-year old’s school district for “failing to enforce a dress code, which allegedly spurred Brandon McInerney to shoot King in the head last February:
The parents and brother of 15-year-old Larry King filed a personal injury claim against the Hueneme school district seeking unspecified damages.
…
The claim, filed last week in Ventura County Superior Court, says administrators and teachers failed to enforce the school’s dress code when King wore feminine clothing and makeup to school.
At the time of his death, King lived in a nearby youth shelter. He had been removed from his parents’ home six months before, but no details have been released on what exactly went down. It seems to us the parents may not be angels in all of this.
Besides, is there a dress code saying boys can’t wear makeup?
How about we take this to the next level?
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Smokey Martini
Hm. The parents certainly missed the goal with that one…
ktrusley
I would like to know the details of why he was living in a group home at the time of his death. Why wasn’t he with his parents? How was there reaction on his life style? Was he a cross dresser or did he want transgender? Small minded people of the world is what makes people hide who they really are. Nobody should have to hide who or what they really are. This is why my fiancee had to hide who they really where during high school. It’s a sad sad world we live in when a child is killed for trying to express and show who they really are.
D Kendall
I am saddened by the tragic dealth of this young man but I am equally upset that this seems to be yet another case of parents wanting to blame the scholls or some other agency rather than taking responsiblility for their shortcomings. Where were they when their child was preparing for his school day. Whether you subscribe to the gay rights movement or not one has to realize that allowing a 15 year old to cross dress ond go to school is inviting disaster. Also their claim that the sshool was negligent in enforcing dress codes stands on very thin ice. In this age of frivolous litigation more schools are finding themselves in court defending behavioral rules such as dress codes. My sympathies to the family and friends of Larry King but litigation is not the way to honor his memory.
KDennis
I agree, and support the school for allowing Larry the freedom to dress as he chose. I too would be interested in knowing why he was in a group home. This doesn’t sound like a supportive family in the least. In my opinion, this move by Larry’s parents has damaged Larry’s legacy and done a great disservice to the LGBT community and our civil liberties. I wonder how many will line up behind the King family and want to include stipulations in school dress codes with regard to gender identity?
On top of that, this lawsuit may garner more press coverage than his unjustified and untimely death did. The conservative news media is going to have a field day with this.
CHURCHILL-Y
And still some people refuse to admit the homophobia of certain minorities. A fine example if there ever was one. They’ll carry their hatred even if it ends up costing their sons life. Sad case but true and reflective of their reality. Besides Brandon they only have themselves to blame for Lawrence tragic and wasteful death.
They’ve learned nothing from this whole tragedy.
Jeff
At first blush, it seems that absent parents are trying to earn some cash over the murder of their son.
Alan down in Florida
At third, fourth, fifth, tenth and one hundredth blushes as well Jeff.
nikko
I’m sorry, but I disagree. Larry had no business crossdressing at school-especially when they have a school uniform dress code, if I’m understanding it correctly. We live in a dangerous world, and he could have safely cross-dressed at home. I think he just added fuel to the homophobic fire. The tragedy is truly shocking.
Charles J. Mueller
Yes, Nikko. We do, indeed, live in a dangerous world.
However, with that vein of thinking and your closeted comment that he could have safely cross-dressed at home, are you advocating that all LGBT people go back to and remain in their closets, lest we invite harm to ourselves?
>adding fuel to the homophobic fire.
You make it sound like Larry King deserved what he got.
Do us a favor. Put another padlock on your closet door and make sure you are in it before you pull it shut.
Whoa.
shivadog
In total agreement with Charles. Anyway, he was shot because he gave that idiot a valantine, not because he was cross-dressing. What now Nikko, are you going to tell us he had no business being gay at school? He could have safely been gay at home?
Jeff
@ No. 7 · Alan down in Florida
Well, I try not to judge.
*snickers because he can never keep a straight face when he says that*
@ No. 8 · nikko
And perhaps if he were living at home with his parents (anyone know yet why he wasn’t?) then they could have exercised some parental responsibility and told him he couldn’t and maybe explained that he lives in a dangerous world where small-minded bigots murder people who are different simply because they’re different.
Jeff
Ah, Bilerico says child abuse: http://snurl.com/3ggfy
The Bilerico Project | Larry Kings parents are suing school for shooting [www_bilerico_com]
Parents who didn’t want the kid (if you did, would you abuse him?) but are quick to step up when there’s a buck to be made. Disgusting.
Sean S.
From the response of the family in the Newsweek article, they appear to be angry at his portrayal as “gay”, or in fact, the limelight that has come onto it because of the interest of gay rights groups. A similar article the other day posted here mentioned that three teens who were killed also had their families deny to charge the crime as a “hate crime” since they refused to acknowledge that their children were gay.
The “harassment” charges that the defense, and Newsweek as well, ran with also seem circumspect, especially in light of the very clear and present situation of heterosexual boys mistreating girls in schools, FAR beyond the supposed “teasing” and “innuendo” that even the kids who didn’t like Larry claimed he did.
Is it possible, that even irrespective of his orientation or gender identity, that Larry was a troubled kid? His juvie record and his bouncing around homes seems to suggest this. but the idea that anyone, and especially at best a minor juvenile delinquent, deserves to be executed is absurd. Even if, as some people claim, that Larry “Bullied” him, he still didn’t deserve to die. And considering all the additional issues clouding the situation, it’ll probably be impossible to pin down, what, exactly caused this situation.
patrick
When it comes to the lawsuit, Legally, they couldn’t stop him from wearing girls’ clothes, according to the California Attorney General’s Office, because of a state hate-crime law that prevents gender discrimination. Should be an interesting trial….or a very short one.
Charles J. Mueller
What a stinking kettle of fish.
McInerney pleads innocent to a murder charge, even though a classroom full of students, including the teacher witnessed him putting two holes in Larry King’s head and still holding the smoking gun in his hand.
Everyone is pleading for leniency and compassion for McInerney so he can have a ‘second chance’ at life. His natural parents were about as fucked-up as any hetero family could possibly get. It served as a painful reminder of my own fucked-parents and miserable up-bringing I suffered until I had the good sense to leave home at the age of 14 before I killed someone.
The parents of Larry Kink either booted their adopted kid out of the house for being queer or the authorities removed him from an abusive environment. We are not clear about that.
Here is a tinyurl.com link to the LA Times article for those wanting more information on this horrible event.
http://tinyurl.com/6474wy
And last of all, where are the ‘natural parents’ who sired Larry King and left him in the hospital for adoption? Why have they not come forth?
Talk about a child being unloved and unwanted from the get go??? Let’s hear it for the ‘normal’ Christian hetero’s and this fine example of ‘family values’, Defense of Marriage and anti-gay adoption of children folks.
I’m not at all convinced of their ‘superiority’ to gays. Nor, will I ever be.
Charles J. Mueller
Sorry for the spelling error. This whole tragedy has me so upset that I cannot type correctly. That should be Larry King.
MJ
The shooter is most to blame. But I still don’t believe in trying him as an adult. ////Others who might (I say “might” because I’m assuming there’s a lot of the story I don’t know), share blame: The students tormenting Brandon M. about being gay because Lawrence King had a crush on him; Joy Epstein, the lesbian vice-principal, who seemed to encourage King’s “outlandish” behavior; Lawrence King himself- maybe this kid was no angel himself. ////Who knows? I guess we’ll see.
Mr C
Our resident post guy here Churchill-Y says:
Question for you: Why do you seem to cover up WHITE HOMOPHOBIA?
What the fuck is your problem that you blame Minorities for everything? His murderer DUH…… is White!
Not that any of this matters folks but this queen tries her best to use subliminal tactics to attack minorities. UGH! When will the FUCK you understand HOMOPHOBIA? is not indoctrinated to any race of people. It’s taught and it’s WRONG no matter WHO uses it!
This queen needs help!
Charles J. Mueller
>And still some people refuse to admit the homophobia of certain minorities.
Could I glean some clarification on that as well?
What homophobic minority are we referring to here? Larry
King was killed by a member of the white majority.
His parents were members of the white majority.
And his school was an organization of the white majority.
All of whom, I might add, had homophobia of their own to deal with.
Am I missing a group here?
michael
I don’t understand these overt and covert statements and innuendos about homophobia in minorities that keep appearing
on these threads from a handful of people who say that they are gay. I wonder if this is from some political group trying to instill
fear and negative attitudes toward minorities so that maybe some of us will not vote for Obama. It seems like such a persistent agenda by these people they inject these comments even when it would appear absurd to the most racist moron in Mississippi. I don’t believe that these posters are gay. I believe they are posing as gay to try to negatively influence us.
nikko
No,Charles, Larry King did not deserve to be killed, but he was asking for trouble. Use your common sense. School isn’t there to showcase your
gender bending, but for learning..not to be distracted by a freakshow . And my closet is open to many that know me,thank you, and not some silly pride parade announcement that really amounts to nothing.
Charles J. Mueller
I cannot wait to see the flack you draw from that posting, NIKKO. I am constantly amazed by the number of “No he did not deserve to be killed but…” postings I see on Gay blogs. Your comments blew me right out of the water.
As a lifetime, out and proud gay man of 71 years of age, I find your comments cold, heartless, homophobic and insulting. You must be a Log Cabin Republican who is voting for McShame in the upcoming November elections.
Oh, and just for the record, it’s the ‘gender-bending’ trannies, cross-dressers from Stonewall and the ‘silly pride parades’ that got you the freedoms you enjoy today.
But, never mind. Since you seem to be so totally unaware and ungrateful of the tireless and unceasing efforts, time and money of those who came before you, you won’t be needing any of those freedoms in your closet anyway.
lyssa
Charles, you rock. Just when I think gay men are a total waste of human flesh, a gem like you comes along.
Keep calling the haters out. Keep fighting the good fight.
That said, I think there are undertones of misogyny throughout this post on King. I seriously doubt anybody would be throwing shade if this was some twink who got capped for a drunken tryst with the wrong man…
Social justice begins at home, dudes.
lyssa
Nikko, you are simply parroting the words that homophobes use against closet fags like yourself.
Hate if you must, but damn, can’t you at least hate in your own words?
Charles J. Mueller
Thank you for the kind, reassuring words, Lyssa.
I am so sorry that the gay men you have encountered in your life have left you feeling as you do toward them. I can only say that there are a lot of jerks out there and they come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Gay people can be just as fucked-up as any other group of people. Some of my best gay friends are total assholes and I am sure that there are those who could (and would) say the same about me. 😉
I grew up in a home that had a lot of hatred in it. My parents, on both sides disliked black people, Chinese, Italians and Latinos…and that’s just for starters. While they never came right out and said so in so many words, knowing that I was gay, I am certain that they probably felt the same way about qays as well. And I can assure you that the words they used to describe these groups of people were not as respectful as the ones I just used, if you get my drift.
I never, for the life of me, understand why they felt as they did toward people who never did one thing to them, but be. I recall my mother going off on a rant about the various races that were moving into what had been a predominantly German neighborhood when I was growing up. Halfway through that name-calling rant, I stopped her and asked, “Mom, is there anyone on the planet that you DO approve of?” That pretty much ended the conversation for the evening.
I’m not going to attempt to apologize for the assholes who have made you feel as you do. In all probability, they are probably not worth apologizing for anyway.
What I will say, however, is that there are many, many gay men, myself included, who enjoy the company of women as well as men, and that includes those who are transitioning from one sex to the other, and who have nothing but the highest of respect for them.
I sincerely hope that you will have the good fortune, as I have, to meet some gay men who are capable of treating you with the dignity and respect that you deserve. Just as one rotten barrel can spoil the rest of the barrel-full, don’t let the actions of a few thoughtless, heartless and uncaring people spoil your enjoyment of the human race in all of it’s beautiful varieties and variations.
There are good people out there. You just need to look for them and surround yourself with them.
I wish you tranquility, love and happiness.
Mr C
WOW…Charles that was very nice of you.
It’s always refreshing to blog on here and read post by folks who are not so FULL OF EVIL AND HATE
And after reading what you wrote it is so true of alot of us growing up. However, No one likes to admit it.
Good you did and GOOD FOR YOU!
nikko
No.21, hogwash. I am none of what you claim. Typical reactionary (in this case,wrong)gay response.
Hemma
Its saddening. Why is it wrong to showcase one’s personality, why such a heavy punishment. I am not saying that the victim was of no blame. People dun commiit on whims, they do it because something must have provoked but all the same a 15 year old boy should not have died like this. It is tragic, and i hope the other 15 year old boy is rehabilitated and not punished alone.
Lise
The parents are scum. They kicked their kid out and/or abused him when he came out. Now they’re blaming the school for “letting him” be gay.