Hate Crime at California Junior High School

On Tuesday, February 12, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot at school by a classmate. He died later in the week after being taken off of life support. Lawrence, who attended E. O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, California, identified as gay and sometimes wore feminine clothing, according to classmates.

The 14-year-old, who allegedly shot Lawrence, has been charged with murder and a hate crime. The alleged attacker was one of a group of students that bullied and harassed Lawrence because he sometimes wore makeup and jewelry to school.

It’s so horrible to live in a world where GLBTQ teens face discrimination, threats and violence from peers because of their sexual orientation and gender expression. If you know someone in your school is being bullied because of his or her sexual orientation or gender expression, speak up! Take a stand against discrimination and let hate speech end with you.

Visit the “Remembering Lawrence King” MySpace profile for more info on what you can do to end GLBTQ discrimination.

MTV and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) teamed up to produce a few short videos aimed to end GLBTQ discrimination. Check them out: