The Southern California trial begins today in the Lawrence King murder case from 2008. To refresh, 14 year old Brandon McInerney brought a gun to school and shot 15 year old Lawrence in the back of the head twice. He did so because it was believed that Lawrence had a crush on him. Brandon, now 17, will be tried as an adult for murder with charges of a hate crime. If convicted, it carries a 53 year to life sentence.
This and other stories like this are so tragic. Two lives are completely lost based on how society still perceives the LGBT+ community. I know older generations are dissipating and ones less hateful are emerging, but this struggle is far from over. No life should ever be lost because you are being yourself. We keep telling our youth to come out, live true and be proud. They certainly can’t feel completely at ease in doing this when these events keep happening.
We must forge ahead and keep working towards acceptance and at the very least, tolerance. I want to personally thank my community and my friends for all the work you do being advocates. Even if you are just openly “out”, you are making a difference. For those who aren’t able to be, we will keep fighting until you feel comfortable that you can. Again, thank you all for your efforts towards making this world a more peaceful one.