New responses, news and information are added at the bottom of this page. Jump to the bottom of this page.   Read the response by FUAH board member Steve Schalchlin here.
		Information On Two Memorial Funds & Other Responses Regarding the Shooting Death of Lawrence King

Information On Two Memorial Funds ~ One to help pay for Lawrence King's funeral, and one to honor his memory in the community.

Lawrence King Donation Fund
Friday, February 15, 2008 - Originally posted (and slightly edited here) on the Joe.My.God. blog. Note: Joe is one of Steve Schalchlin's friends.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2008/02/lawrence-king-donation-fund.html

Please consider sending a donation to the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance in memory of Lawrence King, a flamboyant, effeminate gay kid who was murdered for having the courage to be exactly the person he was.

Ventura County's largest city is Oxnard, where Lawrence King lived, went to school, and was killed.

The link http://www.lgbtventura.org/give.php will take you to a PayPal donation page where you can make a tax-deductible contribution with a mere click of your wrist. Among the many services the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance offers is an after-school drop-in program where LGBT youth can interact with their peers in a safe environment. Website homepage: http://www.lgbtventura.org/

If you'd prefer to donate by check, contributions may be sent to: Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, 4567 Telephone Road, Suite 100,Ventura, CA 93003 (Fed tax # 77-0332688).

Remembering Lawrence King ~ created by GLSEN, listing vigils in memory of Lawrence King, calling for an end to violence and harassment directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools, are being organized in communities across the country this week. ~  http://www.rememberinglawrence.org

Remembering Lawrence King - on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rememberinglawrence

Other responses regarding the shooting death of Lawrence King

Subject:     [IMPORTANTNEWS] tragic news of 8th grader Lawrence King's murder, allegedly by a classmate, for being gay
Date:     Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:20:04 -0800
From:     Beth Reis,
To:     SAFE SCHOOLS: post to main list, SAFE SCHOOLS: post to "IMPORTANT NEWS" list

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:

Many of you have been following the shooting in Oxnard. Here is the story as reported by the L.A. Times.
~ Yesterday when a junior high school student was shot: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard13feb13,0,6745547.story

~ This morning when he was declared brain dead: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard14feb14,0,7204301.story
~ This afternoon as the alleged assailant was charged with murder and hate crime: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard15feb15,0,7663055.story

This press release, which follows, is from Safe Schools Coalition member organization, GroundSpark ...

Media Statement – For Immediate Release
February 14, 2008

Contacts:
Ryan Schwartz
GroundSpark (CA)
415.641.4616 x305
rschwartz@respectforall.org

Cathy Renna
Renna Communications (NY)
917.757.6123
cathy@rennacommunications.com


Gay Middle School Student Killed in Oxnard, CA School Shooting;
Hate-Crime Charges Have Been Filed

Statement by Debra Chasnoff, Academy Award®-Winning Documentary Filmmaker, Leading Expert on Creating LGBT-Inclusive Learning Environments

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Today eighth-grader Lawrence King, 15, of Oxnard, CA, was declared brain dead after a school shooting on Tuesday. King was shot twice by a fellow student while in class at E.O. Green Junior High School. Prosecutors are charging the assailant with murder with a hate-crime enhancement. King remains on a ventilator for organ donation. The victim was openly gay and was reported to have occasionally worn feminine clothing and makeup to school. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that King’s peers attribute his attack to his open sexual orientation.

Media Statement by Debra Chasnoff, GroundSpark Executive Director and Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker:

"The murder of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old openly gay student at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, CA, is a terrible tragedy. It is a horrific reminder that harassment of and violence toward gay, lesbian and gender non-conforming students is still a serious problem in schools across the country and it starts at younger ages than most adults realize. We wish we could say we've come a long way since 1998 when Matthew Shepard was murdered when he was in college just because he was gay. But now, similarly-motivated hate crimes are occurring in middle schools.

Today, we mourn the loss of this young student and extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. We also commit ourselves to redoubling our efforts to prevent tragedies like this from ever occurring again. One of the most important things we can do is support educators and parents to pro-actively help young students cultivate understanding and compassion for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender expression.

Ten years ago we released the educational documentary It's Elementary-Talking About Gay Issues in School and it helped spark a movement to make schools safer places for all children by encouraging K-8 teachers to weave respectful information about LGBT people into their lesson plans. Ironically, this week we are re-releasing this film because it's time for a new generation of teachers to get on board to ensure that their schools and classrooms are safe for all students, including those like Lawrence King who don't fit neatly in a box of the stereotype of how boys are supposed to be. We call on all educators in California, and across the nation, to recognize the seriousness of anti-gay bullying and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all their students.”

Debra Chasnoff is available for interviews through the above media contacts.

More information about It’s Elementary can be found online at <<http://www.groundspark.org/films/elementary/index.html>>. Review copies are also available.

About GroundSpark
GroundSpark creates visionary films and dynamic education campaigns that move individuals and communities to take action for a more just world. The Respect For All Project, a program of GroundSpark, facilitates the development of inclusive schools and communities that are free from bias and prejudice by providing resources, support and training to educators and youth service providers.

###

Subject:     [IMPORTANTNEWS] fyi: more on the murder of 8th grader Lawrence King
Date:     Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:36:28 -0800
From:     Beth Reis
To:     SAFE SCHOOLS: post to main list, SAFE SCHOOLS: post to "IMPORTANT NEWS" list

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:

One of the three organizations to issue this joint press release, the GSA Network, is a member of Safe Schools Coalition:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  
February 14, 2008
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Carolyn Laub
Executive Director
GSA Network
415.235.4556
carolyn@gsanetwork.org

Masen Davis
Executive Director
Transgender Law Center
415.738.6168
masen@transgenderlawcenter.org

Seth Kilbourn
Political Director
Equality California
(415) 581 0005 x302
seth@eqca.org

GSA Network, Transgender Law Center, and EQCA Saddened Over Shooting of Gay Jr. High Student in Oxnard
Advocates urge stronger bullying prevention efforts to prevent escalation of violence

SAN FRANCISCO – Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network), the Transgender Law Center (TLC), and Equality California (EQCA) are deeply saddened by the shooting of Lawrence King, a gay junior high school student in Oxnard, CA.  The 15-year-old victim was shot at E.O. Green Junior High School on Tuesday morning and pronounced brain dead yesterday around 2 pm. 

According to reports from friends of Lawrence King speaking to the Los Angeles Times, the victim self-identified as gay, sometimes wore make-up and feminine jewelry, and was the target of ridicule by some of his classmates.  Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime, but have not confirmed if King was targeted by the shooter because of his sexual orientation or gender expression. 

The shooting has been characterized as a “personal” attack and “bad blood” between two students, but advocates caution the violence at the Oxnard junior high is more aptly characterized as a tragic example of widespread homophobia in our schools.  Every day young people are subject to bullying or harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

While there were reports of the victim receiving support at school due to the bullying he endured, no other bullying prevention efforts have been reported. This terrible event sheds light on the need to provide better education for all students about respect for diversity and differences.

“With young people coming out at younger ages, our schools – especially our junior highs and middle schools – need to be proactive about teaching respect for diversity based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Carolyn Laub, executive director of Gay-Straight Alliance Network.  “The tragic death of Lawrence King is a wake-up call for our schools to better protect students from harassment at school.  As a society, we can prevent this kind of violence from happening.”

“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, which is a grim reminder of the need for all of us to re-double our efforts to protect LGBT youth,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors.

California has laws protecting students from harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in schools.  The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act was enacted in 2000, and further strengthened through the passage of AB 394 (The Safe Place to Learn Act) and SB 777 (The CA Student Civil Rights Act), which went into effect on January 1, 2008. 

“We are proud to live in a state with laws aimed at preventing harassment and violence in schools,” said Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center   “We need strong laws, policies, and programs to keep our young people safe,” he continued. “But the sad reality is that even with these protections, violence against gay and gender non-conforming students happens all too often. We must address the culture of bullying in our schools to ensure that all youth have safe places to learn.”

GSA Network, the Transgender Law Center, and EQCA extend their condolences to the victim’s family and friends, and the entire E.O. Green Junior High School community.  Additionally, GSA Network, the Transgender Law Center, and EQCA encourage LGBT youth and families in the Ventura County area to seek out support services from the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance.  www.lgbtventura.org

###

GSA Network is a nonprofit organization, governed by youth and adults, that empowers youth activists to fight homophobia and transphobia in schools through Gay-Straight Alliance clubs. There are currently more than 650 GSA clubs in California schools, including more than 45% of the public high schools and about a dozen middle schools or junior highs in the state. www.gsanetwork.org

The Transgender Law Center is a civil rights organization advocating for transgender communities through direct legal services, education, community organizing, and policy and media advocacy. www.transgenderlawcenter.org

Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. www.eqca.org
 

********************************

About Safe Schools Coalition

The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 80+ organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and 400+ individuals working to help schools become safe places where every family can belong, where every educator can teach, and where every child can learn, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. 

Safe Schools' website: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
 

COMMENTARY: A Gay Teen's "Bad Blood"

On February 12 a gay eighth-grade student in Oxnard, Calif.. lay in a pool of his own blood in his school's computer lab as his attacker, a classmate, ran out of the room and off campus. John Ireland explores the undeniable feeling that Lawrence King took the bullet for every gay teenager.

Read this Advocate.com exclusive by John Ireland, an elementary school administrator in Los Angeles. Posted February 14, 2008
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail.asp?id=52214&page=1

Victim's family members say they will donate teen's organs
by Adam Foxman ~ Ventura County Star Newspaper ~ February 15, 2008
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/feb/15/no-headline---na1fcvictimfamily15/
 

From PFLAG
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2008
 

Contact:
Steve Krantz, PFLAG Southern Pacific Regional Director, (818) 625-2174, stevek@bipedinfo.com
Adam Ratliff, Communications Coordinator, PFLAG National (202) 467-8180 ext. 212, aratliff@pflag.org

California PFLAG Chapters Offer Condolences to Family of Slain High School Victim, Urge Schools to Take Serious Action

Ventura, CA — The California chapters of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) have banded together to mourn the fatal shooting of Lawrence King, a student at E. O. School in Oxnard, California. Reports claim that King's killer was motivated by his hostility towards King because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.

Statement of Steve Krantz, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Southern Pacific Regional Director:

"The tragic shooting of Larry King in his Oxnard Middle School classroom makes us realize that to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) in our country is still fraught with terrible risk. It is imperative that all schools educate our children that being GLBT is a normal difference among people, not something to be feared. Just like racial and religious differences, differences in sexual orientation should be respected, accepted and protected.

This terrible act clearly illustrates the need for schools to pay close attention to the safety of all of their students. Safe schools must be a priority to avoid future tragedies like this one. Whether school officials everywhere acknowledge that this is an issue or not, this is a very real problem in our classrooms across the nation. Our children deserve to be safe, no matter who they are, or how they are perceived. We owe them that much, and need to work for it through education and advocacy to promote equality. Educators, administrators, parents, and students must commit to taking action so this never happens again.

On behalf of PFLAG members in California and across the nation, we offer our sympathies to Larry's family and friends and want them to know that our hearts and thoughts are with them."

Visit http://www.pflag.org for updates.

# # #

About PFLAG- Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is the nation's premier grassroots organization committed to the civil rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) persons. Founded in 1973 by heterosexual mothers and fathers, PFLAG has 500 chapters and over 250,000 members and supporters throughout the United States.

Southern California Mourns 15-Year Old Shooting Victim Larry King
Filed by: Karen Ocamb ~ The Bilerico Project ~ February 16, 2008

Within the article were quotes from remarks of Lorri L. Jean, CEO, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center (below)
Read the whole article by Karen Ocamb here:
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/02/southern_california_mourns_15year_old_la.php
 

Bigotry, Hatred 'Loaded Gun' in Fatal Shooting

On Friday February 15, 2008, leaders from several LGBT organizations gathered at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center's Jeff Griffith Youth Center for a press conference to respond to the hate-motivated murder of Lawrence King. Speakers included the Center CEO Lorri L. Jean and her statement which included this:

First, let me say that our hearts go out to Lawrence and his friends and loved ones. And I say the same to Brandon and his friends and loved ones. This event is a terrible tragedy, but it’s even more so because Lawrence and Brandon were still children. Their lives had barely begun. One was violently cut short and the other’s hope for a normal, decent life is over. Two young people, full of promise with their whole lives ahead of them…all hope gone just like that, with the pull of a trigger.

Lawrence suffered the ultimate act of violence. He is dead and Brandon is alive. In that very basic way their situations cannot be compared. But there is a bigger picture here. Both of these children were victims. Victims of a society that continues to teach that it is permissible to exclude, revile and even hate gay people and anyone who does not conform to traditional gender stereotypes.

Brandon pulled the trigger, but bigotry and hatred loaded the gun.

See video of Lorri L. Jean's remarks here:
http://www.lagaycenter.org/site/PageServer?pagename=LorrisLawrenceKingmurdervideo

Read the complete transcript here: http://www.lagaycenter.org/site/DocServer/Lorri_s_Remarks.pdf?docID=1081
 

1,000 march in Oxnard in tribute to slain teen

Task Force decries anti-gay bigotry involving teen shot in hate-laced attack
http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/prMF_021408

February 14, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT:
Roberta Sklar, Communications Director
(Office) 646.358.1465
(Cell) 917.704.6358
rsklar@theTaskForce.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 — Lawrence King, a 15-year-old student in Oxnard, Calif., was shot in the head yesterday by a classmate. King was declared brain dead, but his body remains on a ventilator for possible organ donation. According to the Associated Press, the Ventura County prosecutor has filed charges of attempted murder with a hate-crime enhancement, but can't discuss the facts behind the case.

Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

“Right now we don’t know exactly how anti-gay hate expressed itself in the murder of Lawrence King. What we do know is that he was harassed on a daily basis because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. We do know that adults at his junior high school did not stop it and that kind of tolerance of anti-gay bigotry is pervasive in our nation’s schools. Our hearts go out to Lawrence’s family — and to all young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender kids who are — right now, right this minute — being bullied and beaten in school while adults look the other way.”

–30–

The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.

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