Rafael Morelos

Rafael Morelos, 14

Meet Rafael Morelos, aged 14.  Rafael hanged himself Jan. 29, 2012 after being constantly bullied because he was gay.

From the story:

Family and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil on Friday evening to remember 14-year-old Rafael Morelos, who hanged himself on Sunday, Jan. 29. Rafael was openly gay, and friends said he was bullied because of it.

Rafael’s mother, Malinda Morelos, said said she did not know that her son was bullied until students at another vigil earlier in the week told her.
“Almost all the kids here told me he was being bullied,” Morelos told the Wenatchee World.

Morelos said she had known for several years that her son was gay, but that he kept his feelings to himself — she said she she had no idea what he was going through.

“He told me he got shoved and punched in the face in PE in the locker room at Cashmere,” said Lexii Mullin of Wenatchee, a friend of Rafael Morelos.

“He was tired of people saying that his little brothers would follow in his footsteps and be gay too,” said Maranda Blankenship of Wenatchee.

 Classmates “would bully him and cuss him out, and just hated on him all the time,” another friend, Jessica Fisk, told KCPQ-TV. “They would follow him and try to beat him up and try to hurt him.”

...

Sources:
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/02/family-friends-hold-vigil-for-bullied-gay-teen-who-committed-suicide/
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/02/family-friends-hold-vigil-for-bullied-gay-teen-who-committed-suicide/

Phillip Parker

Phillip Parker, 14

Meet Phillip Parker.  Phillip was 14 when he committed suicide Jan 20th, 2012 due to constant bullying based on his sexual orientation.

From the story:

...

In Tennessee, where lawmakers are once again considering the “don’t say gay” bill aimed at schools, a 14-year-old Gordonsville student killed himself Friday.

Family and friends gathered to remember Phillip Parker Saturday, sharing their stories while holding hands and comforting each other.

“That’s my son,” the boy’s father, Phillip Parker, told local news station WSMV. “I love him. I miss him. He shouldn’t have had to kill himself to be brought to life.”

The parents say their son hadn’t told them about the constancy of the bullying he faced at school for being gay. But his friends told local media they witnessed repeated harassment. According to News Channel 5 reports, the note his parents found beside his body said, “Please help me mom.”
...

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/phillip-parker-gay-tennessee-teen-suicide_n_1223688.html
http://news.advocate.com/post/16361234246/tennessee-teen-is-states-second-suicide-in-two-months

http://www.queerty.com/tennessee-14-year-old-commits-suicide-after-constant-bullying-20120123uicide-in-two-months

Jeffrey Fehr

Jeffrey Fehr, 18

Meet Jeffrey Fehr, 18.  Jeffrey hung himself on New Years day, 2012, on the front entrance to his family's home. 

From the story:

...

In the early hours of New Year's Day, Jeffrey hanged himself in the front entrance to his family's home in a tony Granite Bay neighborhood. He was 18 years old.

Since that day, his parents have searched their hearts and minds for answers. Though Jeffrey, who was gay, had recently ended a relationship and had been treated for depression, they believe something more insidious put him on the path toward suicide. They are convinced that a lifetime of taunts and bullying contributed to his decision to take his own life.

"We will second-guess ourselves forever," his father said. "But we do know that for years and years, people knocked him down for being different. It damaged him. It wore on him. He could never fully believe how wonderful he was, and how many people loved him."
 ...
 As early as the third grade, Jeffrey was the target of taunts, family members said. He had few friends and felt comfortable only when he was at home or on vacation with people he trusted.

"He would come home from school and cry," said Tyler, 21. "He would say he felt alone, that he wasn't accepted for the things he liked."
It was in the sixth grade that people first started calling him "fag," the Fehrs said.

"It broke my heart that he was abused that way," his mother said. They talked about how they could fix things.

Jeffrey's parents sent him to counseling, tried to build his confidence and encouraged him to pursue his interests, including art, theater and dance. Later, they got him treatment for depression.

His parents hoped high school would be a more welcoming place for Jeffrey. But his first two years were "pure hell," they said.

"He would literally hang his head when I dropped him off," his father recalled. "It was just awful for him."
...

Sources:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/15/4188596/granite-bay-teen-who-committed.html
http://www.queerty.com/nearly-1000-gather-to-mourn-ca-teen-who-committed-suicide-after-years-of-taunts-20120117
 http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/17/Teen_Killed_Himself_on_New_Years_Day

EricJames Borges

EricJames Borges, 19

Meet EricJames Borges, 19, of California.  Eric committed suicide Jan 12th, 2012 after a traumatic coming out experience.  He had made an "It Gets Better Video" and was a volunteer with the Trevor Project.

From the story:

...
Friends say EricJames Borges, 19, killed himself Wednesday after having endured a traumatic coming-out experience.

Borges had worked for the Trevor Project, which described him as “a dedicated, trained volunteer” in its mission of preventing suicide among LGBT youth. And he’d taped an It Gets Better video that tells the story of how he “was raised in an extremist Christian household” and was kicked out of his parents’ home.

“My mother knew I was gay and performed an exorcism on me in an attempt to cure me,” he said in his video. His family told him he was “disgusting” and “damned to hell.”
...

Here is his It Gets Better Video:




From SDGLN :

Bullied gay teen's suicide note: Insight on EricJames Borges' tragic death at age 19

“To my friends you gave me life and love, never think this was your fault ... To Lady Gaga, you have been a fearless relentless proud LGBT advocate ...” - Excerpt from a suicide note by EricJames Borges

Unlike during his life, 19-year-old EricJames Borges was in control at the end; he uploaded the music and chose the people; he designed his own funeral service and it was poignant. This past Saturday, Borges was celebrated at one of three memorials held in Visalia, and the one I attended was held by the small California Central Valley town’s grieving LGBT community, those describing themselves as his new family.

His religious-extremist parents had been invited but did not attend.

Mere months before, EricJames came out, recorded an “It Gets Better” video, made a short film and gave anti-bullying suicide prevention workshops to other teens; yet he could not sustain his own pain and committed suicide just two weeks ago.

Sources:
http://sdgln.com/news/2012/01/26/bullied-gay-teen-suicide-note-insight-ericjames-borges-death-19#.TylFcPtnoVc.facebook
http://news.advocate.com/post/15753265844/ericjames-borges-19-leaves-behind-message-of-love
http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/trevor-project-intern-takes-his-own-life?directory=100011
http://www.queerty.com/ca-teen-filmmaker-commits-suicide-after-making-it-gets-better-video-20120112

Jacob Rogers

Jacob Rogers, 18

Meet Jacob Rogers.  Jacob of Ashland City, Tennessee, committed suicide on Dec 7th, 2011 due to constant bullying related to his sexual orientation. 

From the story:

...
Friends say that kids bullied Jacob Rogers at Cheatham County Central High School for the past four years, but in the past few months it had become so bad he dropped out of school.

And Wednesday, he ended his life.

"He started coming home his senior year saying 'I don't want to go back. Everyone is so mean. They call me a f****, they call me gay, a queer,'" friend Kaelynn Mooningham said.

Kaelynn said her friend Jacob felt ignored.

"Jacob told me no one was helping him. He constantly was going to guidance," she said.
...
Kaelynn says Jacob lived with his grandmother who primarily took care of him.

She found a couple notes that Jacob left for her. In those notes Jacob left passwords to his email and his phone so investigators could determine why he chose to kill himself.
...

Sources:
http://www.wsmv.com/story/16213348/friends-say-classmate-killed-self-after-bullying
http://www.queerty.com/before-killing-himself-jacob-rogers-left-passwords-so-everyone-could-read-the-anti-gay-bullying-he-faced-20111208
www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/08/Internet_Local_Communities_Remember_Bullying_Victim_Jacob_Rogers

TPoH Update

It's been awhile since I've updated this blog.  My apologies.  I guess I keep hoping that I won't need to. 

I have been dragging my proverbial feet for a bit - it's pretty depressing making entries here, and I have a few to add.  

I have to get in the right frame of mind.

Of course, if I actually wait for that, then I'll never make another entry :(

So, I will add some of the entries I have been putting off, and updating some existing ones with new information. 

One 'update' that really kind of hits me hard is for Dominic Crouch.  His father, Roger Crouch, apparently never came to terms with his son's suicide and committed suicide himself.

I really hope for a day when this shit finally stops, but I suspect we have a long way to go still.

Jamey Rodemeyer

Meet Jamey Rodemeyer.  Jamey was 14 when he committed suicide Sept 18th 2011.  According to friends and family, relentless bullying at school and over the Internet based on his sexual orientation was the primary factor.

He had even made an "It Gets Better" video for the It Gets Better project May 4, 2011.

From the story:

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - A young life has been cut tragically short by suicide. Now, two grief stricken parents are vowing to carry on their son's message.

Jamey Rodemeyer's parents believe years of bullying drove their son to suicide. The Williamsville North freshman took his life Sunday, he was only 14 years old.

Jamey Rodemeyer posted a message online hoping that others would be inspired by his struggle with bullying. A part of the message reads, “That's all you have to do. Just love yourself and you're set. And I promise you, it'll get better.”

Soon after coming home from a family camping trip, Jamey was found dead Sunday. His parents say he was always under pressure because of struggles with his sexuality.

Jamey’s mother Tracy Rodemeyer said, "So he hung around with the girls a lot, so then the teasing started happening like 'Oh you're such a girl or you're gay or whatever and that bothered him for many years."

...

His last tweet, addressed to Lady Gaga read:

"bye mother monster, thank you for all you have done, paws up forever"

"I can't stop crying"

This picture was posted to his twitter account Feb 9th, 2011.












Here is his "it Gets Better" video on youtube.

Sources:
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/erie/parents-carry-on-anti-bullying-message
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/jamey.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pb1CaGMdWk&feature=player_embedded
http://twitter.com/#!/hausofjamey
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/schools/article563538.ece

Kameron Jacobsen

Kameron Jocobsen

Meet Kameron Jacobsen, age 14.  Kameron committed suicide in January of 2011.  He was a freshman at Monroe Woodbury High School n New York.  Although Kameron was not believed to be gay, bullying based on the perception that he was, played a role in his death.

From the story:

MYFOXNY.COM - A community in Orange Country, N.Y., is in mourning and in shock after a 14-year-old freshman took his own life and Facebook bullying may have pushed him over the edge.

Sources said that Kameron Jacobsen of Monroe Woodbury High School was tormented by Facebook bullies who taunted him about what they thought was his sexual orientation.

His fellow students and parents are devastated.

...

An excerpt from an article written by his father:

It is a very difficult process to write about my son’s life, but my hope is that you become a bit more familiar with him and you realize that he is the same as any young boy. They are all loved, they are all our sons. They all have dreams, they all have fears. They sometimes cry and sometimes hide their tears.

-Kevin Jacobsen Sr.

UPDATE 3/20/2012

A reader alerted me to some heart-breaking news.  From the article:

Kevin Jacobsen

MONROE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — It is an unimaginable loss for a Hudson Valley family.

A father who became an anti-bullying advocate after losing his son to suicide, has now taken his own life, reports CBS 2′s Tony Aiello.

A shadow of grief is once again upon a house in Orange County, following the weekend suicide of Kevin Jacobsen.

“That whole family to go through this twice now, I just can’t believe it,” neighbor Jacqui Vega said.

“There’s never an answer to it. It’s sad, you know. That’s all I can say. Just keep ‘em in your prayers and hope the wife can carry on,” added resident Bill Hale.

Back in September, Wanda and Kevin Jacobsen spoke about the suicide death of their son, Kameron, who suffered physical, verbal and cyber bullying.

...

Sources:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/10/n-y-anti-bullying-crusader-takes-his-own-life-near-anniversary-of-sons-death/
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/new_york_state/sources-teenager-kills-himself-after-facebook-taunts-20110119
http://www.kindnessabovemalice.org/meet-kameron/
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/jacobsen.html
http://www.askthejudge.info/freshman-made-lots-of-people-smile-and-laugh/8476/

Jadon Higganbothan

Meet Jadon Higganbothan, age 4.  Jadon was shot in the head by his "stepfather" (and suspected cult leader) Peter Lucas Moses sometime in October of 2010 because Peter thought Jadon "might be gay".

From the story:

Prosecutors laid out the case Friday against a Durham man charged with killing a 4-year-old boy and 28-year-old-woman, saying he led a “religious” group of women and children who called him “Lord” and feared him.

Peter Lucas Moses, 27, faces first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Jadon Higganbothan, 4, and Antoinetta Yvonne McKoy, 28. Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty against him. Defense attorneys didn't speak in his behalf at a court hearing Friday.

Prosecutors said Moses killed Jadon because he thought the child was gay and McKoy after he learned she couldn't have children and wanted to leave the group.

Prosecutors said the case came to police's attention in February when a young woman escaped from a house at 2109 Pear Tree Lane house, where she had lived with McKoy, Jadon, eight other children and three women charged in connection with the two slayings – Jadon's mother, Vania Rae Sisk, 25, Lavada Quinzetta Harris, 40, and Larhonda Renee Smith, 40.

...

Moses feared that Jadon might be gay because his father had left Sisk, and Moses told her to "get rid" of the child, prosecutors said.

"In the religious belief of that organization, homosexuality was frowned on," Cline said.

Sometime in October 2010, Smith told Moses that Jadon had hit another child's bottom, and Moses became angry and started walking around the house with a gun that belonged to Sisk, prosecutors said.

"He starts screaming, 'I told you to get rid of him!'" and told Sisk, "'How am I going to do this?'" Cline recalled the witness' account.

Moses ordered two of the women to set up computers and speakers in the garage, prosecutors said they were told by the witness. They said he started playing music with the Lord's Prayer in Hebrew, took Jadon in the garage and shut the door, and the women then heard a gunshot.

Prosecutors said the witness told them that the women helped clean up the body of Jadon, who had been shot in the head, and put it in a suitcase in Moses' master suite. He later told them to get the body out because it was beginning to smell, prosecutors said.

...

Sources:
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9836148/
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/07/08/DA_Man_Kills_4_Year_Old_Boy_He_Thought_Was_Gay/
http://www.gazette.com/articles/missing-115801-mother-boy.html

Adam Wood

Meet Adam Wood, 19.  Adam was attending the University of California in Merced, when he committed suicide by hanging himself from a 75-foot-high utility tower just outside the city on March 23rd, 2011.
Adam was openly gay, and had dealt with depression and 'personal demons' before he came to Merced.

From the Merced Sun-Star:

An infectious smile that made a room radiant, a gregarious wit and an intellect that beamed with endless possibility.

That's how UC Merced students including Saema Adeeb remembered Adam Wood, 19, a sophomore who committed suicide last week by hanging himself from a 75-foot-high utility tower just outside Merced.

A memorial for Wood is scheduled for 7 p.m. today at the university's recreation center.
...
Wood was highly intelligent and wanted to become a doctor, Adeeb remembered. "He had very high hopes," she said. "He had a lot of things going for him. He really had a lot of potential to do something in the world."

Wood wasn't a wallflower during his brief time at UC Merced. Case in point: He was the university's Bobcat mascot his freshman year. Most recently, he joined Sigma Chi fraternity and had made several friends.

Nick Nakamura, a UC Merced alumnus and the fraternity's adviser, said Wood joined the fraternity last March. He said Wood had been trying to deal with personal demons before he came to Merced, but he was seeing a therapist. Nakamura didn't elaborate on what those demons were.

Nakamura said he'll be missed. "Adam is going to stick with us," he said with tears in his eyes. "He was a good kid."

Three of Wood's four female roommates, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was "the life of the party" and a generally happy person who was "in love with music." He enjoyed dancing, cooking and playing the piano. "He was amazing at everything," said one of his roommates.

Alex Luong, a UC Merced student and close friend of Wood, said he will always remember Wood's pink sweater, which he would often wear. Wood was openly gay. "He wasn't ashamed of who he was," he reflected.

Sources:
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/03/24/1823957/merced-body-found-atop-tower.html
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/03/24/1824834/19-year-old-man-hanging-from-tower.html
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/03/29/1830154_p2/students-suicide-shakes-uc-merced.html

Dominic Crouch

Meet Dominic Crouch, age 15.  Dominic committed suicide in May of 2010 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK.

From the story:

Public schoolboy Dominic Crouch, 15, plunged from the six-storey building near the exclusive St Edwards School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in May of last year, just days after coming back from a four-day art class trip to the Forest of Dean.

Dominic appeared to be happy after returning from the trip, the inquest in Cheltenham heard.

However, on he Tuesday after the expedition the 'carefree' rugby-loving schoolboy left the school at lunchtime and went to a locked block of flats nearby called Withyholt Court.

He managed to gain access to the roof and threw himself off.

Paul Harvey, the school's current headmaster, told the inquest a helper on the trip, Lucy Evans, had reported after Dominic's death that the Year 10 children had been playing 'spin the bottle' on the trip and that it was said Dominic had kissed a boy.
This led to gossip that he might be homosexual.

From The Advocate:

“Dominic was clearly upset about rumours that he believed were being spread about him,” Dominic’s father Roger Crouch told the inquest. “We need to realize that what may be a laugh to some young people are deeply upsetting to another.”

Gloucestershire's deputy coroner David Dooley has ruled the death a suicide.

UPDATE 4/2/2011:

Via a comment from Dominic's mother, Paola Crouch:

I have been so moved by your website. The utter needlessness of loss of life caused by bullying or worse (I see with sadness that one young man was beaten to death). I am Domi's mother. Dominic was not in fact gay but was instinctively opposed to all forms of discrimination. He was driven to his death by taunts which he confirms in his last notes to us, were not true. Dominic was tough and physically fearless which I fear contributed to his undoing. He was also tremendously kind and compassionate and would never have participated in a similar hate campaign against a fellow pupil. We, his family, and the world in general have lost the sort of person that made life worth living, a boy without a single bad bone in his body. Rest in peace my beautiful child.

UPDATE 12/6/2011:

Roger Crouch, Dominic's father, who had spent his time since Dominic's death fighting bullying in schools, committed suicide on November 28th, 2011.  Apparently he had never come to terms with his son's death.

Read more here.



Sources:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/05/father-who-set-up-anti-gay-bullying-campaign-after-son-s-suicide-hanged-himself-inquest-hears-115875-23612446/
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/859523-gay-rumours-schoolboy-dominic-crouch-jumped-off-block-of-flats
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/31/Gay_Rumors_Led_Teen_to_Suicide/

Anthony Collao

Meet Anthony Collao, age 18.  Anthony, who was not gay, was beaten to death by five suspects yelling anti-gay slurs at a party.  The party was hosted by two gay friends.

Anthony died when he was removed from life support on Moday March 14th, 2011.

From the story:

Party crashers yelled anti-gay slurs, then beat and stomped a teen to death at a Queens birthday bash, sources and witnesses said.

Anthony Collao, 18, a recent high school graduate who wanted to help run his family's ice cream business, died Monday at Jamaica Hospital.

It's not clear why Collao was targeted. Friends said he had a girlfriend and was not gay - though the two men who threw the party are openly gay.

...


The crashers flashed gang signs, yelled anti-gay slurs and scrawled epithets in red marker on the walls, the two party hosts said.

"They called us homos and all kinds of stuff," said one of the men, who was celebrating his 20th birthday.

Sensing trouble, Collao left with a friend and was chased, sources said. The gang caught up to him, pinned him against a car and "beat him to within an inch of his life," a source said.

A memorial was held March 24th, 2011. 

Police have arrested five suspects thus far in connection with the deadly attack on Collao, who passed away after he was taken off life support. At least one of the suspects is a juvenile. All were charged with manslaughter and assault as hate crimes.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was at the vigil, denouncing anti-gay violence.

"That is what happens when hate goes unchecked. That is what happens when you allow homophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments to fester in a society," said Quinn.

Anthony Collao was not gay, but Thursday night he had the full support of the gay community.  And a sister who still can't believe her brother is gone.

"It just broke my heart completely because losing your older brother, blood running through, it just hurt. It's a pain you can't imagine," she said.

UPDATE 6/24/2011:

According to CBS NEWS  6 men have been charged with murder as a hate crime in Anthony's death.

...


Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said Thursday the defendants were each charged in a 21-count indictment that includes second-degree murder as a hate crime. Brown said the charges were upgraded after new evidence from witnesses.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said previously that the suspects made "homophobic remarks" and scrawled on a wall with red markers after crashing the party.

The defendants could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20073784-504083.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/15/2011-03-15_teen_beaten_to_death.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/16/2011-03-16_5th_suspect_arrested_in_fatal_beating_of_queens_teen_bragged_of_hate_crime_on_fa.html
http://www.queerty.com/queens-remembers-anthony-collao-the-straight-teen-gay-bashed-to-death-20110325/
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Community-Mourns-Teen-Hate-Crime-Victim-118626209.html

Nick Kelo Jr

Meet Nick Kelo Jr.  Nick was 13 when he died of a self inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday, Feb 23, 2011 in Rittman, OH.

It is not known whether Nick was gay, but bullying based on the perception that he was gay, apparently played a role.

From the story:

At the tender age of 13, Nicholas Kelo Jr. knew what it was like to be relentlessly bullied. It may have been what persuaded him to pry open a safe inside his Rittman home and remove the gun that killed him.

...

''It had been going on for years,'' Jacqueline Kelo said. ''We would talk and he would say [of the bullies] that they were not worth his time.''

Nick played football in middle school but gave up the sport this year to participate in high school band. The switch, Jacqueline Kelo reasoned, resulted in swelling rumors. Some, she said, wrongly assumed that a kid who would prefer to play the tenor sax rather than tossing a pigskin must be gay.

''After that, it [the bullying] spiraled out of control,'' she said.

...

After Nick's mother found him, an emergency squad rushed him to Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital. He then was transported by helicopter to Akron Children's Hospital. But the handsome boy with the incredible mind could not be saved.

Even in the throes of anguish, his parents had the mindset to donate his organs. ''We just wanted something good to come out of this tragedy,'' said the senior Kelo, who lives in Cuyahoga Falls.

Because the boy had worked so hard to earn a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and held a red-black belt in kumdo, his body was in remarkably good shape.

''They were able to get nine organs,'' Jacqueline Kelo explained.

...

Nick had once told his mother that if anything happened to him, he wanted his organs to be donated. It was quite a selfless decision for a kid his age, but then Nick wasn't an average child.

A while ago, the Kelos had to have Nick's IQ tested for a program at school. His mother teasingly refused to tell her son that he had scored 152, which is classified as superior intelligence.

''Your head would never fit through the door if you knew,'' she joked with him.

He was curious about how to obtain patents for things he had invented, such as a waffle fork to remove hot food from a toaster and an incinerator trash can.

Sources:

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/117770373.html

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/03/anti-gay-bullying-leads-to-another-tragic-teen-suicide/

http://thepostnewspapers.com/northernwayne/obituaries/obit-kelo-NW-3-5

Lance Lundsten

Meet Lance Lundsten, age 18.  Lance was an openly gay student at Jefferson High School in Miltona, Minn, when he committed suicide Saturday Jan 15th.

Many of Lance's friends say he was bullied continuously in school because of his sexual orientation.

From the story:

Around 10 p.m. Saturday the Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to an emergency call at the Lundsten's residence in Miltona.

When officers arrived, they discovered 18-year-old Lance Lundsten needing emergency medical care. Lundsten was transported to the Douglas County Hospital where he later died.

The Sheriff's Office confirmed to KSAX that they believed Lundsten's death was a suicide. The Sheriff would not confirm the nature of the medical emergency.

According to his Facebook page, Lundsten was openly gay. On a Facebook memorial page in Lundsten's honor, friends said  that Lundsten had been bullied at school for his sexual orientation. Some students who knew Lundsten believed the bullying may have led to his suicide.

Another Jefferson High School student started a Facebook group following Lundsten's death called the Jefferson Anti-Bully Coalition.

UPDATE 3/7/2011:

According to KSAX, Lance's death has been formally ruled a suicide due to mixed drug ingestion.  There had been some speculation that an enlarged heart might have been the cause of death, but this has now been ruled out.

Sources:
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S2005847.shtml?cat=10230
http://ksax.com/article/stories/s1928689.shtml
http://prideinutah.com/?p=8242

Aiden Rivera Schaeff

Meet Aiden Rivera Schaeff.  Aiden was 17 years old, just one month shy of his 18th birthday when he committed suicide on April 22 of 2010.  Aiden was female-to-male transgendered, and had begun his transition in high-school. 

According to one of his best friends, Ava, he had endured constant bullying in high-school, until he finally dropped out two months into his senior year.

Said Ava in her It 'get's better video' in his honor: "I know that there are a ton of people out there, who like Aiden, they're  amazing and just beautiful, and they're loved, and they can't see it because they have to deal with so much hate every day."



Ava's 'It Gets Better' video for Aiden:




There is a permanent page set up in his memory at: http://aidenriveraschaeff.com/

His obituary is at: http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=387072

Sources:
http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=387072
http://aidenriveraschaeff.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0lGt-jeqIo&feature=player_embedded

Joshua Wilkerson

Meet Joshua Wilkerson, age 18.  Wilkerson’s bound and burned body was found in a field in Pearland Texas on Wednesday Nov 17th after a 24 hour search.

Hermilio Moralez

Hermilio Moralez, 19, was charged Thursday with murder in the death of Joshua Wilkerson.  Authorities now say that Joshua Wilkerson, 18, was beaten with a large wooden rod and that his body was burned.






From the story:

According to court documents, Wilkerson gave Moralez a ride home from school Tuesday and Moralez stated that Wilkerson began to make sexual advances towards him. Moralez said they got out of the truck and began to fight when Wilkerson grabbed a large wooden rod and tried to hit him. Moralez said he took the piece of wood from Wilkerson and began to hit him with it. He said Wilkerson was not moving afterwards.

The police report provides more detailed information.  It's a pdf encoded image so I cannot cut and paste portions of it, but basically:

Moralez got into a fight with Wilkerson on the patio of Moralez' fathers home after being given a ride home from school by Wilkerson.  According to Moralez, Wilkerson made a pass at him.

During this fight, Wilkerson was beaten with a wooden pole.  Police have recovered the pole.

Afterwards, Moralez bound the hands and feet of Wilkerson, and took him to a field in Wilkerson's pickup truck.  There he set fire to the body.  He then discarded Wilkerson's backpack and shoes in a dumpster, and abandoned Wilkerson's pickup truck near a bar in Pearland.

When police found Moralez walking along a road, he was arrested and eventually told the story, as well as leading police to the body.  The body was partially burned, with the feet and hands bound.

According to Wilkerson's mother, the two had been friends and had known each other for about 5 years.  Wilkerson had frequently provided a ride home for Moralez.

More information becoming available:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/101118-pearland-teen-arrest
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7797238


Sources:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/101118-pearland-teen-arrest
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7797238
http://www.dallasvoice.com/breaking-pearland-teen-beaten-death-body-burned-antigay-hate-crime-1052971.html
http://www.dallasvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/pearland-teen-probable-cause.pdf

Brandon Bitner

Meet Brandon Bitner, age 14.  Brandon killed himself on Friday, November 5th by jumping in front of a tractor-trailer, after leaving a suicide note, and walking nearly 13 miles from his home.

From the story:

There seems to be little doubt in the students’ minds why Bitner did what he did.

“It was because of bullying,” friend Takara Jo Folk wrote in a letter to The Daily Item.

“It was not about race, or gender, but they bullied him for his sexual preferences and the way he dressed. Which,” she said, “they wrongly accused him of.”

His death came just days after an anti-bullying assembly at the high school, which, according to district Superintendent Wesley Knapp, was not held in response to any specific problems at the school, but because it is an issue Principal Cynthia Hutchinson has always felt strongly about.

After the assembly, according to student Briana Boyer in another letter to The Daily Item, “No one took it seriously, and joked around about it.”

Former Midd-West student Erin Barnett sent a letter as well, blaming the school, saying that when students report bullying, “Nothing is done.”

“Bullying should be addressed in every school, and should have a punishment,” Barnett said.

“I do not appreciate … kids bullying others for their own gratification,” Folk wrote. “Because of bullying, one of my closest friends took his own life.”

“I am writing this (because) Midd-West School District has bullies, and kids who are bullied are not okay.”

Other high school students on Friday described Bitner as extremely gifted.

“He was very talented,” said sophomore Alley Sharp, of Middleburg, as she remembered an “Evanascence” song he played on his violin at a middle school talent show, wowing the crowd.

Here is a link to a Memorial facebook page set up for him: http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Brandon-Bitner/163850276981688?v=wall&_fb_noscript=1

Sources:
http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x603547374/Bullied-student-kills-self
http://www.shewired.com/Article.cfm?ID=26086
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/08/Bullying_Suicide_in_Penn/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/09/national/main7038306.shtml

Corey Jackson

Meet Corey Jackson.  Cory, age 19, hung himself on Oct 19th, 2010 while attending school at Oakland University in California.

He had just recently come out as gay.

From the story:

Jackson's family said he recently revealed to them that he was a homosexual, and that they believe he was bullied over his sexual orientation. They think the bullying led him to commit suicide.

"I believe (it happened) because he recently realized he was a homosexual and he was getting pressured at school by his peers because he told his family and nothing changed here," said grandmother Carolyn Evans. "Corey was the most loving, giving, funny person. He had the most wonderful personality. He had cousins from ages 14 down to 2 and he never said a bad word about anybody. When he went to school and he realized his sexual preference had changed, he changed completely. He withdrew.

"Evans said her grandson had always been outgoing and loving before suddenly becoming self-conscious about himself.

Jackson's Aunt, Kim Jones, said Corey revealed to her he was having a difficult time.

"He said 'I don't know what's wrong. Ever since I came out people are treating me different. I don't know what to do. I don't know where I belong," Jones said.

...

Friends and family of Jackson gathered Tuesday at Van Wagoner Hall to comfort each other. At 10 p.m. Wednesday night they will gather again to celebrate his life at the bridge that crosses Bear Lake.

Sources:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/25454619/detail.html
http://perezhilton.com/2010-10-20-oakland-michigan-student-corey-jackson-commits-suicide-gay-student
http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=43712

Justin "Chloe" Lacey

Meet Chloe Lacey (born Justin Lacey).  Days before her 19th birthday, Chloe shot and killed herself while away at school on Sept. 24.

From the story:

...

Chloe Lacey was born Justin Lacey and seemed to her parents to be "all boy" until, at age 16, she announced to her family that she was transgendered. Though it was not evident to those around her, Chloe explained that even in kindergarten she had identified as a girl, the article said.

Chloe kept her identity a closely held secret while attending Buchanan High School, the article said. "Justin did not allow ’Chloe’ to come out at Buchanan at all," said Chloe’s mother, Allison Murphy, who described her child’s "feeling like you don’t... can’t talk about it to anybody because nobody will understand."

The article said that Chloe was not bullied, but that she suffered depression and anxiety because of pressure to "fit in" according to preexisting social expectations. Chloe sought treatment from mental health professionals, but refused the drugs that her therapists recommended.

After high school, Chloe found a measure of acceptance and happiness, her stepfather, Sean Dempsey, told the media. "There was friendship, there was peace, there some happiness, and she loved that."

But Chloe began to despair that she would never fully realize her own identity, feeling "like there is no way this is ever going to happen for me, so why am I here," Murphy said. 

...

From kmj580.com:

Following graduation from Buchanan High in 2009, Justin moved north to Eureka, where Dempsey says he found a close-knit circle of loving and acceptance and "was able to become more of 'Chloe'."

And the difference in perspective was remarkable when "Chloe" was able to express herself more freely.

Dempsey [her stepfather] says, "There was friendship, there was peace, there some happiness, and she loved that."

Justin slowly began to dress as "Chloe" while living in Eureka but lacked the confidence to do so outside the safety of home.

Murphy [her mother] says the process to fully transform into "Chloe", which could take 10 years or more, began to take its toll which became "really overwhelming" with regard to the already prevalent anxiety and depression.

So, Murphy proceeded to set up therapy sessions for "Chloe" but despite seeing several therapists, her outlook grew more grim.

Murphy says she was completely hopeless "...like there is no way this is ever going to happen for me, so why am I here."

Their greatest fear was realized on September 24, 2010, when Justin "Chloe" committed suicide.

 ...

A memorial fund has been set up in Justin "Chloe" Lacey's name.
Donations can be made by sending them to The Justin "Chloe" Lacey Memorial Fund, c/o EEOC, PO Box 5242, Fresno, CA, 93655.

Contributions will be funneled into a non-profit organization that Murphy and Dempsey plan to launch in Justin "Chloe's" memory to encourage awareness and acceptance of the transgender community, especially the youth.

Sources:
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=&sc3=&id=111436
http://www.kmj580.com/pages/landing_news?Parents-Mourn-Suicide-of-Transgender-Tee=1&blockID=328960&feedID=806
http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/Mahayana/2010/10/13/Chloe-Lacey-Transgender-Teen-Dies-by-Suicide

Aiyisha Hassan

Meet Aiyisha Hassan.  On Tuesday, October 5th, 2010, Aiyisha, age 19, committed suicide at her home in California.

Aiyisha, attended Howard University from 2008 to the spring of 2010.

From the story:

Amari Ice, 22, president of C.A.S.C.A.D.E., the Coalition of Activist Students Celebrating the Acceptance of Diversity and Equality, Howard University's LGBT student group, said Hassan was a lesbian who attended C.A.S.C.A.D.E. meetings regularly.

''It's devastating to say the least,'' Ice told Metro Weekly on Saturday, Oct. 9.

''It's been a lot to deal with especially with all the other youth suicides that have been happening. It's just fuel to the fire. It brought the national issue very very close to home.''

Details regarding Hassan's suicide have yet to be determined.

Lauren Morris, 21, a senior at Howard, who lived in the same building as Hassan from 2008-2009, said she introduced Hassan to C.A.S.C.A.D.E.. Morris added that friends have reported Hassan's suicide was related to her struggles with her sexuality.

''She was having a lot of trouble with a lot of different things,'' Morris says, ''but mainly her sexual identity and just trying to express that.''

...


''I absolutely think that this is connected in a way to the failure of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to be repealed,'' Sterling, who is gay and an a 2004 Howard alumni said, speaking to Metro Weekly on Friday.

''What happens in a large group trickles down to the junior members… so in this case it's members of society so it affects youth in general,'' he said. ''Those straight-identified youth who already had a proclivity, who already had from their parents, their socialization, this idea that gays are less than, it sort of gives them permission and facilities this whole bullying thing so that those that are most vulnerable to it sometimes see suicide as an out.''

According to Howard students, a memorial is currently being planned for Wednesday, Oct. 13. For updates to this story, visit MetroWeekly.com.

Sources:
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=5654
http://www.thehilltoponline.com/news/hu-gathers-to-mourn-loss-of-former-classmate-address-reality-of-student-suicides-1.2359741