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