Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Remembering Our Little Gay Martyrs















Many stories affected me deeply this year. But no story had such a devastating personal impact as the death of all those gay kids in the United States.

Now the mother of one of them, 13-year-old Seth Walsh, tells his story...



"Thank you for having me" he said. How sweet. When he could have said thanks a lot for bringing me into a world that hates me for who I am.

I'm sure all those deaths had a devastating impact on many other gay people who were bullied. Dredging up memories of brutal times they'd rather forget.

I'm absolutely convinced that those memories, and that sadness, contributed to the death of Bruce McDonald. Whose dream remains frozen in time.

The only consolation was that out of this horror came a new project to give hope to bullied kids.

















And it was awesome. Better than anything I had dreamed about for so long. Our poor little gay martyrs whose deaths helped save the lives of other children.

A couple of months ago, Dallas' Turtle Creek Chorale got together with other choirs to offer a few words of encouragement for the kids out there.

And a musical tribute to the dead...



For all gay children bullied to an early grave. For Bruce McDonald, and all the other victims of homophobia.

Rest in peace. We will remember you.

And of course, until the last minute of my life.

The struggle continues...

4 comments:

Kenn Chaplin said...

What a considerate kid! I saw his mother on CNN with a very strong, frank presentation. Thanks for paying tribute to these guys.

Beijing York said...

Beautiful tribute, Simon.

Watching that video of Seth's mom reading his words to her was heart wrenching. What courage in the face of such earth shattering sadness.

I cannot understand what is in the hearts of those bigots who cannot sob for the loss of these lives, or change their twisted views of the world.

Simon said...

hi Kenn...yes I found that particularly moving. I've got good news though, I just read that the school board is being investigated for not doing enough to protect him from the bullies. So maybe there will be justice...

Simon said...

hi Beijing...yes I found that video unbearably sad. The poor mother. But good for her for working with the ACLU to try to prevent what happened to her son from happening to other kids. And as I said in the post, her son already has. What a sad world...