To The
Advocate: We, the undersigned organizations and
individuals, wish to respond to the article "Mixed
Messages" by Neal Broverman in the April 8, 2008, issue of
The Advocate. The front cover of the magazine
asks: "Who's to blame? We told Lawrence King he had the
right to express his sexuality. Did we send him to his
death?" We feel the article discusses an important
topic in an unnecessarily provocative way. The
undercurrent of blame in the line of questioning posed to
activists and administrators is unproductive and seems
to be a cynical ploy to increase Advocate
readership and revenue. It's unfair in the wake of
this murder to ask those people working to make
schools safer to second-guess their work. While incidents
like this remind us of the climate that leads to
violence against LGBT youth, that climate is where the
blame lies. Thoreau wrote, "There are a thousand
hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at
the root." Rather than pointing fingers and using
inflammatory language, we wish to bring focus back to
the root of this problem. As groups united in the
struggle to make schools safe for all youth regardless of
sexual orientation or gender identity and expression,
we say there is no "mixed message" here:
- The blame does
not lie with Lawrence King.
- The blame does
not lie with those working to make schools safer.
- Allowing
intimidation and violence to force youth to suppress their
sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression will
only prolong the struggle to end that violence. Other
youth will be taunted, harassed, intimidated, beaten,
and even killed before this struggle ends. None of
them will be to blame, either.
Those who tell
them it's OK to be gay, and those who advocate for LGBT
youth are not to blame. Rather than finding fault with them,
we hope this incident will motivate everyone to work
with us to change the climate in schools. Our unified
message: This climate of fear must stop, so all youth
learn to respect diversity rather than fear and hate it.
Those who wish to join us in this struggle can learn
how to help by contacting any of the organizations
below.
TransYouth Family
Allies
Transgender Law
Center
PFLAG Transgender
Network
Triangle
Foundation
INTRAA (Indiana
Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance)
Fight OUT Loud
Seacoast
Outright, Portsmouth, NH
Transgender
American Veterans Association (TAVA)
The Liberal
Catholic Church International, Diocese of Arizona
FTM International
San Francisco, CA
FTMI San
Buenaventura Reed Erickson Chapter San Buenaventura, CA
COLAGE, San
Francisco, CA
Gay-Straight
Alliance Network, San Francisco, CA
The Naming
Project, Minneapolis, MN
Legal Services
for Children, San Francisco, CA
Gunner Scott,
Director, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
GenderQueer
Revolution
The Gender
Identity Center of Colorado
The Woodhull
Freedom Foundation
National
Transgender Advocacy Coalition
TransFM Internet
Broadcasting Network
QSquaredYouth,
Inc.
Tennessee
Transgender Political Coalition
Arizona
Transsexual Alliance Outreach, Inc.
Madison Area
Transgender Association, Madison, WI
ABGender.com
TGNow.com
Gemini Gender
Group, Milwaukee, WI
Idaho Equality
Tri-States
Transgender Social Welfare Action Alliance, Ann Arbor
Chapter
Chicago Area
Endangered Residents
Transgender
Advocates of Central Texas
The Network/La
Red, Boston, MA
PFLAG, Phoenix,
Arizona Chapter
PFLAG,
Montgomery, AL Chapter
The Queer
Community Project, Brattleboro, VT
Transgender
Detroit Warren, Michigan
Dr. Kelley
Winters, Keystone, CO
Ann Lorraine
Jones, Tucson, AZ
Rabbi Levi Alter
Rev. Dr. Julie
Nemecek, MI
Reid Vanderburgh,
LMFT Portland, Oregon
Mercedes Allen
Terry Rhines,
Lakewood, WA
Deborah Jordan,
Tacoma, WA
Donna Ellis,
Chandler, AZ
Al Ellis,
Chandler, AZ
Rev. Alexander
Yoo, MA
Kate Bowman,
Littleton, CO
Ricci Joy Levy,
Washington, D.C.
Ethan St. Pierre
Laura Shinn, MSW,
LCSW
Paula Keiser,
Topeka, KS
Abigail Jensen,
Prescott, AZ
Shawna Scott,
Athens, GA
Michelle M.
Eldridge
Helen Boyd,
Brooklyn, NY
Mo Lewis, Tacoma,
WA
Emilie
Jackson-Edney
Jean Chapin
Smith, MA
Professor Lynn
Conway, Ann Arbor, MI
Airen Lydick,
Seattle, WA
Stephen Tropiano,
Ph.D.
Debra Soshoux, CA
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