Anti-Gay Bullying Leads to Child’s Suicide
What is our world coming to when an 11-year-old boy — a child! — hangs himself after being taunted by anti-gay rhetoric? Why are kids so cruel to push someone this far that he would take his own life? And why aren't the adults at schools paying better attention to harassment?
On Monday April 6, just 11 days before his 12th birthday, Carl Joseph Walker-Hover, a student at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, Mass., hung himself by wrapping an extension cord around his neck following nearly daily put-downs of being gay. This kid didn't identify as being gay — and why would he? He was 11. Sure, many of us know at an early age that we are attracted to people of the same sex, and yes, kids are coming out much earlier, but an 11 year old is a child who likely hasn't really processed what he's feeling and may not know how to express that. But that doesn't stop other kids from being horribly cruel. I mean, daily taunts? What is wrong with these kids that they have to push someone that far, every day? And for what — to make themselves feel better? It's total crap. And this kid was an athlete and a boy scout, but, according to his mother, was teased for the way he dressed.
When I was growing up, I definitely knew I felt different — hell, I likely even knew at a young age that I was gay. I definitely had my share of teasing, but it really didn't bother me, and that's probably because I was popular and well-liked. I brushed it off because the teasing was few and far between. But as I got into high school and even college before I came out, even to myself, I definitely had some rough moments. I'm sure we all have had them. The taunts. The ridicule. The paranoid feelings that someone may find out about your secret — or even just be mean because you were gay, if you were already out. Eventually, hopefully, we all find inner strength and don't let it bother us, or more so, do something about it and stick up for ourselves or others.
But Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover didn't get a chance to come to terms with his sexuality, if he even was gay. He didn't get a chance to defend himself. His mother pleaded often with the school to do something about the bullying, but they didn't. And now this young boy is dead. He's the fourth known middle-school aged suicide victim caused by anti-gay bullying this year; the other three were all in the Chicago area. In fact, about 86 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed at school in the last year, according to GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
More and more young people are speaking out — or rather not speaking at all — against this type of hate. On April 17, Carl's birthday, young people across the country will participate in the 13th annual National Day of Silence, where they will take some sort of vow of silence to shine the light on anti-LGBT harassment in schools. It's long overdue that we stop the hate and start protecting those who may not be able to protect themselves. It's really tragic that someone wasn't there to protect Carl. Who knows, he may have grown up to be a leader against this sort of action. But we'll never know.