Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...de/7868151.stm

I thought we had got past this? Guess I was wrong :(

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

i read about this also and my heart goes out to his family and friends.

Being gay myself i know there r still people out there that take great pride in causing harm or distress to gay people.

I was reading a blog online earlier about a guy who was with a friend when a black bloke came upto them and said "Did u know gay is wrong" and then said he should try and i quote "pray it away" and his friend said to the guy i couldnt care less wheather my friend is gay or not it makes no difference and didnt people of your colour suffer the same kind of discrimination not so long ago and now your doing it to another minority.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

nothing will bring him back, but i hope the two concerned get a very long sentence with a recommendation from the judge for a minimum 20 years.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

I agree. Unfortunately there's probably another couple of like minded morons in another town ready to do similar:(

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

It's terrible, no matter how long their sentence is - nothing can bring the boy back and undo the pain to family and friends.

And also, we all know that things like this will never be stamped out completely unfortunately :(

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

This sort of tragedy makes my heart bleed!

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

I have to admit, I sometime wonder whether homophobes are actually sure of their *own* sexuality.

I feel sorry for the victim, and his family/friends..

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

I think there is a lot in what you say. Bullies in denial.. and the macho way to show how wonderfully hetro you are is to beat up a weaker gay person.

I worked for a couple of years in Jersey and got to know a couple of gay guys who were built like the proverbial outhouses. In the time I knew them they didn't have any problems getting picked on because of their sexuality.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

I'm from Huyton, born and bred. The people of Huyton are genuine hardworking people and where this happened is not in a poor area. I hope people realise that things like this can happen anywhere, although most would not want to admit it. This is the second such tragedy to happen in one town, anyone remember the Anthony Walker murder? Happened less than a mile away from this one.

My heart goes out to Michael and his family/friends.

I read a study a few weeks back that stated our local schools in the borough of Knowsley has the lowest rates of bullying in the UK - I somehow find this hard to believe looking at what has happened above :erm:

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

This kind of mindless stupidity is not limited by area or background and will never be stamped as no matter how much we may llike it to be. This is a tradegy for the man concerned and his family and friends and sadly they won't even get the comfort of a long sentence for the one's responsible. My experience of homophobes such as it is makes me think that the vast majority of them are threatened by gay men because they are not secure in their sexuality and even if they don't admit it realise anyone could be gay including themself they see beatings and more as a way of showing others they are not in anyway gay but doesn't help them when they are alone and in private where they can't beat away the idea or sometimes the feeling.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

i have to agree with the fact that a lot of homophobes are sexually frustrated in their own minds but theres a degree of education needed to combat this. Theres still a number of people that teach their kids its fine to treat Gay and Lesbian people in this mannor.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

I don't really buy into the 'secretly gay' thing. I think it is giving some justification to actions of the person, which lessens the attack itself

It's as bad as the 'provocation' defence that used to happen (and maybe still does) whenever a gay person was attacked. 'S/He came on to me - rather than say no, I smashed a glass over their head'

It is classing being gay as being so bad, that someone had to resort to violence against it.

If a black person was attacked, would anyone accept a defence or a justification of the attacker being 'secretly black'?

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

Me neither. I think it's just a mixture of stupidity, ignorance and bloody-mindedness.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

Ben don't for one minute think i am in anyway trying to defend violence against anyone because of sexuality but i do think it is threatening for some he man to suddenly have that odd gay thought pop in to his head and to decide that the best way to deal with it is the same way he would deal with any personal problem which is to resort to physical violence and i see a few of those types of people though by and large they only seem to be handy when it comes to women or people they know damn well they can hurt with little or no risk to themselves in other words cowards.

Re: Teenager 'killed for being gay'
 

But then it not the gay thought is it? Usually those that would turn to violence against gay people, would probably do it to others as well

I am gay myself and have never been anything else. When I was growing up and having the odd 'straight' thought, I wouldn't suddently attack the nearest girl

There also enough straight people I have known over the years, that although they are not gay and would never consider it, do not suddenly attack a gay person if they 'look at them the wrong way' etc.