TransActive NEWSFLASH: School Shooting In Oxnard

[Natasha]

TransActive NEWSFLASH: School Shooting In Oxnard

No Url available
02/14/2008

TransActive Education & Advocacy <http://www.transactiveonline.org/> , OR, USA


TransActive Education & Advocacy

1631 NE Broadway, Suite 355-T, Portland , OR 97232


Thursday, February 14, 2008

Dear Families, Friends & Allies,


Our friends at the Washington State Safe Schools Coalition forwarded
us this Media Statement from GroundSpark. It is regarding the shooting
death yesterday of a 15-year old, 8th grade student in Oxnard,
California. As you will read, the classmate assailant is being charged
with having committed a hate-crime because the murdered student was
openly gay and, at least to some degree, gender non-conforming.

We work every day to educate anyone who is willing (or un-willing) to
listen regarding the challenges and struggles that gender
non-conforming and trans-identified children and youth face. Many
times they are rejected by their own families or extended family. If
they do receive the support they so need and deserve from their
family, they then must work to find acceptance within their
neighborhoods and communities.

Beyond that, and hopefully with the support of their family, they must
work with the schools to create a safe environment in which they can
learn and develop the life skills they will need to be the productive,
gifted and contributing adult citizens they desire to be. The tragedy
that has occurred at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard reminds us that
we need to do more...and our schools, communities and culture are not
doing enough.

We are reaching the point where it may be getting more "tolerated"
that a student is or is perceived to be gay, lesbian or bisexual (in
some areas and still not enough!)....so long as they are not "too" gay
(meaning too 'femme' for a boy or too 'butch' for a girl). Gender
expression, without regard for sexual orientation, is still a primary
cause of bullying in our schools.

We mourn the loss of this child. We extend our deepest sympathies to
this child's family and friends. We feel this pain deeply because we
see the source of what leads to this type of violence, abuse and
harrassment on a daily basis.

We implore each of you to do what you can to work within your
communities, schools and neighborhoods to enlighten, educate and yes,
advocate on behalf of children like this dear 8th grader whose life
was taken violently and prematurely for, most likely, simply being
themselves.

As one the of the foremost organizations working specifically on
behalf of these children and their families, TransActive offers our
educational and advocacy resources to your families, schools and
communities. We do this, as resources allow, without regard to ability
to pay for our services.

We need your help in making this happen. Our children need you to help
us make this happen.

We all fear that the death in Oxnard will not be the last tragic loss
our community faces. We only hope that it is the tragedy that brings
us together as one voice, without regard to our philosophical,
personal, emotional, creative or geographic differences & distances.

For more information on our education and outreach efforts on behalf
of transgender and gender non-conforming children, or our "Hallway
Heroes" anti-bullying campaign, please visit our website.

Thank you in advance for supporting these kids and their families.


Peace & Unity,

Jenn Burleton

Executive Director
TransActive Education & Advocacy


West Coast Region Coordinator
Board Member
PFLAG-TNET

Recipient - The Ingersoll Center "2007 Service Award"


"Tears will get you sympathy. Sweat, will get you change."

Rev. Jesse Jackson

--
Mission Statement:

TransActive is committed to supporting families of gender independent
children and youth, and the child's right to freely express their true
gender identity.
--

--
TransActive is a non-profit educational and advocacy organization.

While we depend on service, speaking and presentation fees as well as
the financial support of our allies,
TransActive will not turn down family support, educational or advocacy
opportunities due to lack of ability to pay.
--


---------------


Media Statement – For Immediate Release
February 14, 2008

Contacts:
Ryan Schwartz
GroundSpark (CA)
415.641.4616 x305
rschwartz@...

Cathy Renna
Renna Communications (NY)
917.757.6123
cathy@...


Gay Middle School Student Killed in Oxnard, CA School Shooting;
Hate-Crime Charges Have Been Filed

Statement by Debra Chasnoff, Academy Award(R)-Winning Documentary
Filmmaker, Leading Expert on Creating LGBT-Inclusive Learning
Environments

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Today eighth-grader Lawrence King, 15, of Oxnard,
CA, was declared brain dead after a school shooting on Tuesday. King
was shot twice by a fellow student while in class at E.O. Green Junior
High School. Prosecutors are charging the assailant with murder with a
hate-crime enhancement. King remains on a ventilator for organ
donation. The victim was openly gay and was reported to have
occasionally worn feminine clothing and makeup to school. The Los
Angeles Times is reporting that King's peers attribute his attack to
his open sexual orientation.

Media Statement by Debra Chasnoff, GroundSpark Executive Director and
Academy Award(R)-winning documentary filmmaker:

"The murder of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old openly gay student at E.O.
Green Junior High in Oxnard, CA, is a terrible tragedy. It is a
horrific reminder that harassment of and violence toward gay, lesbian
and gender non-conforming students is still a serious problem in
schools across the country and it starts at younger ages than most
adults realize. We wish we could say we've come a long way since 1998
when Matthew Shepard was murdered when he was in college just because
he was gay. But now, similarly-motivated hate crimes are occurring in
middle schools.

Today, we mourn the loss of this young student and extend our deepest
sympathies to his family and friends. We also commit ourselves to
redoubling our efforts to prevent tragedies like this from ever
occurring again. One of the most important things we can do is support
educators and parents to pro-actively help young students cultivate
understanding and compassion for everyone, regardless of their sexual
orientation or gender expression.

Ten years ago we released the educational documentary It's
Elementary-Talking About Gay Issues in School and it helped spark a
movement to make schools safer places for all children by encouraging
K-8 teachers to weave respectful information about LGBT people into
their lesson plans. Ironically, this week we are re-releasing this
film because it's time for a new generation of teachers to get on
board to ensure that their schools and classrooms are safe for all
students, including those like Lawrence King who don't fit neatly in a
box of the stereotype of how boys are supposed to be. We call on all
educators in California, and across the nation, to recognize the
seriousness of anti-gay bullying and take appropriate steps to ensure
the safety and wellbeing of all their students."

Debra Chasnoff is available for interviews through the above media contacts.

More information about It's Elementary can be found online at
<<http://www.groundspark.org/films/elementary/index.html>>. Review
copies are also available.


About GroundSpark

GroundSpark creates visionary films and dynamic education campaigns
that move individuals and communities to take action for a more just
world. The Respect For All Project, a program of GroundSpark,
facilitates the development of inclusive schools and communities that
are free from bias and prejudice by providing resources, support and
training to educators and youth service providers.