UPDATED: I concede that my emotions were high when I wrote this post. Having lost friends to suicide because they could not deal with the rampant homophobia around them, Justin's needless suicide as the result of religious bigotry truly set me off.
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Focus on the Family ("FOTF") has shown its truly ugly face yet again in a controversy that has arisen out of the Anoka-Hennepin School Division where three gay teens have committed suicide. In the face of efforts to implement a no-bullying policy that would protect GLBT students against vicious bullying, FOTF has come out in opposition of the policy - once again disingenuously claiming that it would restrict the religious freedom of religious based bigots who frankly believe that the only good gay is a dead gay. The controversy highlights just how sick and perverse FOTF and its adherence are in reality despite their efforts to wrap themselves in religion and play the victim card. It truly sickens me and every time I read a story such as this I slip one step further towards disavowing Christianity in its entirety because it is nothing less than evil as practiced by people and organizations like FOTF.*
One mother, Tammy Aaberg, who lost her son Justin (pictured above) is speaking out and properly laying responsibility for her son's death at the feet of the school board which has failed to protect her son and other students from anti-gay bullying. It appears that the school board recently - and all too typically - knuckled under to to Christiaist that "homosexuality not be promoted." These bigots believe they have the right to trample over the rights of everyone else. Gay Agenda has background on the situation here, as well as commentary on FOTF and it's faux "experts" who are opposing needed changes. In my opinion, if anyone is guilty of a "culture of death" it's FOTF and similar anti-gay bigots. The Daily Planet News has coverage on Tammy Aaberg's statements on this tragedy. Here are highlights:
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According to his mother, Justin Aaberg was "a very sweet boy who seemed to always have a smile on his face; he didn't have a mean bone in his body...He was always a shoulder [friends] could cry on and would help them with their problems. He was also an extremely good cello player who even composed a few of his own songs."
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Tammy Aaberg's son, a student at Anoka High School, killed himself on July 9th, 2010. In testimony she gave to the Anoka-Hennepin School Board on Monday, Aaberg said her son was bullied because of his sexual orientation. She blamed the district for not intervening to stop the bullying, accusing district administrators of tying teachers' hands with a policy that kept teachers from being able to "reach out and help these hurting students."
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"I'm only asking that you please make the school safe for GLBT students still alive and in this district today they are people just like us and deserve to be treated like the rest of us. Suicide should not feel like the only way to take away the pain and shame."
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According to Peter Gokey, a former teacher in the Anoka-Hennepin School District and a leader of a group of LGBTA activists in the school district and who is familiar with Justin Aaberg's suicide, the young man also left messages saying he was driven to suicide by incessant anti-gay bullying.
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When OutFront Minnesota, through staff attorney Phil Duran, offered to conduct district-wide LGBT sensitivity and anti-bullying training for all teachers and staff following last year's suicide involving former Anoka-Hennepin student Alex Merrit, Associate Superintendant Michelle Langenfeld declined, saying in a letter to Duran that the neutrality policy prevented "support for district-wide staff development around a GLTB initiative."
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"I suspect in part it's because they know they've got this very conservative community and some loudmouths in that community who'll raise cain if they do something pro-LGBT," said OutFront's Duran.
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Yet another young gay life needless lost, one of thousands around the country each year. Meanwhile Christianist bigots like James Dobson strut about feeling self-righteous and congratulating themselves on their piety. Meanwhile, truth be told, they are little better than murderers. Justin, may you rest in peace. And may those at FOTF burn in Hell as they so justly deserve.
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According to his mother, Justin Aaberg was "a very sweet boy who seemed to always have a smile on his face; he didn't have a mean bone in his body...He was always a shoulder [friends] could cry on and would help them with their problems. He was also an extremely good cello player who even composed a few of his own songs."
*
Tammy Aaberg's son, a student at Anoka High School, killed himself on July 9th, 2010. In testimony she gave to the Anoka-Hennepin School Board on Monday, Aaberg said her son was bullied because of his sexual orientation. She blamed the district for not intervening to stop the bullying, accusing district administrators of tying teachers' hands with a policy that kept teachers from being able to "reach out and help these hurting students."
*
"I'm only asking that you please make the school safe for GLBT students still alive and in this district today they are people just like us and deserve to be treated like the rest of us. Suicide should not feel like the only way to take away the pain and shame."
*
According to Peter Gokey, a former teacher in the Anoka-Hennepin School District and a leader of a group of LGBTA activists in the school district and who is familiar with Justin Aaberg's suicide, the young man also left messages saying he was driven to suicide by incessant anti-gay bullying.
*
When OutFront Minnesota, through staff attorney Phil Duran, offered to conduct district-wide LGBT sensitivity and anti-bullying training for all teachers and staff following last year's suicide involving former Anoka-Hennepin student Alex Merrit, Associate Superintendant Michelle Langenfeld declined, saying in a letter to Duran that the neutrality policy prevented "support for district-wide staff development around a GLTB initiative."
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"I suspect in part it's because they know they've got this very conservative community and some loudmouths in that community who'll raise cain if they do something pro-LGBT," said OutFront's Duran.
*
Yet another young gay life needless lost, one of thousands around the country each year. Meanwhile Christianist bigots like James Dobson strut about feeling self-righteous and congratulating themselves on their piety. Meanwhile, truth be told, they are little better than murderers. Justin, may you rest in peace. And may those at FOTF burn in Hell as they so justly deserve.
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