Bullied Washington State Gay Teen Commits Suicide

When will the blood bath of needlessly lost lives end? When will politicians and Christianists be satisfied that enough gays have died? Will their hatred and/or political pandering to truly nasty people ever cease? These are questions I keep asking myself as teen after teen takes their own life to escape anti-gay bullying. Bullying that continues to be made respectable by the Christianists and the majority of politicians in the Republican Party. The latest needless death comes from the Seattle area of Washington State where the Roman Catholic Church and conservative Christians are fighting tooth and claw to defeat marriage and civil equality for LGBT citizens. These "godly Christians" would have the public believe that gays are a vermin that threaten society. And for 14 year old Rafael Morelos the pattern is all too familiar: constant bullying, a school that does little or nothing to stop it and ultimately death. Seattle's Q13 TV has some details on Morelos' tragic death:

Family and friends gathered by candlelight Friday night to reflect on the life of 14-year-old Rafael Morelos, who killed himself last Sunday after friends said he was bullied in the Cashmere Middle School over his sexual orientation.

“They would bully him and cuss him out, and just hated on him all the time,” said friend Jessica Fisk. “They would follow him and try to beat him up and try to hurt him.” Morelos was an openly gay teenager. And his friends said he was attacked because of it.

Rafael's family and friends are trying to come to terms with his death and said it’s a tragic lesson to be learned, that bullying can truly destroy lives. “Just because you are gay or a lesbian or whatever, you shouldn’t get made fun of,” Fisk said.

Last year, the state ordered school districts to toughen their policies when it comes to online bullying. That move came after state education officials said nearly 15,000 students were suspended because of bullying in the 2008-2009 school year. The new law makes each school district designate someone to be the primary contact in cases of bullying or harassment.

Reportedly, Morelos was out and proud of who he was. But all of us have our breaking point - something I know all too well from my two serious suicide attempts. Sometimes all that matters is making the torment stop and you can't see beyond that. Meanwhile, I suspect the godly Christian set will be doubly pleased by Morelos since he was both gay and Hispanic. Two despised characteristics with the white fundamentalists.