Homophobic hate messages were left Thursday on a memorial page set up for Billy Lucas, a Greensburg High School student who killed himself last week after being mercilessly bullied, friends said. Numerous images were uploaded to a Facebook group, giving visitors a taste of the kind of hate Lucas endured. The messages chided the teen about defending himself and made attacks on his presumed sexuality, 6News’ Joanna Massee reported.
Lucas was found hanged in a barn at his grandmother’s house last week. Some of the messages attempted to make light of the way Lucas died.
In addition to being a nationally syndicated sex advice columnist, the author of several books, and the host of the Savage Lovecast, Savage is “a deviant of the highest order” (Daily Caller).... More by Dan Savage
Teenagers are assholes.
While this is a terribly sad tragedy … I find it incredibly hypocritical that you criticize others for making light of the way someone died when you do the same thing yourself: http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/Blogto…
Anytime you make fun of someone’s death all you do is hurt the people who loved them (and look like a dick).
Nice double standard Dan.
Cue self-righteous response …
* Please ask CNN to cover the horrible Child Death and Cover-Up of Billy Lucas. Please report the names of Bullies and teachers who knew*
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.…
This isn’t about BEING gay, but about being PERCEIVED as gay. The mindset of the bullies, their resulting actions, AND the inactions and the denial by Principal Phil Chapple is the issue here. This was Common Knowledge. The Parents of the Bullies and the Educatiors are ultimately the ones responsible for this death. They did not condemn nor control the atmosphere of hate. This was not the first such incident. They are holding no one accountable.
It is as clear as a crystal ball that a community wide denial and cover up of a PERCEIVED gay 15 year old child being pushed to suicide by that very same community’s people is going on in full swing. You own this Greensburg! This mindset that it is Perfectly Okay to harass a child who is perceived as gay to the point of taking his own life, originates with, is perpetuated by, is endorsed by, and is denied by the Parents, and the Educational and Community Leaders of GREENSBURG, INDIANA, U.S.A.
Greensburg, Indiana is “The United States Capitol City of Hate!!!”
The mother (condolences) even at THIS point cannot find it within herself to entertain the remote possibility that Billy might have been gay. Sadly part of the problem. The mother knew that he was harassed. What did she do about it? Where is Social Services on this issue.
The Principal denies knowing of that which is common knowledge.
There has been ABSOLUTELY ZERO coverage in the Greensburg Daily Newspaper. Letters have been written to the editor. ‘non-coverage’
Expressing concerns directly to the Principal will be ineffective. Contact these other responsible or involved parties. Simply ask for investigations into Billy Lucas’ death.
Mr. Tom Hunter, Superintendent Greensburg Community Schools
1312 W. Westridge Parkway
Greensburg, IN 47240
(812)663-4774
thunter@greensburg.k12.in.us
School Board Members
Lisa Tressler – President
ltressler@rbskpartners.com
1476 South County Rd., 480 East, Greensburg, IN
David Weigel – Vice President
djweigel@comcast.net
716 Kessler Blvd., Greensburg, IN
Valorie Moorman – Secretary
moormanv@purdue.edu
4848 South County Rd. 60 SW, Greensburg, IN
Dave Meyer- Member
Dsmeyer1@comcast.net
515 Sycamore Trail, Greensburg, IN
Al Moore – Member
Al.Moore@rbc.com
514 Baili Ct., Greensburg, IN
Tony Owens – Member
theowenszoo@etczone.com
614 N. Franklin St., Greensburg, IN
Steve Taylor – Member
sttaylorlaw@gmail.com
PO Box 125, Greensburg, IN
Other Contacts:
Chief of Police Brian Heaton
http://www.greensburgpolice.com
http://www.cityofgreensburg.com/police.htm…
812-663-3131
Mayor Gary Herbert
Email: mayor@cityofgreensburg.com
812-663-3344
City Council Members
812-663-3344
Herb Hunter
Bill Wenning
JamieCain
Darrell Poling
Helen Gardner
June Rule
Greg Zoeller – Indiana Attorney General
Constituent@atg.in.gov
317.232.6201
Dr. Tony Bennett – Superintendent of Public Instruction
Indiana Department of Education
superintendent@doe.in.gov superintendent@doe.in.gov
Todd Huston – Chief of Staff, Indiana Department of Education
thuston@doe.in.gov
317-232-6614
Governor Mitch Daniels (whose links from the City’s Page have been made inoperative)
317-232-4567
http://www.in.gov/gov/2631.htm
Fox 59 news Video
http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-greensburg-…
Greensburg Daily News
http://greensburgdailynews.com/letters/x17…
Indy Star News
http://www.indystar.com/article/99999999/H…
Post – Tribune Indianapolis
ptvoice@post-trib.com
WFYI – Indianapolis
http://www.wfyi.org/contactus.asp
@allenink:
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that Dan is not being hypocritical at all. While “look at the way this twat died” is not exactly an exhibition of diplomacy or good taste, what Dr. Ryan was presumably doing during the time of his death (at the very least, just prior to it) was an inexcusable breach of the social contract which exists among any group of people who share a geography; you simply do *not* put others at risk of physical harm or death due to your own bad judgment. Anybody who cannot honor this very basic responsibility should not be allowed to leave the house. Had Dr. Ryan not killed himself by texting and driving, it’s not unlikely that he would have eventually killed somebody else by doing it. It was an incredibly selfish and inconsiderate act, and preventing behavior such as this is the reason for having laws, norms, customs and conventions in the first place. If texting while driving was in fact the cause of Dr. Ryan’s death, then yes, he got what he deserved, and Dan was not one inch out of place for pointing that out.
The messages that were left on Billy Lucas’ memorial page, on the other hand, are in no way comparable to Dan’s commentary on Dr. Ryan. While it’s true that teenagers are immature and less than fully formed, both psychologically and in terms of brain development, to bully a peer into suicide and then rub salt into the wounds left behind among his loved ones is a pretty good indicator that these kids are genuinely worthless and shitty fucking human beings. Like anybody, I knew kids like this in high school. A handful of them turned out all right, but the majority of them are still jerks, and again, Dan’s comments on this entirely justified. I’m afraid your double standard argument simply doesn’t hold any water.
Many kids are bullied at school and teachers and administrators are ineffective at stopping it. In some communities it is accepted for the strong (ie, athletes, popular kids) to demonize and torment the weak (ie, bookish kids, gay kids, anyone not in the mainstream). In fact, many “religious” people mandate the discrimination of gays. Indiana wants to change its constitution to ban gay marriage! So the community (unintentionally???) promotes this kind of torment of gay teens (or those perceived to be gay). There is enough evidence that some high school kids (bullies) are interpreting the anti-gay teaching they have learned at home, church, and in the community to be tacit approval of their cruel taunting and tormenting of those they think are gay. Gay rights is the civil rights issue of our time. “Christian” communities need to read what Jesus taught–“Judge as you shall be judged,” “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and “What you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” By their own stated religious beliefs, many in Greensburg and everywhere else in the US are in danger of eternal damnation for how they treat gay people on a daily basis.