I just saw a video clip that apparently is from the Ellen DeGeneres Show that will air today (Friday, Feb. 29). In it Ellen talks about Lawrence “Larry” King, the 15-year-old in Oxnard, Calif., who was allegedly shot and killed, at school, by a classmate. Apparently, Larry — an out gay kid — had asked the other boy to “be his Valentine,” and that’s what prompted the boy to shoot him.I cried when I first heard about this tragedy. I cried again when I watched this clip from Ellen.I cried for Larry King, and for every other LGBT person who has ever been teased, taunted, intimidated, threatened, injured or killed just for being themselves. And I cried for the children who have to live in this hateful world we have created.My partner and I have two children. Is either of them gay? I don’t know, and it certainly wouldn’t make any difference in how we feel about them if they were. But I admit to being afraid for them. Even if neither of them turns out to be a L, G, B or T person, they are still being raised by two moms, and that’s more than enough for some little homophobe-in-training to decide my kids are a good target.My partner and I do everything we can to encourage our children to be themselves and to be proud of who they are. We also do everything we can to make sure they are safe. I can only pray that “everything we can” will be enough.
Like Ellen said, something has got to change. And the change has to start now.
— Tammye Nash
