- Mayor Annise Parker
Our old friend Michael Petrelis has been making a big deal of the fact that Houston Mayor Annise Parker hadn’t said anything about the suicide of 13-year-old Asher Brown. On Monday, Parker issued the following statement:
“What happened to Asher Brown, his family and friends is a tragedy. This situation is being investigated by the proper authorities, but it is a sign that bullying of any kind can have deadly consequences. It reminds us that young people who are targets of bullying need love and support.”
Asher, who was an eighth-grader at Hamilton Middle School in Cypress in northwest Harris County, is one of six known suicides nationwide over the last few weeks related to anti-gay bullying and harassment.
More courage Mayor. LGBT kids are targetted at frighteningly high rates and are often not able to rely on the support of their families due to parents’ fears/prejudice/condemnation. Mentioning “bullying of any kind” and “young people need love and support” is…good (and safe). Citing specific statistics concerning LGBT youth and specifically identifying this targetted minority (saying “LGBT”) in your statements is…courageous (and less safe). But, I know you know this.
Respectfully submitted.
as a gay guy who was bullied in the 4th grade at woodrow wilson grammar school in west caldwell, nj, i am quite disappointed in the mayor’s days of silence silence silence. yeah, nice to have her finally open her mouth on asher’s suicide, and now i wanna know: what ACTIONS will she take to protect gay and questioning kids today?
this is very much worth making a big deal over! silence still equals death.
What I find disturbing beyond all recognition about this case is that the spokesperson for this Cypress-Fairbanks school system, Kelli Durham, repeatedly lied last week when she said that Asher Brown’s parents “never complained” to the school, when they did. Now the school is doing a reversal and admitted that the parents had called the school, so this Kelli Durham, who is paid with the parents’ tax dollars, is a deliberate liar. Furthermore, she’s married to one of the assistant principals! What an incompetent group of adults are running that school system! No wonder the kids think it’s all right to bully one another there. The adults there have zero accountability.
I’m a sponsor of a Gay-Straight Alliance at a high school in the mid-west. I see the bullying and harassment of teens who are gay or perceived to be gay on a daily basis. Over the past 5 years, the problem has spiraled out of control. You can make a difference by finding the GSA at a high school near you and write them a note to let them know you’re there. Send them a financial donation so they know you support them. A little goes a long way with these kids. People like me out there alone in the trenches trying to provide these kids with a safe place. We engage in a solitary battle with social conservatives who attack us on a daily basis. The stress of trying to help these kids is overwhelming and we need to know you’re there and that you care. Please reach out today. You can make a difference. Find your local GSA and send them your support.
Other than making a statement to the Dallas Voice, Houston Mayor Annise Parker has been silent on this issue. Perhaps because there’s not a good photo op for it. It’s really a shame and disappointing that the gay mayor of the nation’s 4th largest city makes absolutely NO impact on this situation. The bullies at Hamilton Middle School, and other bullies who cause kids to commit suicide are all accessories to these deaths and should be at a minimum expelled from school. The inaction towards these bullies just shows the state of our nation wanting to look the other way when it comes to gay bullying. Punish the bullies, and next time vote for a mayor who will be a real voice for Houston.