Corey Jackson Mourned At Oakland University

Hundreds gathered in the rain Wednesday night to mourn Oakland University student Corey Jackson, who committed suicide Tuesday.

The Oakland Post reports that many students wore purple in support of Jackson, who was openly gay.

Oakland County Chief Medical Examiner Ljubisa J. Dragovic told the Post that it seemed Jackson "had been despondent about personal matters."

Jackson's aunt, Kim Jones, told WDIV that he had recently been having a "difficult time."

"He said 'I don't know what's wrong. Ever since I came out people are treating me different. I don't know what to do. I don't know where I belong," Jones said.

Jackson's death is the most recent in a spate of suicides among young gay men, including Rutgers student Tyler Clementi and Johnson and Wales student Raymond Chase.

Comments

[Tails]

08:28 PM on 10/23/2010

Open question, HP.

Who's worse: the bullies or the enablers?

[BethCarter320]

05:19 PM on 10/22/2010

I am deeply saddened that another life is lost. With projects like It Gets Better and Trevor Project, hopefully these students will have more options available to them. http://www.oppapers.com/blog/the-fight-against-bullying/

[m1jones]

11:02 AM on 10/22/2010

Most gay teens experience terrible conflicts in adolescence because they realize that they are different and they are never going to fit in with the heterosexual crowd. Good high schools, teachers, parents, and friends, know this and reach out to help them. Why weren't all of these people helping this poor kid before he killed himself? They are hypocrites.

[kcflood]

07:30 AM on 10/22/2010

so sad

[HarmNone]

12:39 AM on 10/22/2010

Corey, I only wish that you were surrounded by this much love when you were alive.

[ChristyH]

10:38 PM on 10/21/2010

There is a line in the movie, The Big Chill, that goes something like..."They throw a great party for you the one day they know that you can make it"..... All of the caring souls who mourn this man (and all of the other recent suicides) are saying these individuals have value.... What it so sad it that the victims can't hear the voices....

There have always been bullies (yes, it is so much worse now)..... But what is also missings are heros..... If ONE popular guy or girl in every class would STAND UP and PUT DOWN the bullying, would denouce it as cruel and stupid and classless and pathetic, then maybe, just maybe no one else would die....

Maybe we will always have bullies.... But what we USED to have were heroes..... Everyday heroes that extended their hand and allowed that lost, despondent teen to hold to a friend while waiting for the taunts to stop...

[Epiphany2b]

07:26 AM on 10/22/2010

When my oldest son was in high school, he made it his job to look out for the kids that were being bullied. His older female cousin did the same. I remember she single-handedly took after a guy twice her size who was beating up on a younger kid. I was so proud of her. But that was many years ago, and for only a few years, and only one school. You're right . . . if the other students/teachers know it's happening without speaking against it, they're condoning it and becoming part of the problem.

[Adrienne Williams]

09:46 PM on 10/21/2010

I'm still waiting for the general media to talk about the black bisexual kid that was beat down because of his sexuality last week. Nothing, I'm still waiting..... 'I am Visible' is coming....

[Tails]

12:49 AM on 10/22/2010

Valid point, but this isn't a situation that can be solved by trying to out produce sadness.

"Everyone suffers tragedy, the key is to learn to defeat it." -Char Aznable.

[johnb123]

01:07 AM on 10/22/2010

It's all about politics.

[Tails]

02:04 AM on 10/22/2010

Kids are dying and you don't care. We get it.

[johnb123]

09:29 PM on 10/21/2010

There are many support groups he could have turned to, but didn't. This isn't the way to handle life's problems.

[Tails]

12:50 AM on 10/22/2010

He felt crushed and hopeless. Completely and utterly hopeless. Once someone reaches that, it takes medication and institutionalizing.

Still flagging you because you have no clue what you're talking about.

[johnb123]

01:10 AM on 10/22/2010

He felt crushed and hopeless.

That's why there are support groups. It was HIS choice not to reach out for help.

[Javida]

09:53 PM on 10/22/2010

The comment by John does not warrant a flag. There's nothing abusive in his post whatsoever. He's simply stating his opinion. This is the same mentality that calls someone's opinion that doesn't agree w/ theirs "hate." Gross and inappropriate reaaction to John's post.

[Bob Kellerman]

02:54 AM on 10/22/2010

johnb must have attended
"The Fred Phelps School of Compassion"
and
"The University of Stating the Obvious, To No Good Purpose"

[Tails]

04:33 PM on 10/22/2010

Read up on his posts. Johnb is probably a WBC member.

[pandolfini21]

08:56 PM on 10/21/2010

Sympathies and Love to Corey's Family and Friends!

Most of you have seen the heartbreaking news stories these past weeks of several high profile suicides of gay teens. The suicide rate among gay teens is 4x that of their heterosexual counterparts. Compassionate and able people have a duty to make all young people feel valued , loved, respected, and welcomed as they take their place in the world. I believe those of us in the GLB community have a special responsibility to reach out to gay youth in positive ways, be proactive in mentoring, listening, for speaking up,and standing with, those may not yet have found their voice. As adults we need to stand between GLB youth and the monsters that would do them harm ....they need to know that they are not alone.

[Lawhumorist]

06:12 PM on 10/21/2010

For the record, I love my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and think that we should have a zero tolerance policy on bullying. Yet, we also have to explain to our children (gay or straight) that suicide is NEVER the answer when life gets hard. In recent weeks, several great role models have been making videos to tell kids that "it gets better," but that's not always true. Life is often hard. Just about everyone of us can expect to endure periods of financial devastation, career turmoil, marital strife, health problems, you name it. Our kids need to understand that life isn't always going to be good and people aren't always going to treat us fair.

And just as we should all tell our kids that bullying isn't acceptable, we should also let them know that suicide is even less acceptable and that, contrary to what some are saying, you are not a "hero" for killing yourself in the face of bullying. The really heroes -- Susan B. Anthony, MLK, Ryan White, etc. -- are those who have the courage to face up to the bullies and fight back for the rest of us.

Just a thought ...

[Joe Moore]

06:45 PM on 10/21/2010

I agree with you. And the wearing of purple and that whole campaign is not to honor what those kids did, but to bring to light the issue of bullying in schools. Before now, people just wrote it off as "kids will be kids" and "everyone gets teased". But it's more than just getting teased for having pimples, or being fat, or awkward looking or something. Being gay isn't something you grow out of, and society at the moment has too many higher level people sending out the message that gay and lesbians are somehow less than human.

This kind of message resonates in the minds of our youth who are not yet secure in who they are, and it's difficult for them to think that things do get better. While there are always hardships in life, a gay kid living in a rural area can change their location and life DOES get a lot better. Many of my friends living in West Hollywood (the vast majority) are from small towns all across the nation. They moved there to find a community that would accept them. But for some, that seems like an impossible task.

I don't condone suicide, as I have seen first hand what it can do to a family. But I will continue to talk about those kids who have killed themselves in an effort to bring to light the ignorance we're spreading to the new generation.

[tpagy]

05:39 PM on 10/21/2010

My Heart is hurting so badly for his family I think that could've been me I always knew that if i could just indure this pain a little longer it would get better that was 33 yrs ago and I did and now tread on me and god help you! To all the Young Gay People it does get better and you get Stronger don't give up please find help you are Important and are Treasured you truly are.

[johnb123]

05:34 PM on 10/21/2010

Suicide Rates Spiking For The Unemployed
The unemployed commit suicide at a rate two or three times the national average, researchers estimate.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/suicide-dogs-the-unemploy_n_684739.html

So where's the out pouring for the unemployed? Do we not count? or could it be because we don't have a big enough political group backing us.

[ascanius001]

05:42 PM on 10/21/2010

In your case, if someday you get a brain, you might get a job.

[Tails]

01:03 AM on 10/22/2010

The difference is these and KIDS AND TEENAGERS.

Are you that dense or that big of a Tony Perkins fan? Do us all a favor and go away. Go beet off to Boys Don't Cry.

[ascanius001]

05:28 PM on 10/21/2010

Were Maggie Gallagher and Tony Perkins in attendance? Or are they too busy high-fiving each other?

[Tails]

05:40 PM on 10/21/2010

They were getting ready to go on Faux and explain why this rash of suicided isn't that bad.

[Tails]

05:44 PM on 10/21/2010

-suicides

[Vitorio]

05:26 PM on 10/21/2010

The promise of a better world by way of religion and better goverment, failed him and is failing so many. Sad, I hope he(they) are now at peace.

[Kevin Atlanta]

04:53 PM on 10/21/2010

Condolences to the family.

This brilliant flame of youth now counts among the casualties of "The Culture War" created by the Missionaries of Hate from the Catholic, Evangelical and LDS/Mormon Cults of Jesus Inc.

This prohibition of Gays in the Military and Gay Marriage or being is the continuation of the McCarthyism of the 1940s and 1950s and is inflamed by the Cults of Jesus Inc's Evangelicals who require an "Other" to demonize to provide themselves any credibility.

When the Black Man in America went away as the object to be feared then the less visible "Homosexual" was attacked with the mistaken assumption from these fearful fundamentalists that we would never strike back.

We of the LGBTQ Community have news for the Catholic, Evangelical, LDS/Mormon and Baptists; they are exposed as the liars, fear-mongers and Missionaries of Hate that they elected to become in direct opposition to Jesus Christ's doctrine of love and acceptance.

These Charlatans, these Cults of Jesus Inc are a divisive and obnoxious segment of society who must have an "Other" to bully in order to maintain their perception of just a little bit morally superior when there is nothing morally superior or Christian in their vile diatribes and actions denying the Civil Rights and Human Rights of others.

"Civil Rights, Equal Rights are not like a pie to be divided up; they are like the tides that when set in motion overcome, overwhelm and exponentially increase all." Great Aunt Hattie

[Mike From PA]

10:34 PM on 10/21/2010

Without sounding like I'm on the other side, amen. Very well said.