Newsweek's Hate Crime

I am stunned by an article put out by Newsweek, "Young, Gay and Murdered". At best, it is poor journalism, at it's worst, it is a hate crime in itself, paving the way for a "gay panic" defense for the kid who pulled the trigger.

Remember? Larry King was killed? Shot point blank in the head?

Read the article and you'll be informed that in fact, Larry was the problem. He was always the problem. And while kids are experimenting with sexuality at younger and younger ages overall, being gay is dangerous. Heterosexual play is fine but, "Kids may want to express who they are, but they are playing grown-up without fully knowing what that means."

What does that mean?

The article is one of the poorest forms of journalism I've ever read. If it is an Opinion piece, okay, but to write "Even as homosexuality has become more accepted, the prospect of being openly gay in middle school raises a troubling set of issues" and to state it as fact?

To whom? The author? Is he an expert?

I can go on and on about this piece -- and I will -- but for today I am so deeply troubled by yet another piece of crappy, sensationalist reporting that is only geared towards selling magazines. It is obviously too boring and too common to focus on a 15 year old boy who snuck a gun into school and blew off another kid's head. A kid with drug abusing parents, with divorce and lack of parental supervision. A kid with an obsession with Hilter.

I know, been there, done that. No one wants to read that story.

Instead, let's focus on the victim. Let's dissect homosexuality at a young age. Not all kids sexuality, not all kids experimentation at younger and younger ages, but homosexuality.

Young, Gay and Murdered. Lesbian assistant principal suspected of a "gay agenda." King's troubled past leading him to a group home placement shrugged off as a minor event in a series of his own trouble causing.

As if kids get taken out of homes because they "accuse" their parents of hitting them. Another top notch effort of reporting, the adoptive father gets to simply say, "Not true," and that's it.

Because it's really about this bad boy, who wore girls clothes, got what he deserved. Homosexuality was the evil here. Playing "grown up" without knowing it could get you killed.

The article takes a kid who is dead and reports how he asked for it?

That, in my opinion, is a hate crime.

Comments

[jack315]

Does Whitman know the author personally? She didn't mention so - and therefore, claims of bias or hidden agendas strike me as untenable. When reading the story, what I do see first and foremost is a huge expenditure of investigative resources on Newsweek's part (five months of investigation, etc) that ultimately produced a detailed, lengthy, testimonial-laden narrative. Newsweek should be lauded for appropriately responding to the gravity of the Larry King murder.

I feel the reporter did his best to stay out of the narrative - instead, he let lots of people talk (anonymous teachers, parents, etc), and their words and actions are damning by themselves (it's revealing that unabashedly pro-Larry quotes were so few). Be it the comments of the teachers who viewed Larry as a nuisance and Joy Epstein as a problem or the neglectful parents of both Brandon and Larry, personally, I feel flattered that the reporter did not gloss - rather, the reporter baldly states the facts and then expects his audience to realize cruelty when they see it. Reporting such ugliness constitutes neither an endorsement nor a sympathy for such behavior.

This article successfully bucks the storied, hurtful convention of blaming the victim and castigating the Other. Whitman's identification of two ambiguous sentences is helpful, although other readings of those sentences exist. Whitman asks wonderful questions in her posts on the comment board, but I feel an exhaustive report of the Larry King murder, such as Newsweek's, is prerequisite to such tangled and urgent inquiries.

[NoSillyName]

Well said, jack315. The voice of reason.

[Sara Whitman - Huffpost Blogger]

there was a time, Jack315, when all journalists did that.

the reporter relied on anonymous sources, almost entirely. to me, that is hearsay.

And hearsay is not admissible in court, but clearly in our newspapers and magazines.

The reporter was all over the narrative and I'm sorry that your layman's eyes could not see that.

I can only keep wondering... were the teasers and taunters, the kids who made Harris and Kleybold lose it, who are dead after columbine... were they ever reported on like this?

and now another crazy person went and shot people in a Unitarian Church- will the Unitarians be under the microscope?

[AnotherTry]

Many seem to compare Larry's behaviour to males sexually harrassing females. I think the more appropriate comparison is females harrassing males. Would we feel the same way about this story if Larry were a girl?

[AnotherTry]

Wow. I am speechless after reading that Newsweek article. I feel that the next victim of a hate crime in junior high will have the author of that article to thank for perpetuating the idea that gay kids have it coming to them.

Education about homosexuality needs to start as easly as possible. What is so horrible about teaching young children that men love women, women love women and men love men? What is wrong with teaching children about love?

If both of these young people had a proper education about the realities of our world, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided.

[cylindar]

I read the story and I have to say that the situation was a total mess. I do think that Larry was stalking Brandon and that is apparently not something that Brandon cared for. In fact Brandon felt so overwhelmed by Larry's tactics that he snapped and shot Larry. From my read of the article it would appear to me that it is not a gay issue but one of harrassment and a response to the harrassment. It is sad that Brandon had felt that he had to shoot Larry, but psychologically harrassment can make people do dangerous things whether they are gay or straight. That does not mean that it is right to harm others in any way nor should that be accepted, but it appears that the school authorities did not do anything about the harrassment and they did not assess that Brandon might act as he did. I believe that the school authorities should be put on the hot seat for this one and that Brandon should be given counseling. As far as Larry is concerned, all I have to say is whether you are gay or straight bullying can backfire on you which in this case did.

[AnotherTry]

You don't know what went on between those two boys. Stop speaking like you do.

Is asking someone to be your valentine sexual harrassment? I don't think so. Why can't boys be taught to express themselves through means other than violence regardless of what the issue is?

[KevinKSF]

NEWSWEEK is now saying the story was written by Ramin Setoodeh using mostly, if not all, anonymous sources. And that Setoodeh says "his story would have been impossible to tell without it".

After every tragic event everybody and their mother has an opinion about it. Writing them down in a national magazine and trying to pass it off as fact is not journalism. How does unsubstantiated gossip help any one understand this tragedy?

[KevinVT]

Exactly!

The prosecutor posted the following to the Newsweek site:

Comment: I am the prosecutor in this case. I work for the District Attorney of Ventura County. Prior to publication, the author called me and ran several facts by me which I could not confirm for him. The story is rife with inaccuracies and feeds into the rumor mill swirling around this tragic case. Note the disclaimer at the end of the piece that many of the sources interviewed would only speak anonymously. The beauty of the criminal justice system is that it includes the 6th Amendment Confrontation clause which requires people to appear in front of the defendant, his attorney, the State's representative, the Judge and the Jurors and to testify under oath. Much of what these anonymous sources whisper into the ears of a complicit reporter will undoubtedly evaporate when and if they are called to the stand. Just goes to prove the old adage: Don't beleive everything you read.

[KevinVT]

Thanks for putting this out there, and I certainly do hope GLAAD steps up and that Newsweek gets lots of letters about their irresponsible and reprehensible article.

Like you, I was appalled by the article, but the comments both here and at Newsweek show that the vast majority of readers were only too delighted to be presented with an excuse not to really care about the murder of an effeminate boy who identified as gay or trans. The article allowed them to feel that it is not their fault, not society"s fault, not the fault of other heterosexual people, but perhaps Larry"s fault for "acting out" and "harassing" other boys. Phew! At least they don"t have to examine their own prejudices now! The tone on the Newsweek boards was positively gleeful in blaming everything on Larry"s behavior and sympathizing with his murderer. To many it seemed that murder was the perfect response to "harassment," since the two were morally equivalent. They could also scoff at the lesbian assistant principal who encouraged him and even the gay groups that now wanted to "exploit" the murder for their own agenda.

Whether or not the author is gay is irrelevant, since we have quite a few gays who are themselves eager to appeal to the heterosexual majority and provide them with excuses to pat themselves on the back. I did discover that he is very young (under 25, I think), and the article shows how inexperienced he is at understanding prejudice.

[NoSillyName]

I totally disagree with your analysis of the commenters here, but that's the way you read it. I didn't see anyone being "delighted".

I'm old enough to have gone to "junior high", not "middle school" & I clearly remember what a hell those years were. We didn't know that anyone was gay back then (early '60s), so there was no coming out then or in high school. I was bullied & sexually harassed because I had an Italian surname in a WASPy, white suburb. Nobody recognized "harassment" in those days & I had no one to turn to. Unfortunately, I took it all upon myself quietly, in desperation & depression. I attempted suicide at 15. I never fit in with the jocks & cheerleaders because I thought they were ridiculous with their self-importance. I stayed to myself, had one friend, wrote poetry & lived through it, miserably. In '67, I automatically turned to the "counterculture" because I never fit in anywhere else. I found some friends, got into the great music of the time. '67 was the year of the first Hendrix, Doors, Zappa, etc. That was the world I belonged in.There was a mere handful of us in a big highschool. I've never been "normal" or mainstream. What troubled me as a child, troubles me no more.

My heart goes out to all the young people who don't "fit in" & I find no "delight" in them being murdered. I blame the adults in this situation, at the homes

[NoSillyName]

--2--

and at the school.

[HollywoodBill]

Well, the gloves just came off. It was announced today that the alleged 14 year old killer, Brandon McInerney, will be tried as adult. McInerney could get 51 years to life. His court appointed attorney, Willie Quest, hinted that he wants a speedy trial. This trial could start within 60 days. There doesn't appear to be any reason for a change of venue, nor has any been asked for.

Ventura County is between Sta Barbara and Los Angeles County. Largely agricultural, it is somewhat of a bedroom community to western Los Angeles County. One of its primary towns is Simi Valley where the famous first Rodney King trial was held. The Ronald Reagan Library is there. Ventura County went for Bush in 2004.

A lot of unanswered questions will undoubtedly be covered in this trial. I am particularly interested in hearing the testimony of Joy Epstein, a counselor who appears to have had quite a bit of influence with King. It promises to be a very interesting trial.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard26-2008jul26,0,6621379.story

[chinohillster]

Theoretically, the purpose of school is to _EDUCATE_, to inform, challenge, stimulate intellectual curiosity and develop critical thinking.

As part of this process, there are _ADULTS_ who are _supposed_ to provide guidance, set boundaries and limits, resulting in an environment conducive to learning.

As a 6'2" black woman (and I was this tall when I was 12 years old!) , I can tell you that this is NOT just about being gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered, freckled, fat, big-eared, skinny, unathletic, Asian, Native American, Italian, etc, etc, etc - children come into school from the milieu of their families and community, and hopefully, by being exposed to differences and to information, become citizens who plug-in to the Common Good, who have opinions and beliefs, but can let differing opinions and beliefs be expressed without feeling threatened.

This young man was a HUMAN BEING. Period.

And no HUMAN BEING should be bullied, persecuted or harassed - now, I am an imperfect follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and according to that belief (and yes, I know there is baggage associated with it), ALL humankind is to be respected as unique persons, as 'imago Dei', as being created in the image of God, and of inestimable value.

[marylandtravelinman]

I'm amazed at how threatened people are by homosexuality, even when it"s just some kid dressing differently. Those gays must have some power or all the hetros wouldn't be so afraid.

[SixFiveFour2]

We do have super powers! Just watch TLC for proof. Can you say "Fabulous!!"

haha, jk.

[rayr1763]

Speaking as a gay man I personally think the article was slanted as well, however I think that on a much broader level we as a society, as parents and as teachers have failed not only both these two young boys but all of our children in general. We have failed in teaching them that it is not ok to ridicule others because they are different than us. We have failed our children when we allow them to witness our own prejudices. We fail on a monumental level when we allow them access to fire arms! (Where did this kid get a gun?) We have failed when we glorify violence even on the evening news; you"ve all heard the saying if it bleeds it leads. Most importantly we fail our children and we shame ourselves when we allow any one to use the defense for murdering anther human being "gay panic"! What does that even mean in real terms? The guy came on to me, so what other alternative did I have but to shoot him in the head? How about saying no, not interested!

[elgrabo]

I also read this story (just happy Newsweek didn't have a fluff story on Obama yet again.) I'm perplexed by this posting. I thought it was a well-researched article and did a good job explaining this story's many aspects.

I didn't think the writer assigned blame to the asst. vice principal, just reported that others did. Also, the "playing grown-up" sentence did not, in my opinion, exclude heterosexuality. Kids are exploring their sexuality earlier and earlier. And even though gay rights have gone far, they have a long way to go, so dealing with being gay at a young age is still, arguable difficult. Why is that so shocking?

Finally, regarding "To whom? The author? Is he an expert?" Actually a little research reveals the author is gay. And I was impressed that he didn't allow his own sexual orientation to bias his reporting and to tell the story from all angles. He manages to avoid a knee-jerk, shrill reaction to the story, (unlike Whitman.) No one is going to blame an 8th grader for being shot. This article never states he was the "problem." But clearly a story like this contains complexity, and much of it was not initially reported. The issues of family, divorce, bullying, education, mental illness, and yes, gay and transssexual issues intersected and resulted in tragedy. I applaud Ramin for excellent investigative reporting and providing us with the truth.

[Sara Whitman - Huffpost Blogger]

the point is, when you write an opinion piece- like I did, big ol' knee jerker that I am- you don't have to provide references and sources for statements made.

I don't care if the author is gay or not. Where did the comments come from?

and it most certainly excluded heterosexuality because the article was focused on gay youth. see my other comment about other ways to address that.

[elgrabo]

Yeah, calling a Newsweek article a "hate crime in itself" definitely qualifies as knee-jerk. and flaunting your ability as a blogger to rant and rave without sources isn't something to be proud of Ms. Whitman. One can write calmly and think rationally in opinion pieces too.

"and it most certainly excluded heterosexuality because the article was focused on gay youth." He used the word "sexuality" which, last I heard, includes heterosexuality as well.

And finally, why does a statement as banal as "being openly gay in middle school raises troubling set of issues" substantiation? when the rest of the article discusses in depth those troubling issues. Teachers, school administrators, friends and classmates and his own parents clearly lacked the tools necessary to deal with an openly gay middle schooler with emotional problems. And I think the term "shrinking closet? should be added to the cultural lexicon to cover this intermediary period in gay rights where we have come far but still have far to go. Perhaps because your sexual orientation is clearly such an important part of who you are, you cannot understand that for others, sexuality in one so young, can be hard to deal with.

[speakyourmind]

I have to disagree with you, elgrabo. I too read the article yesterday and my recurring thought was that the article made it sound like he had it coming to him. That's just the overall impression I got.

[AnotherTry]

Corporate media often employs gays to do this kind of work. It provides cover for them when the criticism starts. They can simply say, 'Well, how can you be upset at the slant of this article? It was written by a gay person.'

Why do you think Showtime found two old gay guys to produce that tripe called Queer as Folk? So when the expected criticism started rolling in from the gay community, they had an automatic out.

[DWilliy]

I have two comments on this story. First, I read the article and thought the journalists did a good job of covering all sides of this tragic story. I did not find this article to be a hate crime. I want my news sources to give me as much information as possible. I do not want them to self censor things and give me nothing more than the "Sara Whitman Politically Correct" version of events. I want to hear all sides even if it offends Whitman. This was a story with many complex issues and they all need to be heard so we can learn from it and prevent awful things like this from happening in the future.

Second, I do not think a person should be forced to hide and pretend they are something they are not. That said, I do not think that gives a person who is gay the right to harass other people because they think that is fun. In other words, the kid could have been openly gay and still left the other boys alone.

[STUPIDgit]

As a straight man who was bullied in high school because people thought I was gay, I feel you may not understand what you are talking about. I had two times where a gun was pulled on me, and once where a group of four guys came after me with a pipe - all because they didn't like the way I dressed. And my apparel was not anything extreme like a woman's dress or punk/goth attire, I simply wore slacks, dress shoes and dress shirts. When they accused me of being gay I refused to be defensive about it and therefore the assumption was that I was gay.

So while the kid in the story may have "harassed" the straight kids it does not mean that violence would have been avoided if he'd just kept to himself. If we are to truly be an equal society we can't expect all homosexuals to be meek and quiet about their sexuality. Being obnoxious shouldn't be a reason to be murdered.

[feministhousewife]

Whether or not Larry should have acted/dressed "normal" is not the issue here. If anything, the issue is a form of bullying on both sides of the coin.

Yes, he was harrassing/taunting students, but that does not mean he deserved death. The children bullying Larry should have been disciplined, and Larry should have been disciplined - not for wearing makeup, but for taunting classmates. Think about it - if a straight male student was harrassing female students saying things like "You want me. You look hot." etc etc etc That female student would complain, and the male student would be punished - because that is sexual harrassment.

Harrassing his classmates makes Larry deserving of detention - not death.

Larry used his brashness as a defense mechanism. Had Larry been in a enviroment where he felt safe being himself, he wouldn't have felt the need to lash out at those around him. ACCEPTANCE is the answer, not tolerance. ALL children in school need to treat one another with respect and be taught to accept their peers as they are.

[feministhousewife]

Continued -

It is absurd to suggest that because there is risk of ridicule, the answer is conformity. Those of you saying the answer is to just "be normal" don't understand what it means to be different. By this way of thinking, no one should ever dare to be themselves if that means stepping a toe over the line of the status quo. There will ALWAYS be a risk of ridicule when you are different. Even in some "liberal college," as mentioned by a previous commenter.

Our society needs to learn to celebrate and embrace our differences.

The accusations that the lesbian assistant principle had some kind of "agenda" are particularly troubling. Larry was lucky to have an understanding adult who he could turn to during the confusing teen years. I would be shocked if it came out that she was goading him on - as gay adults, we know the pain and dangers of discrimination. If anything, she was probably helping him cope with all that was going on his life - his unstable home life, the taunting of his peers, and his own process of self-discovery.

I am absolutely disgusted to see so many commenters here demonize this young man. The ONLY thing that Larry Kind did wrong was to taunt his classmates - bullying of any kind is unacceptable. But expressing his developing gender identity through clothing and accessories in a way that felt right to him is NOT a crime and does NOT make him deserving

[Dehrenstein]

The "Newsweek" cover story is an atrocity. Two paragraphs on the perp and the rest on his victim -- who is blamed for his own death. Disgusting.

WHERE THE HELL IS GLAAD?????

[Sara Whitman - Huffpost Blogger]

Excellent question.

but it's GLAAD.

[blogthisquickpost]

I'm completely shocked at the comments to this article. All of you blaming this child for his own murder should be deeply ashamed of yourselves. I'm sure that if it were your child killed in cold blood at school, you'd be pointing your fingers at the administration, the murderer's parents, etc...not at the victim.

Lots of children are "different" and that gives no other child the right to harass them, much less kill them. And if the adults supervising these children aren't on top of the bullying going on around them, then they're also to blame.

And as for the poster who cited "gay panic"...think about how ridiculous what you are saying is. Freaking out at someone being gay as an excuse for violence, even murder?? Sure, and Emmett Till's murderers had "black panic." B*ll-Sh*t.

[NoSillyName]

I mentioned "gay panic" in quotes because that is what some people call it when they freak out and do horrible things. I did not say I believe it, if fact I said I do not understand it. Why straight guys should be so threatened and react the way they do. This is what I said:

"Young men (and some older ones, as well) seem to be very insecure in their heterosexuality and can react in horrendous ways when it is threatened ("gay panic"). I certainly do not understand why, but it is obviously a problem."

Why they are so threatened, I don't know, but it seems to be true of some men. Maybe they are attracted to another guy and that makes them completely lose it. Look at all the murders of transgendered teens by these "threatened" men who may have had sex with them thinking they were girls.

Please read the comments more closely before you attack others because you took some words in the wrong way.