Source: Ventura County Times, LA Times, LA Times, and indybay.org

Yearbook photo of Larry King photo via LA Times

The Rainbow Alliance is a nonprofit group that advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.

King shooting

The vigil will be held at 7 p.m. today followed by a walk to the beach, starting at 8 p.m.

According to reports from friends of Lawrence King speaking to the Los Angeles Times, the victim self-identified as gay, sometimes wore make-up and feminine jewelry, and was the target of ridicule by some of his classmates.

Authorities said yesterday that the shooting would be prosecuted as hate crime, but have not confirmed if King was targeted by the shooter because of his sexual orientation or gender expression.

"In the 15-year history of this organization, this is the first time we've seen the district attorney act this swiftly and clearly to say 'This will not be tolerated,' " said Jay Smith, executive director of the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance.

"We're assuming that the hate crime component has to do with [King's] sexuality," Smith said. "Because of that, we are very eager to see the district attorney follow through."

Smith said King had participated in Friday night rap sessions at the alliance's offices in Ventura. The sessions are for youths ages 13 to 23 regardless of their sexual orientation, Smith said.

Smith said the middle school and the district must go beyond providing general and vague lessons on diversity. "It's more than just education; it's about acceptance, not just tolerance," he said.

"The big question I have is: Was the school equipped to have a student like Larry in attendance?" Smith said.

A coalition of gay rights groups yesterday issued a statement saying they are "deeply saddened" by King's murder.

Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network), the Transgender Law Center (TLC), and Equality California (EQCA) said in the statement that the shooting is a "tragic example of widespread homophobia in our schools. Every day young people are subject to bullying or harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression."

“With young people coming out at younger ages, our schools -- especially our junior highs and middle schools -- need to be proactive about teaching respect for diversity based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Carolyn Laub, executive director of Gay-Straight Alliance Network. “The tragic death of Lawrence King is a wake-up call for our schools to better protect students from harassment at school. As a society, we can prevent this kind of violence from happening.”

While there were reports King receiving support at school due to the bullying he endured, no other bullying prevention efforts have been reported.

Jerry Dannenberg, the school district superintendent, said the school's staff was aware that King had butted heads with other students, including the suspect, and offered both students help.

"They had been doing a lot of counseling and a lot of work with [King] to help him deal with some of his concerns and issues," Dannenberg said. "But I can't go into specifics about what was going on."

Bullying in schools has long been a problem. But recent studies show that a student who comes "out" as gay or lesbian is far more likely to suffer abuse than others, said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network based in New York.

A student thought to be gay was five times as likely to be threatened or injured by a weapon, a 2002 California Department of Education study said. Jennings said other studies have found similar results. His group advocates more teacher training on how to handle bullying and harassment, specifically of gay students.

"This Oxnard shooting is very upsetting but not surprising," Jennings said. "The real issue is not the kid coming out, but the kid sitting next to him. Schools must teach that we may not like one another, but we must respect one another."

"This terrible event sheds light on the need to provide better education for all students about respect for diversity and differences," the gay rights groups said in their statement.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, which is a grim reminder of the need for all of us to re-double our efforts to protect LGBT youth,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors.

California has laws protecting students from harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in schools. The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act was enacted in 2000, and further strengthened through the passage of AB 394 (The Safe Place to Learn Act) and SB 777 (The CA Student Civil Rights Act), which went into effect on January 1, 2008.

"We are proud to live in a state with laws aimed at preventing harassment and violence in schools," said Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center.

"We need strong laws, policies, and programs to keep our young people safe," he continued. "But the sad reality is that even with these protections, violence against gay and gender non-conforming students happens all too often. We must address the culture of bullying in our schools to ensure that all youth have safe places to learn."

Although Greg King, identified by the Ventura County Times on Wednesday as Larry King's father [see Qnews summary], expressed fondness for him and sadness about the boy's death, details that emerged later indicated problems in the home.

According to the LA Times, Larry King was a foster child living at Casa Pacifica, a shelter for abused and troubled children in Camarillo.

Steven Elson, executive director at Casa Pacifica, said he could not discuss how long King had lived there or the circumstances involving his removal from his family.
But Elson said King had made many friends on the sprawling residential campus and that many of the children were grieving his loss.

Student Averi Laskey, 13, said she had known King since grammar school and liked him. She said that only in the last two weeks had he begun dressing in a feminine manner.

"Even if he was different, he didn't deserve it," she said.

Laskey said King was happy at Casa Pacifica, although he had to take a long bus ride to and from school every day. He said he grew up in a troubled home, she said.

"He never felt like he had a family, but he told me when he got to Casa Pacifica that he had one there," Laskey said.

Full article: Vigil to be held for slain student : Breaking : Ventura County Star
GSA Network, Transgender Law Center, and EQCA Saddened Over Shooting of Gay Jr. High Student | Bay Area IndyMedia
Oxnard student declared brain dead | LA Times
Oxnard school shooting called a hate crime | LA Times