By Nick Visser
Friends and family gathered to mourn a 14-year-old student from
Cashmere, Wash. who committed suicide last week after he was bullied
for being gay. His death is at least the fourth suicide reported this
year among LGBT youth.
The Wenatchee World reports that Rafael Morelos hanged himself in late
January after enduring repeated bullying, including a fake Facebook
page reportedly set up to taunt him online. His mother, Malinda
Merelos, said she had known her son was gay for a few years, but
didn't know he was being bullied.
"He pretended everything was OK," she said. "Sometimes he acted
strong, but inside, he was dying, little by little."
Rob Cline, principal at Cashmere Middle School, where Morelos was
enrolled, said school officials had taken "appropriate action" earlier
in the year when Morelos was bullied, but declined to say what action
the district took to combat antigay attacks.
"Student discipline is not something I am at liberty to share," Cline said.
The investigation is currently closed, but local police officials have
said it would be reopened if the school or family presents evidence of
bullying.
Family members and friends are distraught over the death of a
Washington teen who reportedly killed himself because he was bullied
by his classmates for being gay.
As The Wentachee World is reporting, 14-year-old Rafael Morelos hanged
himself Jan. 29 after friends say he was subjected to bullying at
Cashmere Middle School, where he had enrolled last fall.
"He told me he got shoved and punched in the face in P.E. in the
locker room at Cashmere," one friend said. Added another: "He was
tired of people saying that his little brothers would follow in his
footsteps and be gay, too."
In addition, friends say one bully even created a fake Facebook page
so that he or she could taunt Rafael, who was openly gay, online.
Morelos' mother, Malinda, told local Fox affilate Q13 she wasn't aware
of what her son was going through. "He did not tell me he was being
bullied. He had a dark side inside him that he never told me his
feelings anymore," she said. "I thought it was just him being a
teenager, and I just didn't know why."
Check Kiro TV for a video report here.
Need help? Visit The Trevor Project's website or call them at
1-866-488-7386. In the U.S. you can also call 1-800-273-8255 for the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or visit stopbullying.gov.
More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/rafael-morelos-gay-washington-suicide_n_1258471.html
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
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