Unknown Victim of Homophobia

Many victims of war are unknown. Their bodies could not be identified. Family and friends were left wondering about loved ones who went missing and were never heard from after the war.

Some victims of homophobia and hate crimes against gay people are unknown. The victims do not speak up. In other cases, the victims of homophobia and gay bashing give up on life. They take their own lives and nobody knows their deaths were due to hate. Loved ones are left wondering why somebody who they cared for so much committed suicide.

This page is a memorial to the unknown victims of hate against gay people. The case given is that of a real victim of homophobia. To protect the family, nothing that can identify the victim appears in this memorial page.

A gay teenaged high school student was bullied at school. Students called him names and he was beaten up because people thought he was gay. Homophobic words, such as queer, fag and homo were written on his locker, books and his body. He was dehumanized and degraded by being stripped. He was also tortured. Some church members who heard rumors that he was gay condemned him.

The pain and hurt were too much. The gay teenager took his life.

We encourage anybody contemplating suicide to get assistance. Do not fight through your feelings alone. You are not alone. There are people who care and who can help. Talk to somebody. Tell somebody how you feel. Discuss how you feel with a trusted friend of family member. Dial 911 or your local emergency phone number. Call the hospital or the police, talk to your physician, or get an appointment to talk to a counsellor.

A few resources for people who are feeling discouraged and are contemplating suicide appear below:

Suicide - Read This First.
Suicide Helplines Around The World.
YellowRibbon.org - Prevention of Teen Suicide.
Suicide Prevention - San Francisco Suicide Prevention site. Has crisis line number.
Suicide Help - University of South Dakota site with general information on suicide and links.