Teen Killed Himself on New Year's Day

[William769]

Parents of Jeffrey Fehr say their 18-year-old son killed himself New Year's Day because of a school life in which he was tormented by antigay bullies.

"We will second-guess ourselves forever," his father told The Sacramento Bee, which recounted what led up to the suicide in its report today. "But we do know that for years and years, people knocked him down for being different. It damaged him. It wore on him. He could never fully believe how wonderful he was, and how many people loved him."

Fehr was out to friends and family, and he was a former captain of his high school cheer team. Fehr was being treated for depression and attending Sierra College, but his parents told the Bee that the bullying appears to have left too deep an impression.

Fehr was teased for being different beginning in the third grade, then called "fag" for the first time in sixth grade, and high school is described as "pure hell."

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/01/17/Teen_Killed_Himself_on_New_Years_Day/

This is just sickening, I just don't know what else to say.

[MarkCharles]

1. One of probably a thousand stories each year

Our nation is so cruel to men and women who are different.

The leading Republican candidate for President wants to make DOMA permanent and gay marriage illegal for everyone. This is the nation we live in, one that writes off gay suicides, and celebrates bigotry.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. It's certainly sickening. More than that, really. But....

... why we would want to confine something like your post to the insulated rubber room of the lgbt forum where only "we" will see it makes me question the separatist mentality of a lot of us here in LGBT DU.

What sense does this make? ( i.e. keeping this aspect of the lgbt "experience" to ourselves?)

We KNOW the demons that drove Jeffrey. The larger community does NOT. Maybe it... i.e. the larger community... would rethink certain assumptions and predispositions were it to read your OP.

The internet evolved so that *communication* could be FACILITATED.

Did it not?

[William769]

3. I ventured in to GD once with a thread I could have posted here.

Big mistake! (was about the lesbian running for miss California) talk about a train wreck. After 300 + posts I self deleted the OP to lock it. I'm not going through that again.

Feel free to cross post if you like as for me I value my sanity. Not saying this article will do that, I just seem to have a bullseye on my back.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. Understood.

>>>Not saying this article will do that, I just seem to have a bullseye on my back.>>>

And don't think I don't appreciate your activism here. And the risks you take.

As for me... I'm hitting the proverbial hay in an hour or so I really don't care.

If there are any asses to be kicked, I will do so in the AM.

I reposted it to GD.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002182396

[dickthegrouch]

5. Do what I do....

Post here first and if it gets 5 recs from within the community, it deserved to be seen by the general population.
I think this one should be seen by all as a constant reminder of the daily assaults on people's very being that we all suffer.
So sad that there was no-one he thought he could go to for support. So criminally negligent of the school and district to fail him so badly.