Out-of-State Groups Honor Murdered Teen by Pushing Anti-LGBT Constitutional Amendment

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Once again, homophobic forces are attempting to write homophobic discrimination into California's Constitution via a ballot initiative -- less than a week after California lost a teen to hate violence. On February 12, 2008, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot in the head twice at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, CA by a 14-year-old classmate who had reportedly bullied King because of his perceived same-sex orientation and gender nonconforming behavior. The murder will be charged as a hate crime which will provide for enhanced sentencing.

Days later the "National Organization for Marriage" opened a California office, partnered with the group "protectmarriage.com" and will comb the state to obtain the signatures necessary to qualify a November ballot initiative that would amend the Constitution to include discriminatory rhetoric.
 
Perhaps NOM and protectmarriage.com should take a lesson from real Californians on how to properly memorialize a tragic death. Yesterday Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) adjourned the Assembly floor session in memory of her constituent Lawrence King, emotionally conveying the horror behind this hate-motivated murder.

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