Support of anti-bullying laws, tolerance can prevent lives from being lost

Last Tuesday, 15-year-old Lawrence King of Oxnard, Cali. was shot in his middle school classroom and died two days later. Now, the LGBT community, of which he was a part, is left with sadness, outrage and a need to make sure incidents like this stop happening.
Though King was murdered, he falls into the same realm as the thousands of LGBT teenagers who are subject to bullying each year in their schools because of their sexuality. Some live with it. Some drop out of school. Some take their own lives. Others, like King, are never left with any choice.
But what suspect Brandon McInerney allegedly did is just an extension of what had been going on long before he picked up that gun, and it goes on every day in middle and high schools all over the U.S.: Bullying.
In fact, King, who announced that he was gay and occasionally wore makeup and high heels to school in the months leading up to his shooting, had sought help at school for the constant torment McInerney and others had inflicted on him.
Now, in light of King's tragic death, LGBT organizations across the U.S. are calling out for stronger support in schools against bullies and predators.
In Michigan, we have our own martyr for that cause: Matt Epling, who killed himself in 2002 after being bullied and hazed by fellow classmates. As a result, the Michigan Safe Schools Coalition presented the Matt's Safe Schools Law to the Michigan House. It was passed on March 28 of last year and is supported by Governor Jennifer Granholm and many organizations across Michigan.
Now, advocates for the cause have a chance to fight for its passage into law. On March 26, Safe Schools Lobby Day will give anyone the chance to be an activist. All day, people will go to the Michigan State Capitol to meet with their state senator and representative to argue for the passage of Matt's Safe Schools Law.
On behalf of King, Epling and all the other youth lost as a result of bullying, whether they're LGBT or not, we at Between The Lines urge everyone to take part in this day.
In Oxnard, Cali., nearly 1,000 youth marched in honor of King last Saturday. Their hope: To promote tolerance in schools.
Everyone who cares about saving students from bullying because of their sexual orientation, both in Michigan and the U.S., should act out similarly. It could be on Safe Schools Lobby Day, or it could be any day of the week. Any letter sent to legislators or principals, any speeches given in schools or to groups and any other type of support helps.
We applaud the fact that King's murder is being treated as a serious hate crime, but so much more needs to be done.
Schools need more resources for students who are bullied or teased and legislation needs to address the issue. These problems can't be ignored any longer, lest there be more Matt Eplings and Lawrence Kings. Whether it is a loss of life or the loss of their faith in the school system and society at large, leaving youth behind because of their sexual orientation is unacceptable.