Another Gay Teen Suicide and Still the Christianists Oppose Anti-Bullying Laws

From Michael in Norfolk's blog

In some ways with each passing day I find myself wanting less and less to have anything to do with being Christian - at least the type of Christians who spew nothing but ignorant, self-congratulatory Bible based hatred. And few things generate fury in me more than seeing these modern day Pharisee bastards oppose laws that would bar bullying in our schools, particularly anti-gay bullying. Minnesota has been a hotbed of Christianist opposition to such laws and now it appears that their handiwork has claimed the life of another gay teen who felt that death was preferable to the Hell he experienced at the hands of anti-gay bigots. Eighteen year old Lance Lundsten(pictured in this post) took his own life this past Saturday and news reports indicate that bullying is what drove him to take such action. Maggie Gallagher, Tony Perkins, Benedict XVI, and the other haters who pretend to be followers of Christ have yet more blood on their hands. Indeed, if anyone deserves to die (not that I'm advocating murder) it's these merchants of hate and intolerance rather than the victims of the bigotry that they promote. KSAX-TV has updated coverage and here are highlights:
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According to his Facebook page, Lundsten was openly gay. On a Facebook memorial page in Lundsten's honor, friends said that Lundsten had been bullied at school for his sexual orientation. Some students who knew Lundsten believed the bullying may have led to his death.
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“Bullying is a huge issue, particularly with the youth in our country now,” Facilitator of the Diversity Resource Action Alliance Shari Maloney said. “I think because we’re in central Minnesota, and we aren’t as diverse as some of the larger Metropolitan areas are, someone who is different maybe draws more attention and it’s not always positive.”
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Another Jefferson High School student started a Facebook group following Lundsten's death called the Jefferson Anti-Bully Coalition. Senator Al Franken discusses legislation to protect students from being bullied in the classroom because of their sexual orientation.
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Whether or not bullying played a role in Lundsten's death, the license given to Christianists to spew hatred and the place religious based bigotry has been afforded in this nation's laws - e.g., DOMA - needs to cease.