In Memorial

In September of 2010 Valley Ministries was shocked by a string of LGBTQ students committing suicide because of bullying and harassment from classmates around the country. This bas become an epidemic in our country as the bullying and harassment spreads from just schoolyard antics to these kids' everyday lives via social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Where before a kid could go home to escape the bullies, now even that home life is shattered through the internet and cell phones.

To the left you will find a list of resources where you can choose to join with Valley Ministries MCC and other organizations to fight this harassment and bullying that's tearing apart our youth. Let us join together to reach out and find these young people before they reach the end, and help them realize that they don't need to believe the lie that God does not love them. To realize that no matter what others may say, God is always there for them. Help us bring an end to this behavior. You will also find resources for Crisis Intervention for anyone out there who may be thinking of taking the same route as the young people below. For all of you out there in crisis, we pray that you all know you're not alone and we're here for you.

Below you will find a list of all the young people we know of at this time who we were not able to save. Look at them, read their stories, and never forget why it is we have to fight. If you know of any young people who we've lost to suicide because of their sexuality, or their assumed sexuality, please email us the info.

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Corey Jackson : Corey was a 19 year-old Sophomore at Oackland University in Rochester Hills, MI. Corey had only recently come out as Gay to his family and friends, and experienced a large amount of anti-gay bullying and harassment after doing so. Eventually the emotional toll became too much, and on October 19, 2010 Corey went out into a secluded wooded area on campus and hung himself.

Corey was described by family and friends as one of the most loving, giving, and funny people they knew. Corey was always very outgoing, but after he came to the realization that he was gay and came out as a homosexual his family says Corey became very closed off. A bright, fun, and talented kid was reduced to the point of taking his own life by bullies in only a few short months.

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Zach Harrington: A week after attending a City Council in Norman, OK where a heated debate played out in public, 19 year-old Zach Harrington took his own life at his family’s home. On October 5, 2010 Zach made the decision that his life had no future for happiness and he ended it. What was so significant about the City Council meeting the week before? At the meeting Zach witnessed as adults from around his community got up and spoke out against recognizing October as GLBT History month in the city. Much hatred and negativity toward the GLBT community was expressed by those people. Nikki Harrington, Zach’s older sister, said her brother likely took all of the negative things said about members of the GLBT community straight to heart.

Zach was a talented musician who could play any instrument he picked up. Harrington received a $1,000 scholarship from the Norman chapter of PFLAG when he graduated high school and briefly studied music at the University of Central Oklahoma. In high school he was a member of the band, orchestra and the first-ever male captain of the color guard, and wrote an anthology while at Norman North to document his young life.

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Asher Brown: 13 year-old Asher Brown came out to his parents as being gay on September 23, 2010, but despite the love and support they showed him he killed himself later that day.

Asher was described by his friends as great guy whose classmates always knew they could talk to him about anything. Asher complained to his parents that he'd been bullied at school by a gang of kids for over a year. The reasons included because he was small, spoke with a lisp, didn't have designer clothes, and because he was gay. Reports say he told another kid who was bullying him to apologize or he'd kill himself. The kid told Asher "Whatever," and so later that day Asher got out his step-father's gun and ended his life.

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Tyler Clementi: Tyler was an 18 year-old boy who had just started attending Rutgers University. A gifted violin player he was described as shy, athletic, and intelligent.

In September of 2010 Tyler was captured on video by his roommate as he had an intimate encounter with another male student. The roommate used his webcam to spy on Tyler in their room while he was in a room across the hall. Using this webcam the roommate streamed Tyler's encounter live on the internet and bragged about it on Twitter. When Tyler found out about it he was extremely upset, and three days later he committed suicide by throwing himself off the George Washington bridge on September 22, 2010.

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Seth Walsh: Seth was 13 year-old student at the Jacobsen Middle School in Tehachapi, California. On September 19, Walsh hanged himself from a tree in his backyard.

Why you ask? Walsh was a young gay kid and there were kids that would not stop tormenting him, while school officials ignored the problem despite being aware of the bullying. Walsh did not die immediately and was discovered and taken to a hospital where he was placed in life support critical care. After clinging to life for nine days Seth died on September 18, 2010.

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Cody Barker: Cody was 17 years old and lived in Shiocton, WI. An active member of the GSA for Safe Schools program, Cody was an out gay teen. He was active in Choir and was planning on starting a chapter of the Gay/Straight Alliance at his school. He was described as a passionate activist for all students, especially those, targeted or ostracized for their sexual orientation or their gender identity and expression. He really cared about making schools a safe place for students.

Unfortunately, that wasn't always Cody's own experience with school. Reports are that Cody endured several incidents of homophobic harassment and bullying. Though he was dedicating his life to helping other teens realize that there is hope, Cody hid the torment in his own soul. And one day it became too much for him and he took his own life on September 13, 2010.

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Billy Lucas : Billy was 15 years old, living in Greensburg, IN, and living in a world he was only just beginning to understand. Though Billy never identified himself as gay, he was constantly harassed and bullied for being different, and those insults included those that questioned his sexuality. Friends described Billy as a friendly and outgoing young-man who loved animals.

On September 9, 2010 Billy told friends he was being severely bullied. Billy ended up suspended from school that day because he stood up for himself in a lunchroom encounter, spouting cuss words at another student, and the school sent him home. Later that evening Billy went into his family's barn to put up the horses. And there, surrounded by the animals he loved, Billy hung himself. Just like another boy at school had taunted him about doing.

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Justin Aaberg: Justin was a shy and loyal 15 year-old boy with a big smile and lots of friends who loved to play the cello. Justin came out as gay at the age of 13, and his mother thought he was a very happy kid. However she found out too late that she was wrong.

In the weeks leading up to his death, Justin was bullied horribly about his sexuality by kids at Anouka High School in Anouka, MN, and had a bad breakup with his boyfriend. Justin told friends that he hated himself and wanted to die. So on July 9, 2010 Justin closed himself into his bedroom and hanged himself, where he was found by his mother.

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Eric Mohat: Eric Mohat, 17, was harassed so mercilessly in high school that when one bully said publicly in class, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you," he did.

According to William and Janis Mohat, their son Eric was bullied to death at Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio.  On March 29, 2007 Mohat shot himself after relentless harassment and intimidation that included being pushed, shoved and hit ― not to mention being humiliated by being called a fag, a queer and a homo.  Eric had never shown any interest in homosexuality at all.

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