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March 23, 2008

On "Mixed Messages" -- Larry King and the Community

Andrea Taylor

I am deeply disturbed by the suggestion that "we," presumably the out-and-proud LGBTQ community, may be partially to blame for the hate crime committed against Larry King. Truly, any time that we place rainbow stickers on our cars or hold our partner's hand in public, we take a risk, however small it may seem. Yes, people are killed just for being gay. Encouraging other LBGTQ people, of any age, to come out and be themselves invites them to take that risk, as well. That is why Larry King is a hero. He knew, better than anyone, the "conformist nature" of his school, but at 15 years old, he chose to stand up for himself and be visibly different, risking persecution and danger. Many adults don't have that much courage. Advising GLBTQ youth to "cover" their identities in order to "protect" themselves promotes fear over valor, which is the antithesis of the example set by Larry King. Bigotry begets tragedy, and America's slow evolution toward tolerance of diversity is rife with martyrs, many of them young. We do not look back and say that Emmitt Till should have "toned it down," nor do we blame Martin Luther King, Jr. and other inspirational and affirming leaders of the civil rights movement for the deaths of the four young girls who perished in the Birmingham, Ala., 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Instead, we mourn their deaths, blame their killers (and those whose inaction made the crimes possible), and honor their sacrifices by continuing to fight for racial equality. Likewise, we owe it to Larry King to continue to tell LBGTQ teenagers that they should be able to be themselves -- and to honor their bravery if they choose to do so.