1. The death of Wilson Gavin, 22yrs, is yet another tragedy caused by homophobia & ignorance. An openly gay young man, but "troubled" & "tormented" acc to his family, he opposed marriage equality & protested against drag story time. #auspol
2. As a member of an oppressed group, he sided with those who wld oppress him, treat him as a 2nd class citizen & minimise or negate his civil rights. This is a phenomenon well-known & understood. It happens with all marginalised &/or oprressed grps, eg, Kellyanne Conway w/Trump.
3. His confusion & torment are entirely understandable. Many gay ppl, like myself, went through life-negating beliefs imposed on us by church, family or friends. Most of us are fortunate enough to have grown up & thrown off the cloak of internalised self-hatred & self-disgust.
4. Alas, Wilson was not one of the fortunate ones. It is an immensely sad day. I read from one of his friends that he had some hugely endearing qualities. Wilson will not get to grow & develop. He will not get to change. He has lost his future, & his family, a precious member.
5. Aust does not need a resurgence of homophobia. It always leads ultimately to death. It does not need religious laws that encourage it. If we learned one thing from the marriage equality debate, it is that lives r precious & can be fragile. We need to look after LGBT young ppl.
6. If you need to talk, do it: a friend, someone close you can trust, or you could call a helpline:
Triple Zero 000
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800
Q Life 1800 184 527 (LGBTQ support service - 3pm -12am)
Triple Zero 000
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800
Q Life 1800 184 527 (LGBTQ support service - 3pm -12am)
