Jason Mattison, African American Gay Teen Murdered
November 24, 2009
The murder of openly gay teen Jason Mattison Jr., 15, has shaken the city of Baltimore.
On Nov. 10, police found Mattison raped, gagged and stabbed to death in a closet at his aunt’s house. The main suspect is Dante Parish, 35, a family friend and convicted felon who served only 10 years of an original 30-year sentence for an earlier crime.
The Nov. 18 edition of The Baltimore Sun published the article, “Many unanswered questions in killing of youth.” It provided the details about this horrid crime:
The day Jason’s body was found, it was Couplin who called police, at 3 a.m. Nov. 10. She reported that someone had broken into the house and stolen a television from the living room. A police officer came and wrote a larceny report.
Couplin called police again at 5:09 a.m., saying that she saw blood on a banister leading to the second floor. She also reported Jason missing.
Police found his body in the back of a second-floor closet. Charging documents say that “several witnesses were identified and positively identified defendant Dante Parrish as the person responsible for this act.” Couplin said she now believes the missing television was a diversion to make it look like a break-in.
Police arrested Parrish two days later at a convenience store on Moravia Road. A department spokesman said Parrish confessed to the killing the next day and is being held without bail.
The article added there were still many unanswered questions regarding this case:
Did Jason leave his mother’s house and move in with his aunt, as his grandmother suggested? Or was he just visiting on that fateful day, as a cousin said? And why did people in his aunt’s house open their door to the suspect, a convicted killer released early from prison because of flaws in his case?
“From now on, we do have to take more care in who we let in and who we trust,” said Jason’s cousin, Laquanna Couplin, who lives in the house on Llewellyn Avenue where Jason was killed.
She described Dante Parrish, 35, who is charged with first-degree murder in the case, as a longtime family friend, but she would not say whether he lived there or visited.
Mattison was described as a popular and vivacious student who was loved by his classmates:
Jason loved texting and talking, and he spent his evenings chatting with friends on MySpace.
Jason was one of the most popular kids at school, his English teacher said, always first to class, always first to the cafeteria, where students fought to sit at his table, always first to turn in his homework and always getting near-perfect grades.
“He was outspoken and excited about everything he talked about,” Jones said. “Walking into school, he was the first one to share what he did over the weekend. He was very, very popular, and he was everyone’s best friend.”
Jason wanted to be a pediatrician, Jones said, and the only thing the two debated was Jason’s constant chatter.
According to another Baltimore Sun story published on Nov. 19, Mattison’s funeral took place on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
An overflow crowd spilled out of the sanctuary and into the vestibule of a West Baltimore church Wednesday morning for the funeral of Jason Mattison Jr.
The principal at Jason’s school announced a scholarship fund set up in his name. Friends and family recalled stories involving the rambunctious teenager, who had dreams of becoming a pediatrician. And the reverend of the church told hundreds of mourners that the boy’s death should serve as a warning to the downtrodden neighborhood where it happened to closely watch all kids.
GLAAD will continue to watch to follow this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:Marvel Comics’ Rictor and Shatterstar Kiss!
July 1, 2009
In his latest installment of X-Factor, Marvel Comics writer Peter David has ended any speculation surrounding the sexual orientation of two fan favorite characters, Rictor and Shatterstar.
X-Factor #45
The two characters, which have websites like Shattering the Earth dedicated to them, share a kiss in X-Factor #45. According to one online review on iFanboy, this is the first “male/male romantic kiss ever to appear on-panel in a Marvel comic.”
In recent interviews with Newsarama and CBR, David hinted at finally addressing the question of whether or not both characters were “more than friends” but that Shatterstar’s future storyline was totally dependent on the response from readers.
Marvel Comics, which introduced its first openly gay character when Northstar was revealed to be gay back in the 1990s, has in recent years introduced more gay characters including Victor Borkowski and Jonas Graymalkin from Young X-Men, Karolina Dean from Runaways, and the gay teen couple Hulking and Wiccan in Young Avengers, which received the award for Outstanding Comic Book at the 17th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Related Posts:Anti-Gay Group Targets LGBT Prom and Exploits Youth.
June 30, 2009
LGBT youth proms like the one that BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth) hosts annually in Boston, MA give young members of the LGBT community an opportunity to participate in and enjoy high school prom in a safe and supportive environment that affirms who they are.
On May 9, 2009, MassResistance, an anti-gay group self described as “a pro-family action center” sent a 20-year-old referred to only as “Max” to infiltrate the BAGLY prom. When he returned, he wrote a report about the prom on the group’s website that was picked up by WorldNetDaily staff writer Chelsea Schilling. She wrote about the event and Max’s report in her article “Kids attend prom from ‘sexual hell’”.
Max’s report uses offensive and dehumanizing language in reference to the prom attendees, often misconstruing the sexual orientations and gender identities of those he writes about. He underplays the security of the event, which included 100 adult chaperones (including BAGLY staff, police officers and parents), mandatory bag checks and metal detectors. He refers to the adults present as “homosexual recruiting gangs,” and paints a crude, deliberately misleading picture of what was actually an inclusive and celebratory event for young people.
The report targets these LGBT youth and puts them in harms way by exploiting and misrepresenting what was suposed to be a safe and inclusive opportunity to relax and have fun. Max misrepresented himself as a member of the community and took photos of these young people, which were posted on the MassResistance webpage without the permission of the attendees or their parents or guardians. An event that was supposed to serve as a safe space for local LGBT youth was turned into the opposite by MassResistance.
This incident highlights exactly why LGBT proms and similar events and institutions are especially important. It is essential that young people have a safe and secure environment to express themselves without being subjected to harassment. Groups such as BAGLY are vitally important because of their dedication in providing these kinds of safe spaces for LGBT youth.
Related Posts:Must See: Prayers for Bobby on Lifetime
January 16, 2009
Shed all your previous notions of what a made-for-TV movie is and trust us when we say to set your TiVo for Prayers For Bobby, airing Saturday, Jan. 24 on Lifetime. This moving and emotional film, starring Sigourney Weaver, tells an incredible true story of a mother’s love for her gay son.
Weaver plays a 1970s religious suburban housewife and mother who struggles to accept her young son Bobby being gay. What happens to Bobby is tragic and causes Mary to question her faith; ultimately this mom changes her views in ways that she never could have imagined.
What’s remarkable about this story is the complete 180 this woman makes during the course of her life. At first, she truly believes that being gay is a sin and does her best to “save” her son. But when faced with tragedy, she realizes that her previous beliefs have been wrong. Ultimately, it is her faith that gives her the strength to love her son — and gay people everywhere.
Sigourney Weaver and Lifetime Networks were honored at the Trevor Project’s annual Cracked Xmas event in December. Weaver received The Trevor Life Award, which honors an individual who, through his or her example, support, volunteerism and/or occupation, is an inspiration to LGBTQ youth.
In a statement, Weaver said, “I feel grateful and humbled to be honored with the Trevor Life Award, and to be recognized as an ally to the LGBTQ community. I hope that films such as Prayers for Bobby will send messages of compassion and acceptance to all people, and compel them to create safer, all-encompassing environments for our young people.”
Prayers for Bobby premieres Jan. 24 at 9 pm, with encore presentations Jan. 25 at 8 pm and Jan. 27 at 9 pm.
Top Stories Today – 09.04.2008
September 4, 2008
National News:
The New York Times – McCain Policies Differ Sharply From Party Plank
The New York Times – Smoother Transitions
Associated Press – Pentecostalism Obscured in Palin Biography
Regional News:
San Francisco Chronicle (CA) – EDITORIAL: Palin Seizes the Night, But Questions Remain
The Columbus Dispatch (OH) – Church Turns Pop Lyrics Into a Bit of Brimstone
San Francisco Chronicle (CA) – Mayor Puts S.F.’s ID Card Program on Hold
ABCNews.com (VA) – No Gay Sex, Please; We’re from Virginia
Missoulian (MT) – Missoula Launches Stop Bias Crimes Campaign
Detroit Free Press (MI) – Hamtramck Ordinance Question Has to Change
Lawrence Journal-World & News (KS) – Violence Against Gay, Lesbian Residents Sparks New Group
Press-Telegram (CA) – Man Considered Suicide Before Killing
Miami Herald (FL) – OP-ED: Losing Miami-Dade Schools’ TRUST Program Would Set Gay Students Adrift
Lawrence World Journal - Violence against gay, lesbian residents sparks new group
International News:
ABC News (Australia) – Govt Introduces Legislation to End Same-Sex Discrimination
Sify News (Australia) – Lesbian Couple In the Dock for Kissing on Dubai Beach
From the Blogs:
Towleroad – Fran Drescher Fights Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment in California
*On Log Cabin’s Endorsement of John McCain (click here for video)
Gay News Blog – Gay Republicans: GOP on ‘wrong side of history’
Queerty – Log Cabin Warns GOP Not To Be On “Wrong Side” Of History
Good As You – Video: Remind us to never ask Patrick Sammon to define ‘inclusive’
Gay Patriot – Why Log Cabin McCain Endorsement is HUGE
Towleroad – Killer of Gay Teen’s Gloating Explanation: ‘Because I Wanted To’
Joe. My. God. – NY Gov Wins Gay Marriage Challenge
Good As You – Dude calls our unions fake; We say: ‘ They’re real — you can touch ‘em if you want ‘!
Pam’s House Blend – Exodus launches special pray-away-the-gay program for women
Towleroad – EXCLUSIVE: Mayor Bloomberg to Announce Comprehensive Initiatives Combating Anti-Gay Bulling in NYC Schools
