Kingston Vigil for Slain Gay (Ca) Student

PLEASE PASS THIS ON FAR AND WIDE... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2008 Contact: Craig Burdett (845) 901-6687 Contact: Mary Jane Karger (914) 523-6986

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL TO BE HELD MARCH 14 AT KINGSTON HIGH IN MEMORY OF GAY STUDENT SLAIN AT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ALLIES UNITE TO DENOUNCE HATE CRIME KINGSTON, NEW YORK (March 10)
– A memorial candlelight vigil for slain gay California high school student Lawrence King will be held Friday, March 14, in front of Kingston High School, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. On February 12 of this year, King, 15, was shot in the head by a classmate in an Oxnard, California classroom, simply because he was gay. King died two days later, on Valentine's Day. The hate crime has attracted national attention and condemnation from such media figures as Anderson Cooper and Ellen DeGeneres. Friday's vigil, on the one-month anniversary of King's death, will mark the first public response to the tragedy in the Hudson Valley region.
The event is expected to draw scores of people from the area, as well as members of prominent human rights and educational organizations. The vigil is co-sponsored by the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center and the Hudson Valley chapter of GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).
"The murder of Lawrence King is an American tragedy that cannot be allowed to go unnoticed," said Ginny Apuzzo, president of the Center. "Every student has the right to be safe at school. This vigil is intended to honor the memory of a courageous young man who was killed simply for being himself, and to call attention to the deadly results of looking the other way when homophobia makes itself known in our schools."
The evening program will include addresses by representatives of the Center, GLSEN and the Kingston High School Gay-Straight Alliance, as well as the Rev. Ralph Merante, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Kingston.
Among the still-growing list of organizations that have joined to support the vigil are PFLAG (Parents, Friends, and Family of Lesbians and Gays) of Kingston, the Ulster County Mental Health Association, and Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley.
ATTENTION MEDIA: For advance interviews, contact Craig Burdett at (845) 901-6687 or Mary Jane Karger (914) 523-6986. Calendar Listing: Candlelight Vigil for Lawrence King, in front of Kingston High School, March 14, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Sponsored by the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center and GLSEN Hudson Valley.