Yesterday, The Good. Today, The Bad

Yesterday I wrote about the good things that are happening to gender variant children; today I have sad news to report. On Long Island NY, a boyfriend beats his girlfriend’s son to death to make him more manly.

Cops: Babysitter Struck, Killed Infant
wpix.com
By Stephanie Barish
August 2, 2010

RIVERSIDE, N.Y. (WPIX) - A man is accused of fatally striking a 17-month-old infant he was babysitting Sunday night on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation on Long Island, according to New York State police.

The suspect has been identified as Pedro Jones, 20, of South Hampton. He has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after allegedly hitting the boy "several times throughout his body with close fists" and grabbed him by the neck, according to the felony complaint filed by police.

Authorities say Jones also told them, "I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl. I never struck that kid that hard before."

The infant, Roy A. Jones, was reportedly found in cardiac arrest and was rushed to Southampton Hospital where he died around 8:30 p.m.

This is more common than you think. I wrote about children being beating before…

Police: Man Beat Boy For Putting Pink Fingernail Polish On Nails

A man was arrested on child abuse charges after he beat a 7-year-old boy with a belt because the child put pink fingernail polish on his own nails, according to Orange County sheriff's deputies.

Society is so hung up on Machoism that some men will beat their own child to death then have a gay or effeminate son or end up on the street because they are thrown out of the house.

On the Streets
The Federal Response to Gay and Transgender Homeless Youth
Center for American Progress
By Nico Sifra Quintana, Josh Rosenthal, Jeff Krehely
June 21, 2010

Every child deserves a supportive and loving home. But for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children and youth, that home is not available.* Gay and transgender youth are disproportionately represented among homeless youth in our country, experiencing extreme rates of violence, discrimination, and poor health while homeless.

This is happening at least partly because gay and transgender people are coming out at younger ages as society becomes increasingly supportive of equality. Twenty years ago, most people started coming out in their 20s, well after most had left home and started working. If someone’s family rejected them for being gay or transgender, it may have been emotionally painful, but the person could still likely take care of himself or herself.

Today, the usual coming out age is in the mid-teen years, when youth still depend on their families to meet their material needs and are particularly vulnerable if their family outright rejects them. For gay and transgender youth in these situations, family rejection can lead to a chain reaction of events that sends them cascading through social safety nets that are not equipped to support them.

It is time to end the hate and violence. It is time to call out those who preach hate.