Tag: suicide

Posted on

Brian Laundrie Reportedly Died From Self-Inflicted Gun Shot Wound

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie in a photo from her Instagram account.

Brian Laundrie, whose remains were found in a Florida preserve more than a month after the death of his fiancée Gabby Petito, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, family attorney Steve Bertolino said Tuesday. Continue reading “Brian Laundrie Reportedly Died From Self-Inflicted Gun Shot Wound”

Posted on

Family Of Officer Beaten At Capitol Riot Files Lawsuit Against Alleged Attackers

Officer Jeffrey Smith, left, was assaulted on Jan. 6 during a battle that involved the man on the right.

A group of cybersleuths called Deep State Dogs is being credited with identifying two Capitol rioters who injured D.C. Metro Police Officer Jeff Smith on January 6. Nine days after the attack, Smith took his own life. Continue reading “Family Of Officer Beaten At Capitol Riot Files Lawsuit Against Alleged Attackers”

Posted on

News Round-Up: April 12, 2021

Nigel Shelby

Nigel Shelby
Nigel Shelby
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: The parents of a Huntsville, Ala., teen Nigel Shelby – who killed himself in 2019 after being bullied at school for being gay – are now suing that school district. They allege that school officials knew their son was considering taking his life. • Kenneth-in-the-212: The NYC-based blog has a new weekly feature – ‘Manspread Monday.’ You know you want to hit that link… 🙂

• Buzzfeed: This hilarious SNL skit about period lesbian dramas is so accurate it hurts. “My parents died before I was born.” “Mine too.”

• Variety: Nomadland dominated at the BAFTA Film Awards, where the Frances McDormand-led road movie picked up four prizes including lead actress, cinematography, director, and best film. • Bloomberg News: Video chat on you TV? Apple is working on a product that would combine an Apple TV set-top box with a HomePod speaker and include a camera for video conferencing through a connected TV and other smart-home functions. • Detroit Free Press: Ted Nugent, the aging rocker, mocked health guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent Facebook video asking, “Why weren’t we shut down for COVID one through 18?” Of course, the coronavirus that has killed close to 560,000 people in the U.S. was named for the year in which the first infection was reported — 2019.

Posted on

Buckingham Palace Breaks Silence After Prince Harry & Meghan Interview

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (photo: Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions)
After a compelling interview by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with Oprah Winfrey, Buckingham Palace has finally broken its silence after two days. From the New York Times:

Buckingham Palace broke nearly 48 hours of silence Tuesday about a bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, saying “the whole royal family is saddened” and expressing concern about the issue of racism the couple had raised.

Assertions that a member of the royal family had raised concerns about the skin color of the couple’s son, Archie, and that a desperate Meghan had contemplated suicide dominated national discussion in Britain, where the interview with Oprah Winfrey was broadcast Monday evening.

On Tuesday, Piers Morgan, the co-host of “Good Morning Britain” on ITV news, who came under attack for saying he “didn’t believe a word” of the interview, resigned, the network said. Britain’s communications regulator received more than 41,000 complaints about his comment, it said.

Read the full article.

Posted on

Former Trump Campaign Manager Hospitalized After Suicide Threat

Brad Parscale (cropped photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC License)
Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, was removed from his home on Sunday afternoon after his wife called the police saying Parscale was armed and threatening to harm himself. From the Sun-Sentinel:

They made contact, “developed a rapport” and negotiated his exit from the house, the police said in a statement. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center under the Baker Act, which provides for temporary involuntary commitment.

Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Karen Dietrich said the encounter at the house was brief. “We went out and it was very short. We went and got him help.”

Dietrich said he didn’t threaten police and he went willingly under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows police to detain a person who is potentially a threat to himself or others.

The Trump campaign issued a statement to Axios which read, “Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.” Parscale was demoted from his position on the Trump campaign after the disastrous Tulsa rally on June 20 this summer which was poorly attended. He also recieved criticism for overspending on behalf of the campaign including millions in payments to his own companies.   The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in distress, in addition to prevention and crisis resources. Also available for online chat.

Posted on

Congress Approves 988 Suicide Hotline

(image via Unsplash/Ian)
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which when implemented will allow Americans to simply dial ‘988’ to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, instead of the current ten-digit number. Passage of the bill authorizes the funding mechanisms needed for 988 to be successful and it contains several key LGBTQ-inclusive provisions, including requirements for LGBTQ cultural competency training for all Lifeline counselors and the establishment of an Integrated Voice Response option for LGBTQ youth and other high-risk populations to reach specialized care. Sam Brinton (they/them pronouns), Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project, commended Congress in a statement saying, in part, “This passage is a historic victory, as this is the first explicitly LGBTQ-inclusive bill to pass unanimously in history — and 988 will undoubtedly save countless lives. The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. According to The Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health:

  • 40% of respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months, with more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth having seriously considered it
  • 68% of LGBTQ youth reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the past two weeks, including more than 3 in 4 transgender and nonbinary youth
  • 48% of LGBTQ youth reported engaging in self-harm in the past twelve months, including over 60% of transgender and nonbinary youth
  • 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth reported that they had been physically threatened or harmed in their lifetime due to their LGBTQ identity
  • 46% of youth report they wanted psychological or emotional counseling from a mental health professional but were unable to receive it in the past twelve months

(via The Trevor Project)

Posted on

Out Music: Project Moses “He’s Not Staying”

Project Moses (right) in his music video ‘He’s Not Staying’
The new single, “He’s Not Staying,” from out artist Project Moses, explores the quiet turmoil of living with mental illness. The music video for the song, directed by Zach Adam (who also wrote and produced the track) was shot in on Fire Island during the quiet, cold weeks of November. Somber and reclusive, Project Moses says it was “the perfect setting for the dark subject matter of this single.” The story-telling for the video is artful and delicate as the artist reflects on the pensive journey of the song. Project Moses’s evocative vocals are clear and sure, never veering to hyper-emotional, letting the listener take the ride for themselves. Project Moses admits he was drawn to the song but had to do some self-exploration to understand his connection. “It took me a while to recognize what was going on in my head and the reason why none of my relationships with friends, family, or lovers lasted,” explains the artist. Over the years, he came to grips with the rejection he felt from his family after revealing he was gay. “For whatever reason, the feeling of abandonment cut deep into my heart,” he adds. “While my family and I are in a much better place today, the scars from our past remain.”
Project Moses (promotional photo)
Scars aside, playing the track for his mom proved to be a cathartic moment for both mother and son. “My mom cried when I played the song for her,” shares the handsome artist from his home in New York City. “It was the first time she realized how close I came to ending it all.” But just as the song evolves from a gloomy, melancholy sound to a more progressive, light at the end of the tunnel vibe, Project Moses says that he too has “transformed.” “He’s Not Staying,” from the upcoming album Better Man, is available now on all digital download sites. Check out the moody, wistful music video below. Follow Project Moses on Instagram here.

Posted on

Podcast: Shooting In Miami, Gay Marriages Experience Less Stress, New Music From Bridesmen

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • Two gay men were shot in Miami for kissing goodnight • A new study shows men in same-sex marriages experience less stress than their straight peers • Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh went after Pete Buttigieg’s marriage but Pete clapped back • New report shows LGBTQ youth consider suicide even more than we thought • And new music from Bridesmen All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Posted on

Gay Student Found Dead Of Apparent Suicide After Video Protesting Drag Queens Went Viral

Wilson Gavin arguing with drag queen Diamond Good-Rim
A conservative gay student who led a protest against a Drag Queen Story Hour this weekend was found dead of apparent suicide early Monday morning. The death of Wilson Gavin, 21, came one day after he faced intense backlash on social media when video clips that went viral showing he and 15-20 fellow students from the University of Queensland Liberal National Club storming into the Brisbane Square Library. Note: The Liberal National Party in Australia is a center-right party. The group began chanting “drag queens are not for kids” as Gavin was recorded arguing with drag queen Diamond Good-Rim. The Daily Mail reports the students were protesting against children “being indoctrinated with radical gender theories.” Organizers of the event, Rainbow Families Queensland (RFQ) said, “They entered the event chanting and scared the children. Some parents got them outside the room where they continued to chant loudly.” Hours later, Gavin was found dead at Chelmer Railway Station, reports The Star Observer. Emergency medical technicians say he died from critical injuries but have provided no further details. This wasn’t Gavin’s first time to protest LGBTQ issues. In 2017, he helped lead the “Our Voice. Our Vote.” group that opposed legalizing same-sex marriage.
Wilson Gavin on Sky News in 2018 (screen capture)

During an interview with ABC Radio’s Patricia Karvelas, Gavin said, “Marriage has always been an institution between a man and a woman.”

Arguing that schools would “teach students about LGBTQ people” and churches would be forced to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies, he expressed concerns about what he called “the negative ramifications that can come directly from same-sex marriage.”

Sally Rugg, an LGBTQ activist who campaigned for marriage equality in Australia, tweeted, “Wilson Gavin was gay. I don’t know why he campaigned against SSM. I don’t know why he was so angry at a drag queen. I don’t know why he took his life. But I wish he was still here so he could have found us all. We would love him and forgive him. We do love and forgive him.”

If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide and need someone to talk to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, you can call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue Australia on 1300 22 4636.