MISSOURI: Leading GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Dies In Apparent Suicide

CNN reports:

A leading Republican candidate for Missouri's governor's office died in an apparent suicide on Thursday morning. ​Thomas Schweich, the 54-year-old state auditor who'd just won a second term while running unopposed in 2014, was pronounced deceased from a single gunshot wound, possibly self-infliction, according to a Clayton Police Department press release. Detectives are conducting an investigation and an autopsy is pending, authorities said. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Schweich's wife, who was in another room, heard him making phone calls -- and then a gunshot. It happened just hours after Schweich had requested interviews with the Post-Dispatch and The Associated Press at his home. Missouri Republican Party Chairman John Hancock asked for prayers for Schweich's family.

An editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has posted an accounting of the phone calls made by Schweich before he made the final request for a press conference. An excerpt:

Mr. Schweich said that over the past few months he had heard from campaign donors that while political consultant John Hancock was doing work for gubernatorial candidate Catherine Hanaway, he would mention in passing that Mr. Schweich was Jewish. Mr. Schweich, who says he is an Episcopalian, said he believed the mentions of his faith heritage were intended to harm him politically in a gubernatorial primary in which many Republican voters are evangelical Christians. He said his grandfather was Jewish, and that he was very proud of his connection to the Jewish faith. He said his grandfather taught him to never allow any anti­-Semitism go unpunished, no matter how slight. Mr. Schweich said he had a donor who would confirm Mr. Hancock's comments on the record. He said he had an email from another donor mentioning the conversations.

OKLAHOMA: Bill To Prohibit Regulation Of Ex-Gay Torture Advances In House

With an eye on what has happened in California and New Jersey, today an Oklahoma House committee approved state Rep. Sally Kern's bill to prohibit the state from regulating "ex-gay" torture therapy. Kern, the chair of the committee, claims her bill is the first of its kind in the nation. Her bill is expected to face strong opposition before the full chamber.

Earlier today the "ex-gay" crackpots at Voice Of The Voiceless (Christopher Doyle's group) issued a ranting press release about the Oklahoma bill. An excerpt:

HB 1598 is a big step for parental rights and religious liberty for Oklahoma families, especially those who struggle with sexual and gender identity confusion. This bill protects the freedom of individuals to seek help from mental health providers and faith-based counselors for support, spiritual direction, and pastoral care and counseling. Oklahoma Children and their families should be provided with ethical, safe, and effective support to overcome conflicts surrounding their sexual identity/orientation and their spirituality, especially confused victims of childhood sexual abuse! HB 1598 ensures that children who are molested and/or are victims of sexual abuse and experience unwanted same-sex attractions as a result, have the freedom to get the counseling that aligns with their values!

As we all know, "ex-gay" torture often results in suicide. But that's apparently fine with Sally Kern, who is on record as saying that homosexuality is worse than terrorism.

CALIFORNIA: Former Rancho Mirage Mayor Scott Hines Commits Suicide

Via the Desert Sun:

Former Rancho Mirage Mayor and City Councilman Scott Hines died Saturday night. The Riverside County Coroner's office confirmed Sunday that Hines, 45, was pronounced dead shortly after 8:20 p.m. in his Palm Springs home. A cause of death was not listed. His biological mother, Cindy Gough Montgomery, wrote about his death in a Facebook posting. "We had a horrible tragedy in our family last night," she wrote. "My son, Scott, lost his long time battle with depression and died last night. Please keep him and our family in your prayers." Hines, a father of four, was adopted and raised by Delores and Michael Hines, with Montgomery re-entering his life when he was 22, she later wrote. In another posting, Hines' husband, Kevin Blessing, said "I am less of a person today as I will no longer have this man's wonderful energy around me, at the same time I am so blessed to have had him in my life in the first place." Hines said he was moving to Palm Springs after he was ousted in the April 2014 Rancho Mirage City Council election.

According to his husband, Hines had been diagnosed with liver cancer. Hines last appeared on JMG during his 2014 city council campaign when Rancho Mirage voters received anonymous anti-Hines flyers that spelled out the word "FAGS" in its headlines. (Tipped by JMG reader Eduardo)

BarbWire's Gina Miller: Trans Teen Leelah Alcorn Was Possessed By Demons

"'Transgenderism' is a deeply disturbing mental and spiritual sickness. Any person who believes he is the opposite sex has serious problems, and society’s rightful disapproval is the least of them. Not everyone will like to hear this, but demon possession certainly plays a part in homosexuality and 'transgenderism.' In the Bible, we see that demon possession was commonly acknowledged and understood to be prevalent, but the knowledge of it has been largely lost or buried today, as if our 'modern' culture is too 'smart' to give credence to the reality of spiritual forces at work in people today, just as they were then. We often read that some who are homosexual or 'transgender' have believed this since they were children. Demons do not spare children any more than adults." - Gina Miller, writing for Matt Barber's site.

OHIO: Candlelight Vigil For Transgender Teen Leelah Alcorn Draws Hundreds

Leelah Alcorn's Blog Has Been Deleted

Gay Star News notes today that Leelah Alcorn's Tumblr has been deleted. Leelah's tortured yet eloquent posts there have galvanized LGBT activists worldwide since her suicide earlier this week. It's unknown whether the deletion was requested by Leelah's family, whether they obtained her password and did it themselves, or whether it was removed for violating Tumblr rules about discussing suicide. (Tipped by JMG reader Str8 Grandmother)

Dan Savage On Leelah Alcorn

The suicide of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn has been a trending topic of Twitter for two days and there have been hundreds of stories about her in the mainstream press.

Here's yesterday's coverage by Reuters:

A transgender Ohio teen walked in front of an oncoming truck and was crushed to death on Sunday morning, leaving behind a suicide note that has resonated around the world and led to calls for a federal law to protect other transgender adolescents. Leelah Alcorn, born with the name Joshua, was 17 years old and said she had been forced to undergo conversion therapy, which seeks to change sexual orientation through counseling. The practice has been banned in two states on grounds it is medically unfounded and puts children in danger.

Since Alcorn's death, groups supporting transgenders have called for a national "Leelah's Law" to end conversion therapy, calling it "psychological torture." Nearly 80,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org supporting the proposal. The American Psychological Association has dismissed the idea that sexual orientation is a mental disorder and said mental health professionals should avoid telling clients they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments. Supporters of the practice say it is an effective way to counsel troubled youths. Transgender adults took to Twitter after Alcorn’s death, offering encouragement to transgender teens with the hashtag #RealLiveTransAdult. "I didn’t think I’d live to be 30. Don't give up," one person wrote.

Mat Staver: "Ex-Gay" Torture Bans Are An Assault On Almighty God

Headline Of The Day

From the Telegraph:

A teenage girl hanged herself because she feared telling her devoutly Christian parents she might be gay, an inquest has heard. Elizabeth Lowe, 14, known as Lizzie, had confided in friends that she thought she might be a lesbian, but was struggling to reconcile her feelings with her own deep faith. She was also worried about telling her parents, but her father said her fears were misplaced and she would have received a “wealth of love and acceptance”. Lizzie was a top academic performer at Parrs Wood High School and a member of the Scout movement and a musician in a Christian orchestra. Senior Coroner Nigel Meadows said the school couldn't have done any more to pick up on her distress. Recording a verdict of suicide, Senior Coroner, Nigel Meadows, said:  :She was clearly an intelligent young woman. She was a successful student but was going through issues of developing maturity and exploring her sexuality and was struggling to come to terms with that against her faith beliefs."

(Via Christian Nightmares)

CALIFORNIA: 12 Year-Old Boy Cheerleader Commits Suicide Over Anti-Gay Bullying

A twelve- year-old California boy has reportedly committed suicide following anti-gay bullying because he enjoyed being a cheerleader for his middle school.

Ronin Shimizu, a former student at Folsom Middle School in Folsom, California, took his life on Wednesday afternoon but police are not releasing any further details about his death. The school district has confirmed that the boy's parents, who also have a younger son, complained on multiple occasions that he was being bullied and officials said that they followed protocol. But friends say that the taunting continued. He recently left Folsom Middle School to be home schooled. On Thursday night, friends and their parents gathered outside the Shimizu home to hold a quiet candle light vigil. "I heard that people called him gay because he was a cheerleader," one of his teammates told CBS Sacramento at the vigil. Ronin was the only male cheerleader with the Vista Junior Eagles Cheer Team. Daniel Thigpen with the Folsom Cordova School District said that officials were looking into the complaints made by the boy's family. "Any allegations of bullying related to this specific incident, we're certainly reviewing how we responded to those and we'll use that as an opportunity to always take a look at how we respond to future allegations," he said. Grief counselors are at the school to help students and staff. The Vista Jr Eagles, the team Ronin had cheered for, also released a statement as they shared photos of the young, grinning boy in his cheer uniform.

Many photos are the link above.


(Tipped by JMG reader Roman)

Shepard Smith Apologizes

"I spent an entire hour talking about how much this man affected people’s lives and brought greatness to this world. I was just wondering aloud what could have made this man want to end it all. And it reminds us that we all have responsibility as friends and neighbors to help take responsibility to prevent this from happening. There are people who process suicide as a black-and white-issue. I don’t process anything as black-and-white.

"I was sorry to read online the people who see the world in a black-and-white way, and to suggest that they might have a definitive analysis of why he did such a thing. What I wanted to do is celebrate his life and find some meaning in our own lives, since we often do know someone who is reaching out, and we have a responsibility to help that person — maybe a phone call or a door knock is in order.

"But no matter how you process it: Look at what this family is going through. I would never presume to know anything about his private life. And if any of his family members and friends were to have seen me use the word 'coward,' I would be horrified. I would just to apologize to the end of the earth to anyone who might think that I meant to openly call him a coward. To the core of my being, I regret it. It just came out of my mouth. And I’m so sorry. And to anyone and their families who see that, I am sorry." - Closeted Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, in a statement issued to Mediaite.

TRAILER: The Imitation Game

Opening on November 21st:

In THE IMITATION GAME, Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal.

SAN FRANCISCO: Suicide Nets Finally Approved For Golden Gate Bridge

Via CNN:

On Friday, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors unanimously approved $76 million in funding to erect a 20-foot-wide steel net -- extending out from each side of the 1.7-mile span -- to deter would-be jumpers. The federal government will cover $50 million of the cost; the rest will come from state and local sources. Last year, 46 people died after jumping off the Golden Gate, according to the Bridge Rail Foundation, an organization dedicated to stopping suicides from the bridge. The organization estimates that more than 1,600 people have leapt to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1937. "Where nets have been erected as suicide barriers they've proven to be 100% effective thus far," said Denis Mulligan, CEO and general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, which presented the proposal to the board. "Suicidal people have stopped jumping at those locations."

Some opposed the nets for many years, saying the addition would harm the bridge's beauty.

MISSISSIPPI: Tea Party Leader Suspected In Photo Scandal Commits Suicide

Via Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger:

Sources have confirmed that attorney Mark Mayfield has died of an apparent suicide. Mayfield, vice chairman of the Mississippi Tea Party, and is one of the three men charged with conspiring with Clayton Kelly to photograph U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's bedridden wife in her nursing home and create a political video against Cochran. Mark Mayfield of Ridgeland, an attorney and state and local tea party leader, was arrested last month along with Richard Sager, a Laurel elementary school P.E. teacher and high school soccer coach. The arrest of Mayfield, well-known in political, business and legal circles, caused shock in Mississippi, in a criminal case and election that already had Mississippi in the national spotlight.

GOP Gov. Phil Bryant has expressed sadness at the loss of his "longtime friend."

ROME: Famed Street Lit With Rainbow Lights For Gay Teen, Wingnuts Complain

Italy's right wing Fratelli d'Italia party is demanding the removal of rainbow lights hung over Rome's famous Via Del Corso in the memory of a gay teenager.

A rainbow-flag theme has been selected for the traditional lights along the city's main shopping street, the Via del Corso. The lights run for almost a mile long. The lights were chosen by the local council as a stand against homophobia, following the recent suicide of a gay teenager in the Eternal City. "That is how we came up with the rainbow flag idea," said councilor Imma Battaglia, who also heads up a gay rights campaign group. But that decision has not gone down well with everyone, reports AFP.

The company that put up the lights has responded to the furor by saying that the lights are now also dedicated to the memory of Nelson Mandela.

Man Killed By Truck While Walking To Honor Bullied Son Who Committed Suicide

Tragedy upon tragedy. KATU-TV reports:

Joe Bell had a message for gay teens suffering from bullying who might be contemplating suicide: “It’ll get better.” He was spreading that message during a walk across the country – from Oregon to New York City. Joe was walking in honor of his son Jadin. The 15-year-old boy was gay and suffered from bullying. He hanged himself on a La Grande school playground in January. A passerby saw Jadin and tried to help, but the boy later died at a Portland hospital. Joe Bell was walking along a rural highway in Colorado on Wednesday evening when he was struck by a semi-truck and killed.

Investigators believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel. A fund for the Bell family will be announced on the website that supported Joe Bell's walk. (Tipped by JMG reader Birdie)

Hidden Cameras - Gay Goth Scene

Chilling.

(Tipped by JMG reader Kevin)

Feminism Causes Male Suicide

"In 2010, more than 38,000 people killed themselves in the United States – and over 30,000 of them were men, Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist, points out in her book Men on Strike. It’s the problem of a culture that often treats men as if there is something inherently wrong with masculinity, with what makes them different from women — and looks to feminize them. Men who are less interested in marriage and responsibility are only being rational in that context, Smith argues." - From a National Review article on Smith's book. In the linked interview, Smith goes on to blame food stamps, paternity suits, and uppity college-educated women. Free Republic, of course, has posted the article in their Homosexual Agenda section.

Cleveland Kidnapper Commits Suicide

One month after he was sentenced to more than 1000 years in prison, notorious Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro has hanged himself in his cell.

Castro, 53, was in a cell by himself in protective custody at the Correction Reception Center in Orient, Ohio, wrote JoEllen Smith with the state corrections agency. Castro was found at 9:20 p.m. ET in the cell, where checks are required every 30 minutes, Smith wrote in the email. After prison medical staff attempted lifesaving measures, Castro was transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m. ET, Smith wrote.

Quote Of The Day - Rev. Nancy Wilson

"For decades, Exodus International has been synonymous with the idea that people need to be ‘cured’ or ‘healed’ of homosexuality. This week’s historic apology from Exodus leader, Alan Chambers, for the harm done to LGBT people by Exodus is encouraging. Sadly, nothing will bring back the lives lost to suicide based on pseudo-psychology and corrupt theology. Any apology for past suicides, lost years and damage to families is only as good as real actions to counter the lies spread throughout the world by past Exodus action.

"What is needed is true repentance and a conversion to truth telling. The theology of condemnation must be replaced with a theology of grace in the service of God’s good creation—including LGBT people. The trail of emotional, psychological and spiritual damage must be mitigated by evangelistic outreach around the world where the lives of LGBT people hang in the balance at the hands of religious and political leaders who would shed their blood, rape their bodies, and crucify their spirits for their own careers." Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, via email.