Sorry to post this, but the word needs to get out.
Jason Mattison Jr. was found raped, gagged, stabbed and hidden in the closet of his aunt's house.
The suspect, Dante Parrish, 35 was a family friend and convicted murderer. He was caught a few days later and admitted to the murder.
Here's more about Jason:
About his skin-tight jeans and funky sweaters. About his boisterous voice that seemed to run nonstop. About his exuberance in recounting the most mundane of events. About his flamboyant mannerisms.
He was 15, a sophomore in high school, and he was gay.
When someone harassed him in the halls of West Baltimore's Vivian T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy, he had a sharp, witty comeback at the ready, and he walked away smiling.
"Even if it hurt him, he gave the other person the impression he was stronger," recalled his English teacher, Ryan C. Jones. But while Jason appeared strong and confident in the safe confines of his school on North Calhoun Street, unafraid to embrace his sexual orientation as part of his personality, the world outside did not offer those same protections.
My heart goes out to Jason's family and I hope this, Dante, pays for his crimes.
10 comments:
How very very sad. My best wishes to the family.
As unsettling as this is, word needs to get out that this sort of abominable behavior is still very prevalent. Jason is just one of many who have and will fall as we continue to fight for equality. My thoughts are with Jason and his family.
Hey V, thanks for the tip and info. Just created a post about him and gave a link back to you. Hopefully, we can get his story out there and into the public eye.
Thank you for posting.
Jason Mattison Jr., you deserved a full life, loved and cherished.
What an adorable little boy, and a snappy dresser to boot. His only crime was being himself.
Whoever did it should get the death penalty.
fifteen is too young to die.
Thanks to you and Kyle for posting - it is disgusting that a boy whose life is just beginning was ended with such darkness - I am sick to the stomach!
Thanks to you and Kyle for posting - it makes me sick to my stomach!
Although sad, I'm not sure this crime was committed because the young man was gay. I think the attacker has conflicting feelings about his sexuality and felt he needed to kill this young man to hide his secret.
Toddy English said:
--Whoever did it should get the death penalty.
fifteen is too young to die.
I agree and I am straight. The person(s) who commits premeditated murder should get the punishment Toddy suggests. But not just for killing gay people, anyone. And by doing so, will include gays as this community wants, to be thought of as just someone of equality in the crowd. Whenever you separate the group for any reason they stand, well, separated.
To the anonymous poster, he most certainly was raped and killed because he was gay. To be clear, he was killed because he was gay, strong and proud.
The most probably closeted, self hating individual that killed him saw this brother's light shining too brightly and decided to prematurely extinguish it becasue he couldn't allow himself to do the same.
In many instances those who perpetuate violence against any member of the GLBT community tend to be repressed and conflicted members themselves.
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