Carl Walker-Hoover was an 11-year-old boy who loved football. He was handsome and intelligent. On April 17, Carl would have turned 12-years-old. Instead on April 6, Carl decided, tragically, to take his own life due to bullying from his schoolmates at the New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Though Carl did not identify as gay, anti-gay taunts came from other students. The abuse from students and disregard of the school staff continued, even after his mother made weekly pleas and visits to the school .The educators seemed not to care about what was happening right in front of their eyes.

This is at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school aged child linked to bullying this year. The other three known cases of suicide among middle-school students took place in February in Chatham, Evanston, and Chicago, all in Illinois.

Carl's mother, Sirdeaner L. Walker was quoted in the Springfield Republican saying "If anything can come of this, it's that another child doesn't have to suffer like this and there can be some justice for some other child. I don't want any other parent to go through this."

Two days after Carl killed himself I met with the Asheville City Schools to propose my intent to bring the Triangle Groups of the Carolinas into our schools with the goal of educating students and staff alike. I was surprised at how supportive both the counselors and social workers were at the idea of having speakers come into the schools and present their stories.

Triangle Speakers work to eliminate the fear, prejudice, and hatred against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people so that a healthy environment exists for all members of our community in North Carolina. Triangle Speakers actively pursue a sensitive and meaningful process to increase our cultural competency.

As of now, the Asheville city schools and I are working together on developing a panel of culturally diverse representatives to speak to staff members. My goal is to present one sample presentation before the 2008/2009 school year is finished and have my speakers group in place for the new school year in the fall. I am also making contacts on the state level with the Culture Responsiveness Training Programs and the Teachers Continuing Education Programs. I feel that he Triangle Groups will help in the schools in the following ways: Put a human face on a diverse community; Help closeted students know they are not alone; Help educators learn sensitivity skills for dealing with LGBTQ youth in our school systems; dispel homophobia and transphobia and shatter the stereotypes of a different community; And decrease the amount of abuse and bullying in the schools.

With all the positive energy and promotion surrounding the School Violence Prevention Act from both PFLAG and Equality NC, now is the time for us to come together and help fight the ignorance that can be spread with in our schools systems. I am also working with UNC-Asheville and A-B tech so Triangle Groups can be a resource they can use as well. I also want to recruit some speakers to sit on the panels from among their students.

I have big goals. I even want the Triangle Groups to go into Cooperate America to help with sensitivity training. I have already spoken with staff at MAHEC in Asheville about doing just that.

I formed the Triangle Groups based on the need for this kind of education in our schools and work places. I am concerned about the risks LGBTQ youth face in the community as a whole. The organization was created with the objective of providing information to dispel myths and stereotypes about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.

As I continue with this project, I am surprised to find that while mainstream (straight) America is being supportive of the idea, I am getting some real negative responses from our community, the LGBTQ community. While the Triangle Groups are about representing us all, I suspect that this is being viewed as a tranny project. Is this because I am a transwoman? Am I only allowed to be the token in a project, the "Oh, and we have a tranny on the panel”?

I am hoping that the LGBTQ community can understand that all of us can be more than a token. I saw a need and am pursuing my goal to help with homophobia\transphobia and ignorance. What I cannot understand is why people in the L & G community are being so unsupportive?

This vision I have is not based on ego nor some latent masculine need to shine.

My journey is not typical. I can remember in 9th grade being voted most likely to be a male impersonator, I was teased and bullied. When I hear stories of how an 11-year-old child felt that the only option they had was to end their life rather than endure the ignorance and hate that is a part of their daily routine, I want to do something to change that. Not because I am a transwoman, or because I was born male, but because I am human and this torturing of our youth needs to stop.

I am a transperson and I see a way that all of us can take action and educate the community. We as a whole can give hope, change minds and eliminate ignorance. I need help with this. I need people to speak on these panels. I need all types, all sizes and all stories because that story, your story, could make a difference.

The Triangle Groups of the Carolinas is not set up as a non-profit organization. We are a volunteer based group. There are no fees, no dues. No compensation for or by anyone. I do not pull a salary for myself. In other words, it is all done from heart. If you would like to help me with this vision, please contact me.