From staff and wire reports

About 1,000 people marched Feb. 16 in Oxnard, Calif., in tribute to a gay Oxnard teenager who was shot to death in his school computer lab after he was criticized by another student for being gay.

The peace-and-tolerance march honored 15-year-old Lawrence King. King was shot in the head Feb. 12 at E.O. Green Junior High School and removed from life support two days later.

Classmates said King revealed he was gay this school year and had been frequently teased because he wore makeup, high heels and other feminine attire.

A 14-year-old classmate, Brandon McInerney, is charged with killing the eighth-grader. Prosecutors plan to try him as an adult for murder and committing a hate crime.

Groups that fight anti-gay bullying in schools said King’s death could have been prevented.

“As a nation, we’ve had our heads in the sand for far too long,” said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, which has helped students establish GLBT student groups in thousands of schools nationwide. GLSEN also offers education on preventing homophobia and anti-GLBT bullying to school administrators and educators.

“We need to do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again,” Jennings said. “In doing so, it’s absolutely crucial that we name the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment and address it directly to find a solution to the everyday fear that keeps countless youth from feeling safe in school. We must confront the fact that LGBT students are much more likely to be threatened with a weapon and much more likely to feel unsafe at school than other students.”

GLSEN officials pointed out that the California Healthy Kids Survey, a project of the California Department of Education, found that California students who were harassed because they are or are perceived to be gay or lesbian were more than five times more likely than other students to report being threatened or injured with a weapon (28 percent to 5 percent). GLSEN’s 2005 National School Climate Survey found that nearly a fifth (17.6 percent) of LGBT students reported being physically assaulted at school in the past school year because of their sexual orientation and over a tenth (11.8 percent) because of their gender expression.

California is one of only 10 states that protect students from bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and one of only five that protect students from bullying and harassment based on gender identity/expression, but Jennings said school officials have to fully implement those protections to make them meaningful.

“Safe schools laws and policies are vitally important, but simply having a law is not enough,” Jennings said. “Schools need to implement staff development and trainings to address anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. Schools also need programs that teach young people respect and tolerance.”

The mother of Matthew Shepard, the gay Wyoming college student whose brutal murder shocked Americans in 1999, said King’s slaying should spur action to combat anti-GLBT hate.

“This terrible incident underscores the fact that we cannot let hate go unchecked in our schools and communities,” Judy Shepard said. “Our young people need our direction and guidance to prevent this type of crime from happening. I urge all parents and teachers to educate their children and students about acceptance, understanding and compassion.”

McInerney is being held in lieu of $770,000 bail. An online memorial for King has been set up at www.rememberlarry.com.