ABSTRACT
Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover of Massachusetts and Jaheem Herrera of Georgia, two unrelated Black youths, killed themselves by suicide just 10 days apart in April 2009. Both youths hanged themselves in their homes-one with an extension cord, the other with a belt. Both were only 11 years old. Both were victims of bullying at school because they were seen as gay (even though, as far as we know, neither boy defi ned himself as gay). From their childhood perspectives, relentless homophobic taunts made life intolerable (Blow, 2009).
