Farewell Goth Help Us

Been to draft this post for a while.

Goth Help Us International folded at the end of Ocober and was a campaigning organization which only started in April 2006 by Rebecca K Hohm. They had their detractors in recent times, but they also did some good things and help raise awareness that goths can be useful members of the community. Considering the hugely negative press goth often gets, especially in the States they have to be applauded for that. The San Diego branch appeared in this report on the local news.

This is part of the introduction to what was their website before it was taken down:

Goth Help Us" was founded in April 2006 in the United States and is a grassroots effort to help humanity. Hopefully we'll help the world realize that goths are much more than strange or odd people. We want to try to prove to everyone that goths are also compassionate, loving, and extremely caring people. We also know that depression plagues many of us, and the only true way to rid yourself of depression is to go out and help other people. Maybe by helping others, we'll find our smiles again.

This organization is about wanting to help people and to network with other goths in hopes of trying to help humanity in general. We are organizing blood drives. We are helping the homeless. We are making dreams come true for sick children. We are helping fund animal shelters. We are helping to beautify our cities again. We are helping each other and helping others.

We just want to spread peace and also try to help stop the violence against goths.

We collaborate with already well-established charitable organizations, such as The Red Cross, The Humane Society, and Habitat for Humanity. We are NOT a charity. We are a humanitarian organization. We are a peaceful and compassionate sect of people and now we're proving it to the world.

Here are some of the projects they were involved in.

* Drivers for ride shares in a Need-A-Goth program for people under the influence
* Escorting and assisting grieving elderly individuals at cemeteries
* Food service at homeless shelters for adults and children
* Blood drives
* Toy drives
* Beach clean-ups
* Housing cleanup for the disabled
* Animal care for the Humane Society as a volunteer caregiver walking and exercising animals, in food preparation, or even protesting of animal cruelty

Goth Help Us were involved in the early stages of the aftermath of the Sophie Lancaster case and helped tell people about it. Their collapse came about partially over arguments over the implications of the whole Hate Crimes debate which the death of Sophie caused. It was Goth Help Us who originally raised the idea of using Hate Crime legislation to address the issue and promoted it. Their campaign got somewhat carried away in some of the imagery they used. As we noted here before that whole issue aroused strong feelings both positive and negative see Hate Crime and Subcultures - the debate.

It was from that idea the more successful hate crimes campaign in the UK developed.

From what I understand it seems that in raising the issue prominently the organization became internally divided. You can read a little about this here. The group also had external critics.

It is sad that an organization which in its short life did much good fell apart in such a way.

The San Diego Branch was particularly active and its organisation was prompted over a particularly nasty case of assault on some local goths:

Synchonicity is the best way to describe the chain of events that occurred to make Goth Help Us San Diego happen as it did. A negative act with positive repercussions. Goth Help Us as a whole is still a new organization and at the precise time that was necessary to get everything moving in the right direction, a wrong was done. Jim Howard, the current president of Goth Help Us San Diego, and a small group of friends and family were accosted on the street by a number of drunk, belligerent people. As Jim was assaulted it was made clear that he and his group was chosen due to their subculture affiliation. This can be otherwise known as a “hate crime.” The courts will not recognize this attack as a hate crime at this time.

This act came as a blow to the San Diego Goth community as the people that were involved in this attack were well respected members of the community. Alongside the choice of target, the Goth community is appalled that the courts will not recognize subcultures as a motivation for hate crime. Jim was, unfortunately, rushed to the hospital and had to undergo surgery in order to repair the damage that was done. Rather than acting in a similar fashion and attacking others, verbally, physically or any other way, Jim decided to act out and motivate the San Diego community to work together and help dispel the negative image that Goths have.

Here is the report on the case from Angst zine in September:

As many people in the Southern California region are aware, there has been a problem with violent crime against the Gothic community. None of us are certain precisely why this is, but we can guess; bad press, bad public image and misinformation undoubtedly top the list. The most notable California violence was the attack on 4 San Diego Goths. Outside of the United States, two young Goths were attacked in the United Kingdom and one lost her life while the other, at the time of this writing, is still comatose. Alongside these two attacks there have been many other attacks large and small across the globe. The first thing that should be stated is that this is clearly hate motivated. There is no rationale that can be used to defend these mindless acts. In San Diego, California, though, justice has been served and a blow has been struck against the would-be attackers and dangers to the Gothic community.

After a year-long wait, the four Goths from San Diego finally found justice in the courts. They were attacked by a Navy man and his brother, which resulted in the hospitalization of Jim Howard, the current Goth Help Us - San Diego Chapter President. As of the end of August, the Navy man that attacked Jim, his wife and two friends was found guilty by a jury of his peers on 4 related counts, 2 of which were felonious. The brother is set for a trial potentially for 2 felony counts. Furthermore, the San Diego District Attorney should most definitely get a mention as they fought for the rights of the attacked and the San Diego Gothic community. *

Here is an article on the group and an interview with its founder.
The Denver branch is continuing as an independent organisation as is San Diego under San Diego’s Gothic Volunteer Alliance (GVA). So locally the good work will continue.

Blackburn - Goths and emos found a place to go

After all the earlier Blackburn fuss in October about the "dangers" of goths, metalers and emos on the streets alternative venue The Cellar Bar and pub The White Rose are now offering them a place to hang out safely. Much kudos to the managers/landlords involved.

It was Doddy who commented on the SOPHIE campaign page:

"i dont know if you know , maybe its old news but two pubs in blackburn town centre shut their doors to over 18's on a saturday afternoon to let in the goths n emos or whatever to give em somewhere to go , form 12 til 6 i think . one week it is the white bull and the next is the cellar bar . i think these landlords/ladys should be applauded for their actions because i presume that they will be losing a bit of cash by stopping serving alcohol."

Another great looking gig.

Thugs use goon bag to bash goths - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes

Thugs use goon bag to bash goths - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes

Christine Kellett | November 14, 2007 - 2:32PM

Two men have faced court over a violent assault which saw a group of goths bashed with a goon bag.

Luke Anthony Harrison, 21, and Mereki Ian Pryor, 19, were each sentenced to jail for the attack, which left five members of Brisbane's gothic community nursing cuts and bruises.

The District Court today heard Harrison and Pryor had been drinking goon - or cask wine - in a park at the corner of Wickham Terrace and Ann Street in Fortitude Valley about 10.30pm on July 30, 2005 when the group walked past.

After shouting insults such as "freaks" and "faggots", Pryor approached the three women and two men, aged between 19 and 24, asked them if they wanted to fight and began throwing punches and kicks.

Harrison, carrying the bag of goon, also became involved, using it to take a swing at one of the women, knocking her glasses off her face. Another woman was also hit.

Crown prosecutor Chris Minnery said one of the group managed to grab the cask.

"F*** off or I'll break the goon," she said while threatening to stomp on the bag.

The attack stopped when the group managed to flee to safety at the nearby Orient Hotel. None were seriously injured.

Pryor's defence barrister, Megan Robbins, put her client's behaviour down to alcohol abuse, telling the court that at the time he was drinking up to three litres of cask wine a day.

"His judgement was obviously impaired to a significant degree," Ms Robbins explained, prompting Judge Julie Dick to fire back: "His liver can't have been too good either."

"This is public violence on a group of people who were just going about their business," the judge told the pair, who both pleaded guilty to charges of assault occasioning bodily harm in company.

"They are entitled to dress and look how they like as long as they don't interfere with the rest of the community."

Pryor, who is already serving a three-and-a-half year prison term for unrelated offences, had an extra six months added to his sentence, but will be eligible to apply for parole today.

Harrison received a 12 month term and was released immediately on parole after Judge Dick accepted he had played a lesser role in the assault.

Another articles adds a few new details:
Men 'bashed goths with wine cask'
NEWS.com.au, Australia - November 14, 2007

By Christine Flatley Two men have faced court over a vicious street brawl where a cask wine bladder was used to beat up a group of "goths" in Brisbane. ...

Pryor - who had a severe alcohol problem at the time and was drinking up to three litres of wine every day - approached the group and began to provoke them before hitting one of the men three times in the head.

The court was told a fight erupted, with Pryor and Harrison kicking and punching the men and the women, who tried to defend themselves.

The court was told Harrison picked up the wine bladder at one point and used it to smack one of the girls across the face.

Pryor and Harrison then knocked one of the men to the ground and kicked him repeatedly.

The group managed to escape and took refuge in a nearby pub.

They suffered bruising and cuts to their faces and bodies.

Harrison and Pryor pleaded guilty to four counts each of assault occasioning bodily harm in company.Pryor also pleaded guilty to one count of common assault.

Mix it up Day - USA

It was Mix It up day in the States yesterday an attempt to break down divisions between racial and social groups, including subcultural ones. It is a long standing idea in the States starting in 2002. Now more than 10,000 schools are involved.

ABC News 4 Charleston - Mixing Up Racial And Social Divides At Hanahan Middle School
Tuesday November 13, 2007 5:40pm Reporter: Renee Williams

Hanahan, S. Carolina - Hanahan Middle School participates in Mix It Up at Lunch Day, a national social experiment aimed at teaching students tolerance.

Think back, way back to your middle school lunch time. You’re sitting with the same friends, day in and day out and being a part of your group. Now imagine this- taking all of that and turning it upside down.

“Students are going to come in. They're going to take the initiative to sit with someone they don't know well,” Elizabeth Scarbrough says.

She’s the one who organized the school’s Mix it Up at Lunch Day. In other words, they’re mixing it up and changing who they talk to everyday. The students are also making new friends while breaking up old cliques.

“Some kids are left out they don't have many friends and then you have some groups who are friends with everybody,” eighth grader Nick Zerbst says.

Mix it Up at Lunch aims to break the harsh social divide of middle school.
The experiment tries to melt the jocks with the goths and the popular kids.
It’s not always easy to just strike up a conversation with someone you don't know. To help break the ice, the kids came up with questions to ask each other like do you like Clemson or Carolina or do you play sports? Even with the ice breakers the nerves are obvious.

“People are trying to be popular. People feel left out they can't really make friends because they're all shy,” adds eighth grader Kenneth Spear.

Whether they’re shy or not, more than 200 students pledged to give it a try. “Here's the 6th grade doing it. It’s really working well. Maybe someone in a higher social status can bring them up,” Zerbst says.

Middle school kids typically divide themselves along gender, racial and economic lines. They learn those divides early on. So these kids are pledging and promising to cross age old boundaries, if only for one day. “These prejudices and these cliques actually start to form at age three to its very important that we catch them at the middle school age,” adds Scarbrough.

SPLCenter.org: Millions take part in fourth annual Mix It UpDecember 2005

Fourth- and 5th-graders in Sweetwater, Texas, embrace the spirit of Mix It Up.
(Bruno at Holly Kuper Photography)
SWEETWATER, Texas -- When 350 intermediate students Mixed It Up here, spirits rose as high as their red, white and blue helium balloons

"That's what I love about 4th- and 5th-graders," said school counselor and Mix It Up at Lunch Day facilitator Melissa Howard. "They are still so into everything."

In 2005, the number of participants also rose -- dramatically. Across the nation on November 15, and estimated four million students at 9,000 schools took part in the fourth annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day. That's a 50 percent increase from 2004, when 4 million students took part nationwide.

Mix It Up, part of the Center's Teaching Tolerance program, asks students to swap seats in the school cafeteria -- one of the most self-segregating settings in the nation. Football players sit with football players; cheerleaders, with cheerleaders. Band members at the table in the corner; Goths at one table; Spanish-speaking students at another.

Consider how a high school senior from Phoenix described her school cafeteria on this year's Mix It Up at Lunch Day: "That section over there is where the jocks usually sit, and this part by the benches is where the skaters are, and then the gangs are all along the walls."

A 9th-grader from Oregon took part in a discussion about school cliques on Mix It Up at Lunch Day and came away with a deeper understanding.

"I learned they (various school cliques) don't really talk to each other," she said. "It's important to get groups to mingle. In the real world, you have to mingle whether you want to or not."

On Mix It Up Day, clearly, some do not. In Philadelphia, one high school student called it "annoying." In Florida, one student called it "childish," labeling participants "losers."

"The resistance is a clear sign of why the program is so important," said Tafeni English, director of the Mix It Up program. "Mix It Up is about social boundaries, and those boundaries don't dissolve in a single day or a single moment. But every time we get some students talking and thinking about the boundaries, we're taking steps in the right direction."...

POEM: Vegetable Soup

April 19, 2006 -- Two students at King George High School in Virginia write about the various social cliques in their school.

by Katie Newton and Laura McKinnon


King George High School is full of cliques

"The Wall," the Goths and the hot chicks.

It's hard enough to be a teen

Without having to deal with these kids - they're mean!

First of all, you've got "The Wall"

A sea of darkness, always having a ball.

Getting their kicks from picking on us

They laugh and they point, and they even cuss.

I know the teachers aren't hearing impaired

But they won't say anything 'cause they're too scared.

The Goths are the next crowd; they stay to themselves

Some dress like vampires, and some like dark elves.

They hate their lives, and the world, and us,

They won't be happy until their wounds seep pus.

The hot chicks are last because they're the worst

If you're not skinny and blonde consider yourself cursed.

Malibu Barbies with their fake tans

Always succeeding in stealing our "mans."

I want to break free

And then there are ones like me.

I have a friend in every group,

Like a giant pot of vegetable soup.

Carrots, peas and noodles, too,

I like being vegetable soup.

What kind of soup are you?

Some interesting comments from kids involved in the past. Lots more here:

Don't hate what you don't understand
Keala

Every one knows how the "goths" and the "preps" have hated each other for so many years now. I am considered a goth at my school, but I have friends from virtually every clique. I hate how people think if you are a certain way, you have to be friends with just that group! I dislike how the jocks make fun of my friends and how they torment us because we have an opinion. Most people think "goths" are suicidal, and that they worship Satan. Satanists worship Satan not "goths." I judge people but it's because when they hang out with others they become like that friend. I just hate how everyone hates "goths." Just because we are different doesn't mean you have to hate us. A great man once said "To be great is to be misunderstood" (Ralph Waldo Emerson) just as being different is to be great!

Another way to Mix It Up
Lindsey
It is true there are many cliques at our school, like the so-called 'gangster table' or the 'nerd table', but our lunch is only 25 minutes long, so one day would not create friendships. If it were my idea I would have it happen at least one Tuesday a month because once a year really wouldn't cut it, if you think about it. If it was held every Tuesday, then you would be forced to talk to them or exclude yourself, which shouldn't happen by the way. But instead of sitting at a new table every Tuesday, you could sit at the same color table and create friendships with those people, and after like 3 months they switch everyone, something like that.

Mix doesn't work
Bob
I HATE MIX IT UP DAY! ITS STUPID AND IT NEVER WORKS!

It was hard, but I did it
Jackie
Today at my school we had Mix It Up Day. It was very fun because we got to meet new people! Usually, I sit with my best friend, Marilyn. We always sit at the same table. It was very hard to do this but I did it. I am proud that I was brave enough to sit with totally different people whom I didn't know. Thank you for making this day exist!

Being judged sucks
Kim
In my school, people judge you by one thing: where you shop and what you wear. It's not, oh, you are so nice, or eh, you're really mean to everyone, or, you annoy me on purpose, it's that you shop here. I for one, shop at Hot Topic, a store that has been deemed rather "Gothic," but yet, has more leather alternatives than places like Wet Seal and Mervyn's, and most of the makeup in there has not been tested on animals. I am a vegetarian, in case you were wondering why I am talking about that sort of thing. People think I'm Gothic just because I shop there.

Most cliques in my school, really aren't defined by a name, it's just certain people. There's the normal people, who are more often than not popular; the freaks, who are just plain rude to everyone; the loser/skaters who made do good in school, but half of them are just, well, rather, odd; there are the skaters, the people that I hang out with some; the preps, the people who will do anything to make themselves look perfect; the potheads, people who do drugs; the sugar junkies, people who are just plain crazy; there's the jocks, who are obsessed with any kind of sport; fashionistas, people who love clothes; and then, there's what I've been defined as, a Gothic. Really though, I am a punk rock enviro skater. These cliques, aren't people I have judged. It's just where they fall in my school according to what they wear and how they act. I wear bondage pants (the big pants that have D-rings and straps on them) and because of that I'm Gothic. If you noticed, I put nothing down on Environmentally Conscious people, that's because I'm really the only one who cares about that in my school. I'm just me, and being judged differently sucks. It sucks hard.

Don't make us do it again
Damien
I'm using this little thing to tell you what I think about Mix It Up. I think its a waste of time and is not going to do anything but cause more problems. NO student I have talked to bout this said it was a good idea. There is talk of skipping lunch to avoid having to participate and also talk of deliberate defiance. I am one of the students who will NOT participate. I won't be forced to sit with people I don't like. I don't like people, not because of their differences, but because of their personality. If I was someone who sat by myself at lunch I wouldn't want people to sit with me because they had to, rather because they want to. I know I speak for a good 75% of my school when I say this is lame... don't make us do it again.

Lowest social group
Brittany
Mix It Up Day was ok for some students, but let me tell you, Mix It Up Day at Lunch did not go so well for me. I tried sitting with the "preppy" kids. But they just made fun of me and told me to go away. It doesn't matter how much you think it's a good thing, when a "goth" sits with a "prep" it doesn't go over very smoothly. It was a success for the older kids to sit with freshman and everything - kids sitting with other kids that aren't really different than them. But this was just... yeah. When the lowest social group sat with the highest at my school, it was not a good lunch.

PeaceJam brings food to Mix
Cornelia

I go to school at Tohatchi High School in New Mexico. I am in 11th grade. My group, PeaceJam, brought food for the people to eat in the classrooms. The students said it was nice to meet different students at our school. We got all the athletes, skaters and Goths to sit with the people they don't know. We had a good time with the students. But some of the students said they were shy because they don't know the students they were sitting by.

Mix was awesome
Kileigh

Mix-it-up-at-lunch day was awesome at my school. We each got a buddy to walk around with, and to hang out with in different groups. It was so fun. Everyone crossed the boundaries of preps, jocks, Goths, geeks, African Americans and those types of things. I met new people and have so many new friends now that I will never forget. I met some awesome people I would never have had the guts to go up to, and hang out with, on a normal day. It makes school such a better atmosphere when you know more people. I learned that all these people are so cool in their own ways and they all have their own types of fun. I hope this day becomes a tradition for my school district. I'll never forget this day! Thanks so much for the great idea!!

Racism and Religious Bigotry
By J.S.

I am a daughter of a United States Marine and because of that I have moved around the country a lot. I have seen and experienced many different things.

I have experienced racism, not from my white classmates, but from my black classmates. I have seen people blamed for things that are not in their control like a Wiccan at my school, who is harassed not only by kids, but in less obvious ways by teachers.

Right now my worst battle is not with anyone I know from school. It's from my mom. She thinks some of my friends are devil-worshippers just because they are goth, and when I told her some of them are actually Christians, she acted surprised!

When I told her that goths are actually some of the most tolerant and peaceful people I know because they don't care what religion, color, sexual orientation you are, she told me to shut up.

How's that for tolerance?

By C.

In my school there aren't many different groups such as freaks, geeks and wannabees, but there are some such as myself, a goth, and preps and the "in betweens" who really don't care. But even though there aren't that many groups there are A LOT of coflicts between us.

For example, when everyone found out I was a goth some preppies wanted to fight me that used to be my friends. I'm the only goth in my school and it's not surprising considering it's unfortunately a Catholic school. The reason that I go there is because I live with my aunt and uncle.

People are getting used to the idea, but I'm still hated by many people but I learn to ignore it!!!!

I'm a Pagan
By M.

I'm a Pagan. I live in a small town in Wisconsin. Everyone in my high school knows I'm pagan. At least the people who know who I am do.

I've gotten a lot of guff for being the religion that I am. I've been called devil worshiper, blair witch, Mrs. Cleo, etc... I've had people walk around me singing hymns from the Bible just to make me angry.

I believe they make fun of me simply because they are afraid of what they believe i stand for. None of them actually took the time or effort to understand what my beliefs were. I can't even count the times I've told the same people that I can't worship the devil when I don't believe he exists.

I try to explain to them what I am, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. All I want is to go to school not having to wonder what new name they're going to come up with, or what new plan they have to try and humiliate me with.

I don't think asking for the ability to go to school without having to defend my religion to everyone I meet is too much to ask, do you? I just want to make some people aware that pagans aren't bad, sure we have some people calling themselves witches who give us a bad name, but if you talk to a pagan -- a true pagan -- you'll find out otherwise. As our creed states "an it harm none, do what thou will." Thank you for reading my story, I hope you come away with a different point of view.

Don't judge lunchmates by their appearance
Amber

Everyday is a new experience for me! I used to sit at the same old lunch table day after day, but now it's a whole new change! I sit with a girl I met in named Kiritie, who now I am really close with. It's a Goth table with lots of unique people — very friendly — and I feel happy to sit and make new friends. I always look forward to sitting there. They make me feel at home! It's not all what you look like on the outside, it's what you have on the inside that counts. So don't just judge people and not consider sitting with them just because of the way they look and dress.

More details here at website which organises it.

Punk children's book

Rocker's a hit with real punks

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub, Chronicle Pop Culture CriticTuesday, November 13, 2007
The scene at Bookshop West Portal in San Francisco looks like your typical punk rock concert. The musicians carry their own instruments and socialize with their fans before the performance. Members of the audience dance with no inhibition. And even though a couple of people may be spitting up in the back of the room, everyone still leaves having had a good time.

This is the latest side project for Bouncing Souls lead singer Greg Attonito, a veteran punk rocker who teamed up with his songwriter wife, Shanti Wintergate, to write a children's book. The tattoos worn by their target audience may be temporary, but the music is very real for the pair, who have been traveling to book stores and elementary schools across the country - playing original children's songs and reading from "I Went for a Walk," which Wintergate wrote and Attonito illustrated while touring with his band.

The songs are kid friendly but parent accessible, and the artwork in the book has an edgy, almost dreamlike quality that wouldn't look out of place on the front of a punk rock album. Wintergate and Attonito said they had the offspring of punk fans in mind when they wrote the book and the songs.

"It's not just a parent telling their kid, 'Here's something that I'm stoked about,' " Attonito says. "I think of this as a bridge between what the punk rock fan likes and what their kid is stoked about."..

Attack story – a complaint - Whitby Today

Attack story – a complaint - Whitby Today:

"From: Leona Cowap, Falcon Terrace, Whitby

I am writing to complain about the story “Thugs tore of my ears”, which was on the front page of Friday 2 November’s paper. I was extremely disappointed to read that they were not actually his real ears. I find the headline very misleading as I thought there had been a really quite serious attack. I agree it wasn’t very nice of the ‘attackers’ to push him about and swear at him but I wonder if I am the only person in Whitby who found “They ripped the bald cap and false ears, tore them to pieces and stamped on them” actually quite hilarious. Also, I know if Stuart had been unfortunate enough to have his real ears ripped off in the centre of Leeds on a Saturday evening it probably wouldn’t have even made it into the paper, let alone front page. 08 November 2007 "

See original story here:
Goth's ears ripped off by thugs - Have YOUR say on...

Sophie's funeral footage and photos

Sophie's Funeral

Sophie's boyfriend Rob Maltby

Final tribute to murdered Goth

Manchester Evening News
12/11/2007

HUNDREDS of mourners gathered to pay their respects at the funeral of a 20-year-old woman who was kicked to death in a park. Sophie Lancaster, of Bacup, suffered severe head and facial injuries during the brutal assault in August.

Miss Lancaster and her boyfriend, Rob Maltby, 21, who survived the attack, had been targeted in the past for being dressed as Goths. Her family have since launched a campaign to highlight the hostility which Goths face.













The Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere (Sophie) memorial fund aims to raise money to teach young people about alternative cultures and to respect everyone.

Their campaign, run via the myspace website, has attracted wide support from the online Goth community and many are expected to travel from around Britain to the service...

FOND FAREWELL FOR MURDERED WOMAN Express, UK November 13th

The humanist funeral held in Whitworth this morning, celebrated the life of the young woman who was brutally kicked to death as she walked through a park with her boyfriend.

Miss Lancaster, who was from Bacup in Lancashire, slipped into a coma and died in hospital 13 days after suffering fatal injuries to her head and face.

Her partner, 21-year-old Rob Maltby, also fell into a coma but survived the horrific attack. He suffered bleeding on the brain and is still recovering from his injuries.

Her white coffin was covered in messages from friends. One read: “I would love to hug you right now – see you in my thoughts and dreams.”... read more


Sophie's final goodbye
By Camilla Sutcliffe
Lancashire Evening Telegraph

MOURNERS wrote goodbye messages on the coffin of alleged murder victim Sophie Lancaster as condolences from around the world were shown on a projector screen.

Hundreds of people from across the country gathered at The Riverside Centre, Whitworth, for the humanist funeral ceremony, which celebrated diversity and difference.

Sophie, 20, died in August after she and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were involved in an incident in Stubbylee Park, Bacup. Police said the Bacup couple were attacked because of the way they looked.
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Portraits of former Haslingden High School pupil painted by Robert, 21, who survived the attack, decorated the funeral hall.

After the ceremony guests were invited to write messages to Sophie in black marker pen on her white coffin as music by the Beatles, Jeff Buckley and Marilyn Manson was played.

Poems by Christina Rossetti, Brian Patten and one written for Sophie by Robert, were read out during the ceremony.

Mourners then walked in procession led by a lone piper, to Whitworth Cemetary where poetry by Keats and Shelley was read before the burial.

At the service, officiator Sue Davies said that Sophie's "painful, cruel and tragic" death had shocked everyone, but that she would not want to be defined by the way she died. She said the funeral was very personal but,most importantly, welcoming, safe and inclusive for everyone.

She said: "Sophie Lancaster was an original - a remarkable and true individual. An exciting, fierce woman of high intelligence and understanding.

"Sophie's death is a profound tragedy of humanity. It is the tragedy of dehumanisation. It is the tragedy which unfortunately, despite all efforts, recurs again and again and is still with us today.

"With actions which are so atrocious, so incomprehensible that we are left struggling to make sense of the insensible. But we must never allow violence to be the final word."

She added that Sophie's three-year relationship with Robert was one which enriched them both.

After the ceremony friends said that it had done justice to Sophie's life. Close friend Joe Greenwood, 18, of Haslingden, said: "It was a beautiful service and it was wonderful to see so many people here to celebrate her life."

Paul Mannion, 23, of Hall Carr, Rawtenstall, added: "She was always happy, always laughing and always making other people laugh and see what life is really like. There are no ways to say what a shame it is to lose such a person."

Flowers were laid on her coffin by all mourners and donations have been made to the family's charity campaign SOPHIE (Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere). Further donations can be made through the campaign website at www.myspace.com/inmemoryofsophie Five youths will appear in Preston Crown Court on March 10 charged with Sophie's murder.

[Another article no new details but appears in a popular and widely distributed free paper Metro.]
Tributes to goth who was brutally killed
Metro, UK -

Not Like Everyone Else - TV movie

This interesting sounding film highlights some of the problems faced by high school people bullying others,

Not Like Everyone Else
Randee Dawn

June 30, 2006

9 p.m. Monday, July 10 Lifetime There's a lot going on in Lifetime's new original movie, "Not Like Everyone Else," about the real-life struggle of Brandi Blackbear (Alia Shawkat), an Oklahoma teen expelled from school in 1999 for practicing witchcraft, who enlisted the ACLU to bring suit. In part it is a nightmare about teachers policing students; in part it is about civil rights; in part it is about "Mean Girls"/"Heathers" bullying outsiders/freethinkers; and in part it is a father-daughter reconciliation. But since it's a Lifetime movie, it really has to be about a woman standing up for her rights -- possibly the least relevant angle of this busy yet inert film. Executive produced by Lifetime regulars Michael Jaffe and Howard Braunstein, "Everyone Else" has moments. Brandi's mom (the delightful, earthy Illeana Douglas) accepts her Gothic, budding horror-writer daughter, and judicious use of handheld cameras lend scenes a documentary freshness. But "Everyone Else" fails to find its focus, and flat acting and tin-eared dialogue turn those scenes into an extended "Unsolved Mysteries" re-enactment. Blackbear's story -- which exposed the draconian measures visited on teens post-Columbine -- has a larger message to impart about jumping to conclusions in the skittish wake of tragedy. But next time, filmmakers should let Brandi write this particular horror story herself.

BBC NEWS | England | Lancashire | Park attack victim's funeral due

Includes video footage

"The funeral of a 20-year-old woman who died following an attack in a Lancashire park is to take place later. Sophie Lancaster was walking with her boyfriend in Stubby Lee Park in Bacup when they were attacked on 11 August. Her family have said they want as many people as possible to attend as part of their campaign to stamp out prejudice. Miss Lancaster and her boyfriend had earlier been targeted for dressing as Goths. The service is at the Riverside Centre in Whitworth at 1100 GMT. Mourners will be asked to write farewell messages on her white casket while her favourite music is played."
read more
BBC NEWS | England | Lancashire | Park attack victim's funeral due



Sophie's funeral to take place today
Lancashire Evening Telegraph, UK - 48 minutes ago
Police believe she and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, who survived the attack, were targeed because of their "goth" style of dress. ...

Petition Against Violence Gains 1 500 Signatures (from LancashireTelegraph)

"AN online petition - launched in memory of tragic Bacup girl Sophie Lancaster - calling for violence against goths and emos to be made 'a hate crime' has attracted more than 1,500 names. The petition comes as Sophie's family and friends today (MON) prepare to celebrate the former Haslingden High School pupil's life in a humanist service at the Riverside Centre in Whitworth. It has been lodged on the Prime Minister's website and urges Gordon Brown to consider extending the definition of hate crimes to include violence against goths and emos. advertisement The petition reads: 'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to widen the definition of hate Crime', to include crimes committed against a person or persons, on the basis of their appearance or subcultural interests...read more"

Petition Against Violence Gains 1 500 Signatures (from This Is Lancashire)

The article is mistaken in saying it is just about goths and emos but I suppose it is an easy mistake to make. The petition is now at over 1600 signatures and is around number 143 out of more than 8000 petitions on the site. This may be the first time the petition has been mentioned in the media. I think there will be a lot more media coverage round the trial in March of the accused in the Sophie Lancaster case when the petition will be almost finished which should be interesting. One wonders what difference such legislation would have made in the case of the killing of Dele Little for instance.

See earlier posts on hate crime for more background on the petition.

Youths in North Wales tried for goth attacks

Teenagers dealt with over assaults - North Wales News - News - Daily Post North Wales

Nov 7 2007 by Aaron Boland, Daily Post

SIX teenagers appeared in court yesterday for their roles in a series of assaults in Colwyn Bay.

A youth court at Llandudno heard how the darkly-clothed “Goths” – boys and girls aged 14 and 15 – were walking along Abergele Road at Old Colwyn last April when four “hoodies” approached. A boy was kicked and punched and a friend also hit.

Prosecutor Nita Dowell said five days later a man living in Lawson Road, Colwyn Bay, had been threatened with violence by a group of boys as he returned home.

The same month one of the defendants, a boy of 16, had been involved in a disturbance in Station Road, Colwyn Bay, where a man was punched. There was further trouble in Greenfield Road when a group of youths including him and a second defendant allegedly hurled bricks towards a man.

The 16-year-old was also involved in an assault near the skate park in Eirias Park when a youngster was set upon. He received a twelve-month referral order and must pay £100 compensation to this victim, and £60 costs. He admitted four counts of threatening behaviour and a fifth of common assault.

In May a youth was hit with a stick and bitten by an assailant near the skate park after five youths approached him. Two boys of 15 admitted assault causing actual bodily harm although they were not the main aggressors.

One of them also admitted two counts of threatening behaviour. They received referral orders and must pay £60 costs. The second boy was ordered to pay £100 compensation. Two others, aged 15, who admitted threatening behaviour, received referral orders and must pay £60 costs.

Another 15-year-old boy, who pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour, receiving a stolen fire extinguisher and criminal damage, was bailed for reports with a community-based penalty indicated.

Interesting case in that it seems to follow a pattern to the other attacks on subcultural groups. Putting aside the "chav"/hoodie sterotype aside we seem to have a pattern of people who are already involved in a range of criminal behaviour and skate parks are a favoured target area for them. Two of the suspects in the Sophie case were refused bail because of their background for example.

Cradle of Filth t-shirt trial - Shopkeeper who sold 'obscene' Jesus T-shirt escapes trial for prejudice

"A SHOP owner charged with religious prejudice after selling an obscene T-shirt will not face trial.

Daniel Moore, 45, sold the T-shirt - which features the slogan "Jesus is a c***" and a pornographic picture of a nun - to an undercover policeman. Minutes later a team of ten police officers raided his Edinburgh shop and he was charged with selling obscene material aggravated by religious prejudice.

Moore insisted on his innocence during several appearances at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, and the Crown has now decided the case can be dealt with through an alternative to prosecution..."

The article goes onto list a whole series of cases in connection to the t shirt. read more...
Scotsman.com News - Scotland - Edinburgh - Shopkeeper who sold 'obscene' Jesus T-shirt escapes trial for prejudice

Don't the police and courts have something better to do? Admittedly the t-shirt is in very bad taste but this type of fuss simply magnifies the situation. No prizes to Cradle of Filth though as it exactly is this kind of thing based on shock value alone and sold as merchandise, which lets the media portray metal fans in a very bad light. It is always difficult to balance freedom of speech with the need to display tolerance for other people.

Goths raise money for lifeboats

Goths push the boat out - Bexhill Today - Back to Home Page: A masked 'gothic' ball was held to celebrate one year of business and to raise money for Eastbourne RNLI. Fox Xnoubis, 37, and Angel Darkside, 43, of The Darkside, a shop offering gothic clothing and accessories in Terminus Road, gave customers a party to celebrate a year of trading. It was held at the Kingfisher Tavern, Langney, and the proceeds were donated to Eastbourne RNLI.
05 November 2007 6:20 AM"

Flagship Shop Gets Only Three Shoppers A Day (from Lancashire Telegraph)

The shop owner involved in the recent anti goth Emo saga in Blackburn reveals his concerns. Sounds like he made a bad business move and now is blaming kids for his woes.

"Flagship shop gets only three shoppers a day By Tom Moseley

AN award-winning interior designer insists there is room for his store in Blackburn - despite admitting business has been poor. East Lancashire's 'king of wallpaper' John Wilman said that only three people a day were going into Pavilion Interiors, Church Street, after it opened 11 weeks ago. Among the items for sale are Aga cookers, which cost thousands of pounds, but only one has been sold, prompting fears that the high-class store is out of touch with the town centre. The shop is one of three occupying the council's flagship Pavilions buildings, restored at a cost of 1.3million in 2004. Mr Wilman, behind the Coloroll wallpaper brand in the 1980s and 1990s, insisted there was a place for the store in the town.
He claimed parking problems and building work were also hitting trade, and has recently hit out at gangs of so-called 'emos' and 'goths' who he said were putting off customers." more
Flagship Shop Gets Only Three Shoppers A Day (from Lancashire Telegraph): Oct 31st

Media moves school shooting blame onto Internet

The ongoing saga of the blame for the Finland school shooting seems to have diverted at least in relation to blaming it on the music Pekka-Eric Auvinen was listening to. Instead reports are now focusing more on his use of youtube and the internet as a better target. Certainly Auvinen's ideas had some backing from stuff he found on the net but that is far from the entire story. See...

Don’t blame me, says girlfriend who
Times Online, UK - 10 Nov 2007
Yesterday she acknowledged that she had been the girlfriend of Pekka-Eric Auvinen, the 18-year-old Finnish student who last week launched a murderous ...

Teenage punk rocker saves a mans life

"Mark O'Dwyer owes his life to a 14-year-old punk rocker and an edgy television science program.

The 54-year-old was waiting at Lisarow train station on the Central Coast at 2.45pm on October 19 when he fainted and toppled two metres from the platform onto the tracks below, as a freight train bore down on the station.

Julian Shaw, who is 180 centimetres tall and weighs 70 kilograms, was travelling home from school with classmates when he saw Mr O'Dwyer, who is 187 centimetres tall and weighs 110 kilograms, fall. Julian leapt into action.

"I jumped down on to the tracks, lifted him off the ground and put him on my shoulder - he was heavy but there was enough adrenaline rushing through to help me," said Julian, who is in year 9 at Lisarow High School and plays guitar in punk rock band Checkered Fist.

With the train "just a couple of metres away", Julian moved the North Gosford resident to the edge of the track and rolled him under the platform.

But danger was not totally averted.

"[As the train roared past] the noise pierced your ears and there was a suction that pulled us in," Julian said."

Read more:

Schoolboy Julian's lifesaving MythBuster moment - National - smh.com.au:

BLABBERMOUTH.NET - STURMGEIST Mainman Comments On Finnish High School Massacre

STURMGEIST mainman Cornelius von Jackhelln (also of SOLEFALD) has released the following statement (via Season of Mist, STURMGEIST's record company):

"Today [Wednesday, November 7] an 18-year old man shot seven people in a high school massacre in Tuusula, Finland. The killer referred to himself as 'Sturmgeist89' on YouTube. 'Sturmgeist' is not only the name of my band, but also of a character in the video game 'Medal of Honor'. As of yet, it is not established wherefrom the murderer took the name. Understandably, journalists keep calling me, eager to prove a link between my band and the massacre. However, as an artist, I can neither control the actions of my fans nor be held responsible for them.

"It is my firm conviction that if somebody wishes to go down as the cause of a massacre like that in Tuusula, explanations beyond music must be sought. In an interview with the Oslo-based newspaper Dagbladet today I argue that although extreme metal as a genre deals with topics such as isolation, misanthropy and despair, blaming the musicians is both wrong and unfair. It is people that kill people. Not music.

"Extreme metal has a potential both for social comment and personal katharsis, given its dealing with problems ordinarily shunned by mainstream society: suicide, madness, pollution, violence, warfare and drug abuse all occur regularly in extreme metal lyrics, mostly subject to critical scrutiny.

"I do recall how lonely and isolated I felt as a teenager, how strong an impact music had on my life. Extreme metal helped me channel my aggression in a constructive way; where SLAYER's album 'Seasons in the Abyss' described the psychology of a mass murderer, CANNIBAL CORPSE's 'The Bleeding' gave graphic accounts of extreme violence. Even though I adored both albums, I did not go out and kill people.

Read more:

BLABBERMOUTH.NET - STURMGEIST Mainman Comments On Finnish High School Massacre

Finland school shooting - blamed on KMFDM

And remember that this is my war, my ideas and my plans. Don’t blame anyone else for my actions than myself. Don’t blame my parents or my friends. I told nobody about my plans and I always kept them inside my mind only. Don’t blame the movies I see, the music I hear, the games I play or the books I read. No, they had nothing to do with this. This is my war: one man war against humanity, governments and weak-minded masses of the world! No mercy for the scum of the earth! HUMANITY IS OVERRATED! It’s time to put NATURAL SELECTION & SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST back on tracks!

The Pekka-Eric Auvinen Manifesto..

The killing of eight people iby Pekka-Eric Auvinen is a tragic and sad development performed by a psychologicaly maladjusted individual. Yet the media seem bent on justifying his claim in his manifesto that modern society is stupid and manipulative.

There are now 1,337 news articles linking the killer to KMDFM. Check this out for an example:

German band KMFDM linked to Finnish school massacre
TV3 News, New Zealand - 4 hours ago Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:21p.m.

The song the killer used in his video was Stray Bullet from the German industrial band KMFDM. The lyrics in the track include: "I'm your nightmare coming true / I am your worst enemy." And if that sounds familiar there is a reason. It is the same music and same lyrics the Columbine killers quoted.

One of those shooters, Eric Harris, posted the lyrics on his website before his shooting rampage. This raises the question: has the music of this band spurred another shooting, or has the Finnish gunman modelled himself on the Columbine killers?

The German band's name is an acronym that translates in full into English as "no pity for the masses". After the Columbine Massacre they issued a statement saying: "KMFDM are an art form - not a political party. From the beginning, our music has been a statement against war, oppression, fascism and violence against others."

Of course if he was not a real KMDFM fan had he absorbed KMDFM’s message he would never have shot anyone. They have spent the last few albums discussing the futility of war check out WWIII (2003). I notice that the article doesn't point out the wider context and full details.

In wake of the Columbine High School massacre it was revealed that lyrics to KMFDM songs ("Anarchy", "Power", "Son of a Gun", "Stray Bullet", "Waste") were posted on the website of shooter Eric Harris, and that the massacre coincided with the release date of the album Adios and the birthday of Adolf Hitler. In response to Columbine, Sascha Konietzko founding member of the band issued a statement the following day:

First and foremost, KMFDM would like to express their deep and heartfelt sympathy for the parents, families and friends of the murdered and injured children in Littleton. We are sick and appalled, as is the rest of the nation, by what took place in Colorado yesterday.

KMFDM are an art form — not a political party. From the beginning, our music has been a statement against war, oppression, fascism and violence against others. While some of the former band members are German as reported in the media, none of us condone any Nazi beliefs whatsoever.

The fact is Eric Harris also was a "social darwinist" killer who just like Pekka-Eric Auvinen felt he was above the people he murdered. Harris has a similar manifesto to Auvinen available online which mentions natural selection and weeding out the unfit. Most people don't know that because as we know Columbine was about the music the two supposedly listened too and the trenchcoats they supposedly wore (in fact neither of them even liked Marilyn Manson or goth and nor did they wear trenchcoats generally see Columbine - The Legacy of Hatred). Of course Auvinen was inspired by Harris he mentions he admires and studies serial killers in his manifesto and online. The use of the same KMFDM track was an obvious tribute to Harris and Auvinen's YouTube site included video footage of the Columbine school shootings alongside the 1993 Waco siege in the United States, the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo, and bombs falling on Baghdad during the 2003 invasion plus WWII Nazi footage. It is classic case of a copycat killing one motivated not by music, but what appears to be a stupid philosophy created from extreme right wing and left wing rantings and previous sick crimes. Harris even wrote somewhere his choice of music should not be blamed for the killing just like Auvinen did. Interesting to note Auvinen carried out his massacre on Wednesday's 90th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.

Well at least this semi-philosophical basis is what Auvinen wanted us to think was behind the crimes. Instead the truth is both in this case and Columbine those involved were too weak to handle everyday life and like bullies they supposedly despised they turned to violence. Auvinen's actions were probably as much to do with the fact his girl friend had left him as anything deeper.

Auvinen’s former girlfriend insisted that he was not crazy. “I have received many e-mails and phone calls claiming it is my fault and that I am a murderer because I rejected him,” said the 20-year old woman, who recently broke up with Auvinen.

The YouTube killer: eight die in schoolroom shooting massacre Times Online November 8, 2007

At least the Finnish are sensible enough to look at altering laws in the wake of the disaster.

Finland's gun laws to be examined after killings Euronews.net

After targeting his victims, Pekka Eric Auvinen turned the weapon on himself and later died in hospital. The shootings have sent a shock wave through Finland, which has the lowest crime rate in Europe.

But the popularity of hunting as a pastime means that 56 out of every hundred Finns have a gun - putting it third behind the US and Yemen in terms of ownership, according to research. The government has said it will now look at the issue of firearms legislation. Anyone aged 15 and over can apply for a licence in Finland if they can give a valid reason. The easiest way to do this is by joining a shooting or hunting club, as Auvinen did in October.

Violent incidents are rare at Finnish schools and metal detectors, common in the United States, are unheard of. An emergency centre has been set up in Tuusula where staff and students from the school are being offered counselling. Auvinen also posted a rambling manifesto online, describing himself as a "social darwinist" and "storm spirit".

The media are just looking for simplistic nonsense come up with this in The Times:

Tuusula shooting was a very Finnish affair

Rather ridiculous article if school shootings are so Finnish why is this only the second one ever despite 50% of households have a have a gun? If all Finnish school children are depressed friendless, internet geeks why are incidents of school and youth violence lower than the UK?

Crime in Finland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Finland also has the highest homicide rate per capita in Western Europe, but these are mostly domestic incidents not using guns.

Finland like other Scandinavian countries has a large fan base for alternative music of all kinds.

Thus Finland sent Lordi a rock / heavy metal band noted for their elaborate monster-like costumes depicted during live shows and in music videos to Eurovision. They won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with a record 292 points, giving Finland its first ever victory. The video had zombies in a high school... I am surprised the media haven't pointed this out as a reason for the killing. Perhaps Lordi inspired the two recent crimes they faced in their US tour?

LORDI Manager, Bodyguard Shot At Following Louisville Concert - Oct. 30, 2007

Certainly Pekka-Eric Auvinen liked industrial and metal music, he also liked violent movies, video games and read Plato, Nietzsche, and existentialist philosophers. None of these things made him a sick killer, millions of other people have the same interests without killing anyone. Why do the media want to seemingly justify his ridiculous manifesto by acting as if they are in fact as stupid as he liked to claim they were?