HBO To Air Doc On Lawrence King Anti-LGBT Hate Crime Today

HBO is airing the Valentine Road, a documentary giving background on the lives of Lawrence King and Brandon McInerney later today. McInerney gunned King down in February 2008 at point blank range at a middle school in Southern California which both attended. McInerney was tried as an adult and eventually accepted  a plea deal leading to a sentence of 21 years in prison in December 2011.

Zack Ford at LGBT Think Progress summarizes the documentary on King and McInerney this way:

As both advocates and opponents of protections for LGBT students agree, bullying is not a simple issue that can be reduced to just one factor in any particular case.Valentine Road shows just how complex the circumstances were for both Larry and Brandon in terms of race, sexuality, gender, socioeconomic status, school support, and family support. It is also a reminder that the public understanding of LGBT issues does not evolve in one coherent block and as such, there is still much work to be done to ensure that schools are truly safe for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other aspect of their identity. 

Watch the Valentine Road trailer:

I think watching the documentary is going to be pretty tough.

Hat/tip to LGBT Think Progress