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by Gina Tron, for the Montpelier Bridge
BARRE — The death of a 13-year-old student has prompted an outpouring of grief in Barre, along with broader community conversations about youth mental health, bullying prevention, and support for LGBTQ+ young people.
Barre City Elementary and Middle School notified families of the student’s passing on May 13. Barre City Police confirmed to The Bridge that the death was ruled a suicide.
In the days that followed, signs appeared on lawns throughout downtown Barre, which read “Don’t Give Up” and “You Matter,” as well as information about the Washington County Mental Health Services’ crisis line. In response to the loss, Rev. Rae Fraumann of the Hedding Church in Barre organized a series of public signs intended to offer encouragement to children and adults alike.
“Everybody needs to know that they matter,” they said. “Everyone is worthy of love.”
Several of the signs include messages such as “It Gets Better,” along with contact information for The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides 24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people.
Fraumann, who supplied the text for all the signs, contacted Yipes! print shop of Barre, which designed and printed them by the end of the same day.
A community rally focused on anti-bullying and support for youths is scheduled for June 15 at Currier Park. Organizers — which include local podcast 802 Scoop, Yipes!, and Posh Salon — say the event will include speakers, music, and space for attendees to write messages of support on a shared canvas. In promotional materials, organizers described the event as coming “from a place of heartbreak, but also from a place of hope.”
In the days following the student’s death, social media posts circulated in local community groups referencing bullying. Discussions became heated, and comment sections were disabled by moderators.
A friend of the family told The Bridge the student was not bullied and found it odd that some community discourse has focused on that. While conversations following the death have centered in part on bullying and LGBTQ+ youth mental health, no evidence has been publicly presented linking bullying or any other social factors to the student’s death. An obituary described the student as being loved and cared for by classmates, teachers, and community members throughout their life.
Fraumann said that, regardless of whether the student was bullied, the efforts can support other young people in the community. They said it is important to foster a safe environment for all students, noting that LGBTQ+ youths face higher rates of bullying and suicide risk.
Since mid-May, community members, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, have shared personal reflections about bullying and feeling unwelcome. Barre resident Daniel Barlow, executive director of the People’s Health and Wellness Clinic, said such discussions highlight the importance of supportive environments.
“It matters to have affirming spaces,” he said. “We know that LGBTQ+ youths do better when communities visibly support them and make them feel safe and valued.”
According to The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, 39% of respondents reported seriously considering suicide in the past year. They state LGBTQ+ young people who live in accepting communities report lower rates of suicide attempts than those in less accepting environments.
Fraumann encourages people to judge less and to be kinder to one another, now and always.
“We have to be a good community for our children,” they said. “We are a small community and we can do this.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available by calling or texting 988 or contacting local mental health services.
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Categories: Life&Death, Race and Division
This is a tragedy, my heart goes out to the family. the article and actions are a bit revealing. There are voices in our heads, not all of them portray the world correctly, many of them are lies. We need to equip our people and children to know the difference. We need to equip our people with truth, forgiveness and love, most certainly. This is very, very sad.
Democrats are Domestic Terrorists! Stop the mental illness by eliminating Democratic Destruction of Vermont! Woke and mentally unstable sex change should not be encouraged and promoted!
Daniel Barlow said “we know that LGBTQ+ youth do better when communities visibly support them and make them feel safe and wanted.” The article said that there is no evidence of any social issues that led to the suicide, so why is he implying that there was. This is a terrible tragedy. About 50 years ago my older brother killed himself. After it happened I couldn’t stop wondering if there was something I should have known or done to stop it. I still think of about it now once in a while. We need to let the family grieve and stop speculating.
So, my reply to this horrible story will seem terrible to some people but I want to say it anyways. The way to support young people going through any hardship is to point them to Jesus and the Bible. Grouping people by their sexual preference and then giving them some kind of victim status creates an atmosphere that produces these kinds of situations. The only acceptable sexual activity is one man and one woman together for life. I see signs that say, “you are enough” . See, that is a total lie. Jesus is the only one who can claim that. We all fall short. We can go through life without Christ just by following the moral standards set out by the culture but for a young person with identity problems and same sex attraction issues it is very difficult without the only right answer which is obedience to Jesus Christ and his word. The culture accepts Homosexuality as normal and the same as being heterosexual. God does not. So, we should not. I am sorry if that is offensive to anyone. The truth usually is.
The acceptable practice is no sex outside of marriage and no fornication, stay away from porn like the plague it truly is. Do we hear this???? Is it common????
One thing we don’t talk about, is we are ALL, EVERYBODY, a sexual sinner. If we had a requirement for sexually pure people, before they walk in the church, it would be empty.
God’s plan is NO SEX outside of marriage…..and honestly, I don’t see any churches talking about that!!! Sex outside of marriage is very, very problematic.
I am no more pure than the next guy or gal. There is a clever division that has been used to divide churches and bring them down, and that is being self-righteous about our own sexual sins while pointing out another’s.
There is only one sexually pure person to walk this earth, and I ain’t him.
If not for the grace of God, we’d all be in a hot mess, off into the ditch. He loves us so much, so much, and very few know him. Jesus is the way.
Lord Jesus, I ask and pray that you comfort and be with this family in their terrible time of sadness and despair. I ask in your name, Jesus Christ.
Pride month ….
A landmark study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health analyzed federal data and discovered that almost one-quarter (24%) of all children aged 12 to 14 who died by suicide were LGBTQ+. This indicates that the disparity between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ youth is actually greatest at younger ages.
Suicide Attempts (Ages 13–17): According to data from The Trevor Project’s National Survey, 15% of LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 to 17 attempted suicide within the past year. By comparison, only 8% of LGBTQ+ young adults aged 18 to 24 made an attempt.
Suicidal Ideation (Ages 13–17): The same survey found that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 to 17 seriously considered suicide within the past year.
Comparison to Heterosexual Peers: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that transgender students (26%) and lesbian, gay, or bisexual students (21.5% to 26.3%) are roughly 3 to 5 times more likely to attempt suicide than their cisgender, heterosexual peers.
Why would a sane society advocate for such confusion?
SSRI’s.