The Skeena
Grieving family, friends and community members held a motorcycle bike run in Terrace this Monday to commemorate the life of Diversity Wilson, a teen who it appears took his own life after being bullied.
“Our brother bike Mike Wilson has requested a show of support for his son for Diversity Wilson,” reads a Facebook post announcing the memorial. “Those riders who are able to join us are asked to attend.”
Diversity’s parents found out about the terrible news of their son’s passing last week.
One family member wrote that “Diversity Morgan was a light to our family. He was LGBTQ and was in transition. He was ‘bullied to death’ in his school. These children were not born with hate. These are learned values from within their home. Hate and judgment is lethal. STOP the hate and educate your children acceptance and love.”
Family members over the weekend posted a digital memorial to Diversity on YouTube, with the message “Rest in sweet peace, you’ll forever be missed and loved.”
Community members in Kitimat, where Diversity went to school, are sending donations to the family. “Please, let’s help this family and ease their financial stress,” Rachel Omejc posted on the Kitamaat, Kitimat and Community Awareness Site. “Let’s show them the support everyone deserves in a time like this.” Details on how to contribute are included in her post.
This should be the time that people reflect on the terrible emotional toll of bullying, one family member writes. “You believe it’s just fun and games and not thinking it is actually really hurting the person you’re ‘Teasing’…Being accepted in social circles is HUGE especially for teenagers,” Ang Scodane says.
She adds, “There is nothing wrong with being different.”
