"Say goodbye to your friend Larry, because you won’t see him after tomorrow."
It was February 12, 2008, inside a computer lab at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, California. The only sounds were the clack-clack-clack of keyboards and the low hum of teenage chatter.
In the front row sat 15-year-old Larry King, wearing his signature knee-high brown suede boots and makeup. He was bold, gender-nonconforming, and—in the eyes of many—a "problem" to be solved.
Directly behind him sat 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, a popular athlete hiding a dark secret of domestic abuse and neo-Nazi indoctrination.
For weeks, their interactions had been a collision of two worlds: Larry weaponizing flirtation to survive bullying, and Brandon viewing that flirtation as a threat to his manhood. When Larry asked Brandon to be his Valentine in front of the lunch crowd, the fuse was lit.
In this deep dive, we peel back the layers of a tragedy that changed California law forever. We explore:
Triggers: Gun violence involving minors, hate crimes, domestic abuse, homophobia/transphobia, and victim-blaming legal strategies.
Featured in this Episode:
Resources & Support
If you or someone you know is struggling with bullying or needs support regarding gender identity, please reach out. You are not alone.
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Rest in Power, Larry King (1993–2008).
