From the Facebook page of EricJames
Eric James Borges, 19, of Visalia, succumbed to suicide Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Known as EricJames to his friends, he was an intern with the Trevor Project, and a Supplemental instructor at the College of the Sequoias.
Word began spreading late Wednesday among shocked and saddened friends and acquaintances. Not accepted by his birth family, EricJames was striking out on his own, trying to deal with his personal situation, but also wanting to help others. Sadly, even involvement with the Trevor Project was not enough to help him navigate the turbulent waters of young adulthood.
I met EricJames recently, at the launching of My LGBT Plus, a youth oriented resource site, based in Fresno. A brief introduction left me with the impression of a fine young man, and I regret that I did not get to know him better.
Friends have begun planning a memorial, details will be updated here as they become available.
Our condolences to the family and friends of EricJames.
If you are finding it difficult to deal with the issues of being LGBTQ, the Trevor Project is available, with peer counselors available to talk to you about problems you may be facing. Contact them at The Trevor Project, or call the toll-free hotline, at 866-488-7386. Help is available, and people are ready to listen.
UPDATE: 2:30 pm 1/12/12
EricJames’ “It Gets Better” video:
And a short movie EricJames made about love:
UPDATE: 1/13/12 0400 PST
The first of two memorials has been announced. See the newer post for information, here.
We as the gay community in visalia need to ban together and go to his burial and show his family just how many people did love him even without knowing him.
So true. Unfortunately, I’m not in the area anymore, and not able to travel at the moment, but I’ll be there in spirit. It’d be amazing to have a bunch of people there to show their support and love.
I agree Cody. </3 This is such a sad sad thing, and I think a community turnout would be amazing.
Is someone working on donations for his memory? I would gladly partake. A man full of heart. Though I never knew you, you are my hero. I’m so sorry for everything that you went through sweetie.
That is awful news.
my name is april im in cleveland now im from this area my children and grandchildren still there live there this sickens me how crule this world can be just because someone is different god bless at god speed may he be at peace
Omg!! So sad ): I can’t believe people are so mean in this town.. I dealt with the same rudeness but I had a opportunity to leave ): I’m sad by this! Hopefully his parents see that no matter what that was their son gay or not! It’s sad my heart goes out to his friends and I want to say family but he just needed to be loved by his family… Isn’t the saying what will Jesus do? I don’t think Jesus would have turn him away because Jesus made everyone the way they are!
It is heartbreaking that he was not able to believe his own words of “wisdom” and encouragement.
I was listening to his testimony and thinking the same thing. Such a remarkable young man…he had so much to live for. My heart hurts for the friends he left behind. God has taken you under his wing and you are flying among the angels, Eric James.
It’s so sad how people treat gays it gets me so mad when we have the biggest hearts I wish I would of know him and shown him how much he would if been loved by a good friend like me . So sad about his parents and they will hurt now . How can they turn there back on there own blood there son all he wanted was to be loved by his parents so so sad .
So lucky we could move away, and take our children away from this awful place …. Where people will tear you into pieces if you ate not religious extremist, republican, and straight!
Oops * not “ate” but “are”
I didnt know you, but i wished i did, R.I.P. Eric James, My heart goes out to his friends, It’s sad how he was treated, especially by his parents, … The ones that were supposed to love him unconditionally.
Hey guys my name is chris from hanford cali.im not gay im a straight male. Have no problem with gay women or men they are just like any one else we all want what makes us happy in our lives don’t worry about what other idiots say u do what’s best for you no matter what it is u live ur life and enjoy it if u would like to talk about any thing.if u lost ur friends cuz u told him u were interested in opposite sex email me.I could be a friend to trust and talk to some people just dont understand.
Chris
tucken22s@gmail.com
I know all to well raised in church.Republicans.middle class Portagee/white.Two brothers both pastors need I say more?I have 3 grown children and my oldest has what only available in this place domestic partnership and I totally accept her and her wife the same as my other married kids.I know his sorrow is over now.How horrible for such a brave strong giving man to hurt so much that he could not stand it anymore.May he RIP and the parents will now bear that pain because they now know what it did to him and their choice started the pain and caused a worth while young man to stop it as he obviously could not stand it anymore.
When these things happen, the world tells us to simply accept them, but I cannot when it’s someone too good for this world, now as then we admire the strength and the bravery to go on as he did , dear one till were with you there in heaven’ your with us here in are hearts
It is a sad shame that today people still put out so much hatred. I did not know this young man but I know how he felt. Some of my own family to this day believes that I am Demon Possessed because I am Gay.
People that want to throw the Bible around and beat us with it should read it cover to cover. If they still feel that they need to beat you over the head with it you should tell them to go back and read it again.
I personally believe that if you put your faith in a BOOK, you should live what the book teaches and preaches. I mean; if God So Loved the world that he gave his son…If any of that is remotely true, then why do these people that follow what God supposedly said in his BOOK not live the life of what is preached in the book. It is a real shame that this young man felt that he had no other way out but to end his life. I am sorry that his life is now over, but maybe, just maybe everyone that was in his life can now learn from this and tell others to STOP SPREADING THE HATE. If your GOD makes you hate your own SON, Brother, or friend then I say he is nothing to believe in.
SPREAD the LOVE of ACCEPTANCE, you don’t have to agree with what I do in my bedroom, and I do not have to agree with what you do in yours. We are all stuck on this big planet and there is plenty of room for all of us.
STOP THE HATE. If you find out that someone you know is GAY, let them know that you LOVE THEM.
Thank you for listening.
Ed Hvolboll
Perfectly said and beautifully written!
Being marginalized, alienated, and discriminated against is unacceptable when it comes to the color of one’s skin, race, or ethnicity so why should sexual orientation be any different? It’s unfortunate that people like Eric James Borges have to suffer at the hands of IGNORANCE. This is a tragedy that should have been prevented.
Just like racism, this is taught. Past on through generations of hate. We must stop this and stop it now. RIP James.
Rest in peace EricJames. My heart breaks for what you went through as a child and continuously as an adult. I can’t even imagine how it must have felt to be so alienated by not only friends but by your own parents. I hope you have now found peace and can feel the love that so many people have for you. I thank you for all of the hard work that you put in to supporting the Trevor Project. I wish the support you showed others could have been shown to you.
To anyone reading this post… Show your love and support to EricJames and STOP THE HATE!!!
I did not know this wonderful young man but I am very sad that his parents will never know what a wonderful and loving young man he became.It is their loss not his -he now dances with the angels!!!!!!!
this town is white christian town and that needs to change i been here for only a been here for few yrs. no am not gay but i hate to see how this town treats other who are not straight, or not white citizen in this town. this town needs to change big time aspect all races, cultures, believes and ways people want to live their life. i seen this back in the day when i was little where i lived my uncle was gay and he wasn’t accepted in that town because of his lifestyle. i hate to see how people get treated different this town needs to open its eyes start to change now if there will be more of this type of suicides.
Coming from a ‘white, Christian, heterosexual’ I am deeply saddened to hear of this news.
I did not know this boy but I cannot believe the lengths that people will go to in order to judge others, and make someone else feel less worthy of love and basic human rights!
It seems people forget that the greatest of all the commandments from Jesus himself, was to Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and to Love EVERYONE ELSE the same!!!!
THIS IS A HORRIBLE THINGTHAT HAS HAPPENED.. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR MAKING HIM FEEL SO UN WANTED AND UN LOVED AND DRIVE HIM TO DO THIS. HE WAS NOT ANY DIFFRENT THAN ANY OTHER MALE OR FEMALE IN THIS WORLD. THE 1 THING THAT DID SEPARATE HIM FROM HALF THE PEOPLE OUT THERE,IS HE HAD HEART AND ONLY NEEDED TO KNOW HE WAS IMPORTANT,WANTED AND LOVED. I HOPE THAT THE ONES WHO HAS CAUSED HIM TO DO THIS IS ASHAMED AND HUMILIATED SORRY FOR ALL THEY HAVE CAUSED. THAT GOES FOR HIS FAMILY. MAY YOU NOW BE IN A GREAT AND BETTER PLACE ERICJAMES WHERE YOU ARE WANTED AND LOVED AND NO LONGER IN PAIN. YOU WILL BE MISSED DEARLY……
I was born in Visalia and raised in Three Rivers. I am so sorry to hear about EricJames; it is devastating that he felt he had no other options. His parents should be ashamed of themselves for how they treated him. Gay or straight: it shouldn’t even matter. We’re all just people who want to be loved by our family & friends. God Bless you, EricJames.
The insidiously hostile culture in small towns like Visalia, CA, needs to change. Not everyone is a straight, white religionist. I can’t believe this young man had to endure rejection from his family, a lifetime of torment and an exorcism…just because he was himself – a loving, artistic and promising individual.
If you are treated like dirt in a small conservative town, do yourself a favor and don’t give up! Move away, go to school in the nearest large city, take a one way ticket to a place you’ve always wanted to see, start over…but don’t give up! In the end, your absence will be that narrow-minded small town’s loss but your life WILL GET BETTER.
EricJames, I’m sorry your heart broke under the pain of living in such a close-minded community…I pray you have found peace and have met the Maker who made you in His image.
I am a very conservative, Republican, Christian woman who is HORRIFIED at what the family of this precious young man did to him. Though I struggle (in a confused kind of way) with homosexuality, I do know that we are ALL human beings, we ALL have issues (some straight people are flat-out heinous individuals… so because they’re straight, this makes them “better” than gays??), and the most important thing is how we love others. Who are we to believe we are better than another? Jesus, by the way, wasn’t keen on these types either. Please try not to judge Christianity by judgmental people like ErikJames’ parents…. please.
My heart is just broken… this boy never knew love from his parents, the very ones who are to love you UNCONDITIONALLY. If they had loved him, accepted him, embraced him, and certainly had NOT kicked him out of the house…. he’d be alive today. (This is coming from a 50-yr-old mom.)
I grew up in a small valley town and couldn’t wait to be an adult to move away.I am not gay and did not know anything about the existance of a guy person when I was young. I do know how cruel citizens of small towns can be. The distruction due to rumors that usually were untrue about people that lived in the town. The assumption of things people would create due to lack of proper information. I can only begin to Imagine how brutal it was if you were gay during the time I lived in the valley. The reality is it hasn’t gotten better and that was 50 years ago.Humans are suppose to be the highest in the animal kindom; but the mentality of a large portion of their suppose kindom does not bear the resemblance of this discription.The family of this young man has Lost a very vital part of their their existance as a family. RIP EricJames your new family will love and accept you unconditionally for who and what; a fine young man you have become.
The easy thing for a gay kid to do is move away. The hard thing to do is stay and fight. I moved. I’m sorry.
As a mother I must say my heart hurts. The story of this young man taking his life over anything saddens me. What potential….yet it seems even in his short life he touched the lives of many.
RIP Eric James…. </3
You were such an amazing person, and I hate that your pain was this extreme, I hate that this world is such an ugly place. I was blessed to have known you, and the world is a sadder place without you in it. I hope you have found the peace you need on the other side….. I hate that it came to this for you. </3