Facebook: Should Reactivate Justin Aaberg's personal facebook page
It is very important that Justin Aaberg's facebook page be reactivated as since he died and I (Tammy Aaberg, his mom) have been speaking out against bullying and harassment of LGBT youth and their allies, and trying to gain protections for these kids, I have met and have given support to many LGBT youth from across the world.
Many of these kids look for Justin's page as they identify with HIM. They like to read his personal comments and see how happy he was in his pictures. They relate to HIM, but they look up to me as a mom who supported and continues to support who her son was as a person.
I do NOT support suicide as an option out of the pain he endured and I tell kids this. I give them links or numbers to resources to reach out to and often times I just listen to them and reassure them they are special. So many classmates, or the youths own family members, or political leaders put them down and say bad things to them or about them constantly. This is not fair. I have had many youth tell me they do NOT consider suicide as an option anymore due to my families pain and the hope they say I give them by speaking out against hate and fighting for protections in schools. They want to be able to learn and be safe at school.
Also, Justin had many friends when he was alive who he personally added as friends and had personal conversations with on his page. He also had many pictures that he uploaded himself that we no longer have access to.
Justin's facebook page was disabled Friday, July 8, one day before the 1-year anniversary of his death (July 9). This devastated us as his family and his friends. We hold onto Justin's facebook page in order to grieve in a healthy way and with other friends of his and to remember him. It felt like we lost him again when the page was taken away. Some friends write him personal emails like they are talking to Justin (like journaling). I do not respond to these and leave these personal thoughts to the person they were meant for which is not me. I also keep Justin's friends and other youth who come to his site updated via articles of things going on that they should know about like the It Gets Better Project or articles at events in which I've spoken.
There was nothing inappropriate about Justin's facebook page. I never pretended to be Justin. I told them it was his mom running it after he died. I believe Justin's facebook page has helped save lives. Actually, I know it has as some youth have told me. Please help sign the petition to tell facebook to please bring Justin's facebook page back again.
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