Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Buckel's remains were found in Prospect Park in Brooklyn

A prominent US lawyer has died after setting himself on fire in a New York park in a protest against climate change.

The remains of David Buckel, 60, were found in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

In a suicide note found nearby, Mr Buckel wrote that he had immolated himself using fossil fuel to symbolise what he said was the damage human beings were doing to the Earth.

He said most people now breathed bad air and many died prematurely.

Mr Buckel was well known for his legal work on behalf of gay, lesbian and transgender people and later worked with several environmental groups.

"Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water and weather," the lawyer said in his suicide note, quoted by the New York Times. The note was also emailed to several news organisations shortly before his body was found, the newspaper said.

"My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves," he said.

"This is not new, as many have chosen to give a life based on the view that no other action can most meaningfully address the harm they see," he added, the New York Daily News reported.

'Engaging advocacy'

Mr Buckel was the lead lawyer in a case in which police in Nebraska were found to have failed to protect Brandon Teena, a transgender teen who had been raped and assaulted and was later murdered in the state of Nebraska.

Mr Teena's story was the subject of the 1999 film Boys Don't Cry and Hilary Swank won an Oscar for her portrayal of him.

He also worked as marriage project director and senior counsel at Lambda Legal, which fights for LGBT rights.

Lambda's Camilla Taylor described Mr Buckel as a "legal visionary".

"His thoughtful and engaging advocacy broke through many stubborn misconceptions and showed it was possible and necessary for our movement to speak up for bullied, ostracised LGBT young people," she said in a statement to the Huffington Post.</s>A prominent gay rights lawyer and environmental advocate has burned himself to death in New York on Saturday, reportedly using fossil fuel in a protest against ecological destruction.

The charred remains of 60-year-old David Buckel were found by passers-by in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Police said he was pronounced dead at about 6.30am.

The New York Times said it received an emailed copy of the note, which said: “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result – my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”

The Daily News reported Buckel left a suicide note in a shopping cart near his body that said he hoped his death was “honorable” and “might serve others”. In the note, Buckel said “I just killed myself by fire as a protest suicide”, the News reported.

Buckel was the lead attorney in a lawsuit regarding Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered in Nebraska. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Teena in the 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry.

Buckel also served as marriage project director at Lambda Legal, a national organisation that fights for LGBT rights, where he was the strategist behind same-sex marriage cases in New Jersey and Iowa.

Susan Sommer, a former Lambda Legal lawyer who is now the general counsel for the mayor’s office of criminal justice in New York, told the Times Buckel “was all about justice, but he was also all about what it means to be human”.

Sommer added: “He was a very smart and methodical lawyer. He knew his craft and his trade and was strategic in how to build the blocks toward a sweeping victory.”</s>David Buckel, one of the most renowned and nationally acclaimed champions for gay rights, was found dead in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York, after he set himself on fire early Saturday morning.

Before he self-immolated, Buckel clarified he was committing the act as a protest against the use of fossil fuels.

“My name is David Buckel and I just killed myself by fire as a protest suicide. I apologize to you for the mess,” he said in a hand-written note left at the scene and in an email to media outlets.

Buckel, 60, was a supporter of LGBT rights and also the lead attorney in Brandon vs County of Richardson, in which a Nebraska county sheriff was found guilty of failing to protect Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered.

The case attracted quite a lot of publicity and was even adapted into a movie, concentrating on Teena’s life named “Boys Don’t Cry,” which won actress Hillary Swank an Academy Award.

Apart from this, Buckel also served as a director for a project to promote marriage equality and a senior counsel at Lambda Legal. During his career, Buckel worked on several important cases that focused on marriage equality before shifting his complete focus to environmental causes.

“Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water, and weather. Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result — my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves,” he added in the letter he sent to the media outlets just before his death.

According to a report in Slate.com, following Buckel's suicide, Lambda Legal also issued a statement mourning the death of one of their own.

“This is a tremendous loss for our Lambda Legal family, but also for the entire movement for social justice. David was an indefatigable attorney and advocate, and also a dedicated and loving friend to so many. He will be remembered for his kindness, devotion, and vision for justice,” Camilla Taylor, director of constitutional litigation and acting legal director, said.

In the note Buckel left, he also supposedly drew comparisons between his actions and those of the Tibetan monks who self-immolated in order to protest Chinese rule.

Buckel, a graduate of Cornell Law School, worked with several local organizations that were involved in the practice of community composting. He also served in an official capacity on the NYC Compost Project at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is right next to Prospect Park.

Susan Sommer, a former attorney for Lambda Legal and currently the general counsel for the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, also reacted to Buckel’s death.

“He deserves tremendous thanks for recognizing this was in many ways at the heart of what it meant to be gay for many Americans and making it a priority. I learned so much from him about the emotional center of what it means for a gay person not to be able to have all the protections for the person they love and that it’s worth fighting for,” she said.</s>NEW YORK — A well-known gay rights lawyer and environmental advocate burned himself to death in New York City on Saturday in a grisly protest against ecological destruction.

The charred remains of 60-year-old David Buckel were found by passers-by in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Police said he was pronounced dead at about 6:30 a.m.

The Daily News reports that Buckel left a suicide note in a shopping cart near his body that said he hoped his death was “honorable” and “might serve others.”

The New York Times said it received an emailed copy of the note, which also said, “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result - my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”

Buckel was the lead attorney in in a lawsuit involving Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered in Nebraska. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Teena in the 1999 movie “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Buckel also served as marriage project director at Lambda Legal, a national organization that fights for LGBT rights, where he was the strategist behind same-sex marriage cases in New Jersey and Iowa.

Susan Sommer, a former Lambda Legal attorney who is now the general counsel for the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice in New York City, told the Times that Buckel “was all about justice, but he was also all about what it means to be human.”

Sommer added, “He was a very smart and methodical lawyer. He knew his craft and his trade and was strategic in how to build the blocks toward a sweeping victory.”

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.</s>New York City : A prominent gay rights lawyer has died after setting himself on fire in a New York park to protest against pollution and the use of fossil fuels.

The body of David Buckel was found in Brooklyn's Prospect Park early Saturday. He left a note in a nearby shopping trolley that he also emailed to several news outlets including The New York Times .

"Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water and weather," he wrote in the email sent to the Times .

"Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result - my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves," the email continued.

Police confirmed to dpa that the body of a 60-year-old man had been found in the park after he set himself on fire but could not confirm the contents of the note.</s>David Buckel, prominent gay rights lawyer, burns himself to death in New York to protest global warming

A “green” activist who was a pioneering lawyer for gay and transgender rights — including in the notorious “Boys Don’t Cry” rape murder case — committed suicide by setting himself on fire Saturday morning in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park in a grisly act of protest against the ecological destruction of the Earth.

David Buckel, 60, left behind a charred corpse and a typed suicide note that said he was burning himself to death using “fossil fuel” to reflect how mankind was likewise killing itself, police sources said.

He left the note in a manila envelope marked “To The Police,” recovered from inside a black metal pushcart he discarded at the scene.

“Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result,” Buckel wrote in his note, which he also sent to the New York Times.

“My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.” – READ MORE</s>A famous lawyer known nationally as one of the key champions for gay rights in the courts was found dead in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park early Saturday morning after setting himself on fire in what he said was a protest against the use of fossil fuels. “My name is David Buckel and I just killed myself by fire as a protest suicide,” read a hand-written note left at the scene. “I apologize to you for the mess.” He also emailed the note to several media outlets.

Buckel, 60, was best known as a champion of LGBT rights and the lead attorney in Brandon v County of Richardson. In that case, a Nebraska county sheriff was found guilty of failing to protect Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered. Teena’s story was later turned into a movie, Boys Don’t Cry, which earned Hilary Swank an Academy Award. He was also the marriage project director and senior counsel at Lambda Legal and worked on several important marriage equality cases. He later went on to focus on environmental causes.

“Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water and weather,” Buckel wrote in the email that news outlets, including the New York Times, received. “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result — my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”

Lambda Legal issued a statement mourning Buckel. “This is a tremendous loss for our Lambda Legal family, but also for the entire movement for social justice,” said Camilla Taylor, director of constitutional litigation and acting legal director. “David was an indefatigable attorney and advocate, and also a dedicated and loving friend to so many. He will be remembered for his kindness, devotion, and vision for justice.”</s>A well-known gay rights lawyer and environmental advocate burned himself to death in New York City on Saturday in a grisly protest against ecological destruction.

The body of David Buckel was found in Brooklyn's Prospect Park early Saturday. He left a note in a nearby shopping cart which he also emailed to several news outlets including the New York Times, the paper reported.

"Pollution ravages our planet, oozing inhabitability via air, soil, water and weather," he wrote in the email sent to the Times.

"Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result - my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves," the email continued.

Buckel said he wanted his death to lead to increased action, writing: "Honorable purpose in life invites honorable purpose in death."

Police confirmed to dpa that the body of a 60-year-old man had been found in the park after he set himself on fire but could not confirm the contents of the note.

Buckel was the lead attorney in a lawsuit involving Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered in Nebraska. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Teena in the 1999 movie "Boys Don't Cry."

Buckel also served as marriage project director at Lambda Legal, a national organization that fights for LGBT rights, where he was the strategist behind same-sex marriage cases in New Jersey and Iowa.

Susan Sommer, a former Lambda Legal attorney who is now the general counsel for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice in New York City, told the Times that Buckel "was all about justice, but he was also all about what it means to be human."

Sommer added, "He was a very smart and methodical lawyer. He knew his craft and his trade and was strategic in how to build the blocks toward a sweeping victory."</s>NEW YORK — A well-known gay rights lawyer and environmental advocate has burned himself to death in a grisly protest against ecological destruction.

Police say the charred remains of 60-year-old David Buckel were found early Saturday in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

The Daily News reports that Buckel left a suicide note saying he had used fossil fuel to burn himself as a metaphor for the destruction of the planet. He added that he hoped his death was “honorable” and “might serve others.”

Buckel was the lead attorney in in a lawsuit involving Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered in Nebraska. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Teena in the 1999 movie “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Buckel also the strategist behind same-sex marriage cases in New Jersey and Iowa.</s>A WELL-KNOWN GAY rights lawyer and environmental advocate burned himself to death in New York City yesterday in a grisly protest against ecological destruction.

The charred remains of 60-year-old David Buckel were found by passers-by in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Police said he was pronounced dead at about 6.30am.

Various US media are reporting that they understand the act to be related to humans polluting the planet and risking endangering the planet as a result.

Buckel was the lead attorney in a lawsuit involving Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered in Nebraska. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Teena in the 1999 movie Boys Don’t Cry.

Buckel also served as marriage project director at Lambda Legal, a national organisation that fights for LGBT rights, where he was the strategist behind same-sex marriage cases in New Jersey and Iowa.

Susan Sommer, a former Lambda Legal attorney who is now the general counsel for the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice in New York City, told the Times that Buckel “was all about justice, but he was also all about what it means to be human”.

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Prominent New York LGBT and environmental lawyer David Buckel commits suicide by setting himself on fire with petrol in Prospect Park. He leaves and circulates a suicide note indicating his death is in protest against the use of fossil fuels.