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from Gay Activism in the Schools
Journal Of Addiction and Mental Health Surveys Gay Teen Discrimination And Suicide
January 14, 2004 -
The December issue of the Canadian CrossCurrents: The Journal Of Addiction And
Mental Health headlines an article titled, "Better dead than queer: youth
suicide and discrimination in a heterosexual world."
The article notes that Statistics Canada says that close to 600 youth between
10-24 die each year from Suicide in Canada and that numerous studies suggest
that among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LAB) youth, approximately 32% contemplate
or attempt suicide yearly.
According to researchers and gay advocates, it's not being gay that leads kids
down the path toward suicide. It is stigma and discrimination as well as
internalized homophobia.
Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams, at Cornell University, however, disagrees. He believes
that family dysfunction, previous suicide attempts or suicidal behavior of
friends and peers should be considered in studying suicidality among LAB teens.
He notes that many studies on gay suicide are flawed and that many gay teens
begin to believe that they should be suicidal.
The article quotes Marilyn Byers with PFLAG of the York Region as stating that
being bullied for being gay in school is far worse than being ridiculed for
being fat. "It's much worse. It's worse because it's institutionalized, accepted
hate. A child is not born with hate. That's a learned behavior."
Gay advocates and Savin-Williams both agree that a gay identity should be
normalized within schools and taught in sex education classes the same way that
heterosexuality is taught. "We need to make it a non-issue; let's make it go
away by simply being fair," says Savin-Williams.
Updated: 8 February 2008
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