Comments on: Killing ourselves with hate

By: Seen around the web… « Hersandhers’s Blog

Seen around the web… « Hersandhers’s Blog — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:02:27 +0000

[...] to “get out of the homosexual lifestyle”, including exorcisms and suicide. According to 365Gay.com, a study from the Health and Human Services Department shows that LGBT-identified youth are far [...]

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:40:24 +0000

I was a teen who was bullied a lot in Jr. High and High School. The word “queer” was used synonymously with the word “faggot.” It is hurtful. You can not put a new coat of paint on it and say now we own the word. We are the most creative people in the world. Surley we can come up with an encompassing term that includes our community without recycling something that originally was insulting. I have heard the concept of the rainbow community being used. This may not be perfect but it is certainly a step in a better direction than “queer.”

By: Joshua

Joshua — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:19:26 +0000

I am a gay teen. I havent attempted suicide, but I have had that thought in my mind so much during my coming out. I never attempted, beccause I looked to what future I would have. I wanted to make a difference , and become who I felt inside that I am supposed to be. I realized that looking back when I’m older, I would say that i was strong. I’m glad that I read this. Thank you!!!

By: Quasi

Quasi — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:13:49 +0000

Corey Lynxx Said: “My question to all my gay, lesbian and transgendered brothers and sisters is this… where is all this optimism coming from?”

I think we are called “GAY” for a reason. We are “GAY”. Perhaps we hide our innermost feelings to the public, and probably rightfully so. I do not want them to know they are “getting to me”. By our external “GAY” personas, I am sure they wonder while we are “smiling” when they feel so (internally) bad themselves. And some of their hatred comes at us because they perceive us as happy and enjoying life when they are not.

I certainly have been a great deal happier and satisfied with my life once I came out and was honest with and to myself. I neither pursue nor do I want their approval. I just want the legal rights that I deserve, as do all citizens of the United Sates.

In any case, we all have to make the best of a bad situation, and I sure would rather be “happy and GAY” than “miserable and heterosexual”. I tried the hetero stuff once for a couple of years, and my wife and I both ended up being miserable. I decided if only one of us was to be happy, then it might as well be me. I cannot make anyone else happy, but I sure did make someone else miserable.

Now I have been a proud and happy “GAY” man in a 32 year relationship, and looking for at least 18 more.

By: Doug in NYC

Doug in NYC — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:38:13 +0000

The notion that “psychological autopsies” somehow discovered “30 percent of LGBT youth among these dead teens” is a preposterous statement.

First, what was undoubtedly meant was that 30% OF THE SUICIDES were LGBT, not that 30% of ALL LGBT TEENS commit suicide.

That’s a huge distinction, and not a subtle one.

Second, the methodology of these “psychological autopsies” (guesswork?) is not described here.

Yet that’s precisely what we need to know before we even consider accepting the notion that LGBT teens commit (or attempt) suicide at higher rates than straight teens.

Basically this article asks us to take its premise on faith (as its author does).

In recent decades, this rumor of high suicide rates in the LGBT community has been repeated so often that it has gained currency as a some sort of established, scientific fact.

Yet there is no science behind it.

I gather that it stems from, and is perpetuated by, and feeds into, a reflexive and habitual woe-is-me attitude that usually follows this pattern:

1.) Yeah, we have it tough.
2.) I can imagine how some kids might not be able to cope (even though I muddled through somehow).
3.) I can imagine how some kids might kill themselves (although I didn’t).
4.) Somebody ought to do something about it!
5.) Yeah, we have it tough!

And around and around this rumor goes!

By: Corey Lynxx

Corey Lynxx — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:53:58 +0000

There are so many untrue “facts” in this article I don’t even know where to begin. It’s beyond disturbing to me that the older gay/lesbian people would assume that we have it so much better. The truth of the matter is, we have it so much worse. Homophobia and gay bashing is worse than it ever has been before. By the time I graduated high school in 04 I had been beaten, had my skill slammed into a wall, over $3,000 worth of vandalism damage done to my car and daily death threats thrown at me. This was a public school mind you and when you are gay and get bullied 99% of the time the school administrators are conservative extremists who think that it’s your fault for being out of the closet and that you’re wrong for being gay. There is no safe place!!! People are getting shot in the liberal Los Angeles area for being gay, that’s how strong the anti-gay hatred in this country is. I saw where it said some 54% of American’s think that being gay is ok. Yeah right, 99.9% of straight america thinks that we are disgusting and that is the truth. My question to all my gay, lesbian and transgendered brothers and sisters is this… where is all this optimism coming from? We are still 1 of the most hated and persecuted people to ever walk the face of this Earth, it’s time to let pessimism take over and become enraged at the daily injustices that we face!!! Only angry people get things done. Remember that.

By: TigerTzu

TigerTzu — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:06:52 +0000

The funny thing about labels is that in many cases the more detailed they try to be, the less accurate they are. I persoanlly find most labels distasteful and when I am asked what I prefer to be called, I simly reply “human”. I also believe that being labeled by our sexuality does us more harm than good. It takes from us our humanity and sums us up as merely an object. Personally I find my orientation to be one of the least important aspects of my whole being, somewhat in the same manner that some black people feel about being defined by the color of their skin. I proposed in my commentary on another article that perhaps it is time to do away with sexuality-based labels since this pretty much defines the struggle as one of sexual preference, rather than civil rights and equality. I tend to favor the term Second-Class Citizen (SCC) Community in that it clearly defines our struggle much more accurately. It does not detract from our “gayness” but rather accentuates what it is really all about…equality.

By: Will

Will — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:46:21 +0000

HEY HEY….how rude. Story publisher. You forgot to add Bisexuals.They exist and right to be heard and equal.

Everyone is prone to hatered abuse. Regardless of sexuality or anything to what humans will bully to and regardless of data. Witch are always inaccurate when you have to wonder.On what basis of people there questioned to.Such as to ask to gays. But is it mostly to white gays, black, Asians, teens, older, disabled. It makes A difference.

Where I live just say even that it is thought to be more gay-ish friendly. I was still prone to bad abuse. Family tried to threat kill me.In school.Even other gay students tried suicide.That is i knew from others who found out. Some smart, moved.Hey even add KKK to my problems.

By: Mario

Mario — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:07:49 +0000

“Penn State University psychologist Anthony D’Augelli [...] says their rate of suicide attempts is more than double the average of heterosexual teens.
[...]
That means LGBT teens are between 30 and 40 percent more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.”

That doesn’t make any sense.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:59:58 +0000

I’m glad that you posted it. As a teenager myself, I experienced such harassment addressed in this article; physical and emotional. I realize that conditions aren’t as bad as they were in some adults’ childhoods that are on this site, but they still aren’t glorious. At least not in America. I live in a small town in Oklahoma, and you can imagine what that’s like. There are no GSA’s or anything, but I’m glad I’ve come to terms with myself so I don’t take what these bigots say to heart. Thanks.