Cumberland Times News: Suicide rate high among young homosexuals

To the Editor:

I suppose going to bat for gay and lesbian individuals around here is going to have people believing I am gay. That is not true. However, if I were worried about being called names; I would still be hiding in my house and would have done nothing with my life. I am involved in preventing suicides and I'm just doing my job.

Of course there'll be a lot of "letters" from the "holy rollers" next week, but really consider what I have written before you start damning people. When thousands of young people are taking their lives because of prejudice; I feel I must speak out.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth comprise 1,500 to 5,000 deaths by suicide of youths annually. For homosexual youth to come to terms with their sexual identity, they must first come to terms with society's dislike for them. Homophobic slurs perpetuate anti-gay prejudice by implying that it is acceptable to display bias against homosexuals. Anti-gay language promotes a system of social interaction in which gay youth are made to feel inferior.

In 1989, the "Report of the Secretary's Taskforce on Youth Suicide" reported that gay and lesbian adolescents were two to three times more likely than peers to attempt suicide and may account for as many as 30 percent of deaths by suicide of young people each year."

Schools have a legal responsibility to adopt guidelines about sexual harassment that are inclusive of sexual orientation." (PFLAG, Title 1X prohibition of sexual harassment of GLBT students, 1997.)

Gay and lesbian adolescents need to be guaranteed their school environment is safe, and, we need to create a supportive environment for them. We also need to educate parents, students, school personnel and the community and health professionals. There needs to firm boundaries and clear limits against slurs or abusive words. We need language that constructs acceptance; not language constructs hatred! Finally individuals need to show an understanding of gay and lesbian issues and that expresses equality.

If we join together as a community of like-minded people determined to change prejudice, we can accomplish the goals of transforming the terror of prejudice into the acceptance of different gender preferences, races, religions, and, of course, those of us who have a mental illness. We can create a paradigm in our schools and communities where individuals of any race, religion, gender identity or disability can live with dignity and respect.

Jerry Ruby
Oakand

Cumberland Times News