=IssueGuide

:AcceptanceofteenLGBTQA+inthecommunities

IntroductiontotheProblem:
Wehavecomefarfromtheoldertimesandwayswhenwomenwerejustsimplehousewiveswith
nojob,mendidallthework,andgayswereamythtoldtochildrentoscarethemstraight.However,
therearestillmanyissuesinvolvingthequeercommunity.Oneofwhichbeingtheacceptanceof
LGBTQA+teensinhomesandschoolsalike.
Eventhoughwearemakingsocialprogressinmovingpaststereotypesandacceptingpeopleas
humanbeings,ratherthanbyrace,sexualorientation,gender,etc,queerteensarehavingasmuchtrouble
nowastheywerebefore.Eventhoughtheymightfeelcomfortableenoughtocomeout,therearestilla
numerousamountofadultswhorefusetoeitheracceptit,orbethereforthem,andhelpthemthroughthis
criticaltimeintheirlife.Beingateenagerishardenough,butwhenyouhavetocomeout,itchanges
everythingforyouwhetheryoulikeitornot.Whetheritsagoodchangeorabadchangeisuptowho
youaresurroundedbyinyourcommunities,beitatschooloryourownhome.
Fixsociety.Please.ThosewerethefinalwordsofatransgenderteeninOhio,LeelahAlcorn.
ShepostedasuicidenoteonlineonDecember28th,2014,andthenkilledherselfbywalkinginfrontofa
semithesameday.
IhatedgoingtothestorebecauseIknowthatsomewherebetweenmygrandmom'shouseand
thestorewouldbesomebodywantingtopickonmeforsomereason.WordsfromDarnellMoore,
recallingthetimewhenagroupofboysattemptedtosethimonfireoutsideofthegrocerystorehewas
goingtoasaqueerteen,fetchingsomesuppliesforhisgrandma.Hewasonly13.Mynextdoor
neighborwasoneoftheyoungmen.Andheemptiedthegasolineonme.Irecallhimattemptingtolighta
match,anditjustwouldn'tlight.Thathappenedaboutthreetimes.Andbythetimehetriedtolightthe
matchagain,myaunthadcameoutside.Ijustremembermyauntdraggingmetothelocalhospitalwith
gasolineinmyeyes.AndIsmelledlikethatfor,like,24hours.
Thefactthatthesewordshavebeenspokenfromqueeryouthfromthisdecade,fromthisdayand
age,provethatsocietystillneedstoshapeupsothattheLGBTQA+teenscanfeelsafebeingthemselves.
Thefactthatkidstheiragecallthemhorriblenameslikefaggot,dyke,bear,andmanymoreprove
thatwestillhavemuchprogresstomake.

StatementofProblem
:HowcanweimprovetheacceptanceofLGBTQA+teensinourcommunities?

PossibleSolution#1:
Begayforgays!
Onewaywecanimprovetheacceptanceofqueerteensisbyslowlychangingourselvesandour
society.Nomatterwhatitwillbeaslowchange,butthatdoesntmeanthatitisntpossible.Ourpeople
havehadmanyissuesandmindsetsthathavecreatednegativeoutcomesandeventsforothers.Forpeople
whodidntdeservethem,andwemanagedtochangethem.Wealteredthewaythatwesaw,acted,and
feltaboutdifferentsituationsandpeopleforthebetter,tothepointwherewearenow.Wecandoitagain
withthis,eventhoughitwillnotbetheeasiestnorthefastestsolution,butthemostwholesomeand
effectivesolution.

PotentialActionForThisSolution

PotentialDrawbackForThisSolution

Createlawsandsimilarlegalitemstolegally
protectqueerstudents.

Couldrequiretimeandeffort,andinaweird
psychologicalway,couldmakepeopledevelopa
needtorebelagainstsaidlegaldocuments,as
othersituationshaveasimilarissue

Buildmanymoresafehousesforqueerteensand
evenyoungadultsforneededsituations.

Couldbeverycostly,andmaynothaveenough
financialsupporttohouseallofthoseinneed.

PossibleSolution#2:
Mgaybye!
Ifwecantcometotermswiththequeerteensaroundus,andiftheywontconformtoour
societalways,thenwelljusthavetomakethemleave.Really,thiswouldhelpbothsidebecause:all
discriminativeheterosexualswouldgetwhattheywant,andwouldliveagayfreelife,andallofthequeer
populationwouldlivealifewithoutjudgemental,discriminative,unfair,andstigmaticpeople,andbe
surroundedbypeoplewhoknewwhattheyweregoingthrough/wentthrough.

PotentialActionForThisSolution

PotentialDrawbackForThisSolution

Findremoteisland,(preferablylarge),andsend
allqueerpersonagestolivegaily,(punintended),
therewithresourcesandequipment.

Couldbeverycostly,andmayextractsome
cultureandvividnessofthesocietiesoutsideof
theisland.Willnotstopqueersfromexisting.

UsescientificresearchandpreparationforMars
expedition,(specificallyforhousinghomosapiens
ontheplanet),tohousequeerhomosapienson
theplanetinstead.

Wouldbeveryveryexpensive,queerhumans
goingornot,and,likeabove,mayextractsome
cultureandvividnessofthesocietiesoutsideof
theplanet.Willnotstopqueersfromexisting.

FinalRecommendation:
Begayforgays!
Wehavecomefarfromtheoldertimesandwayswhenwomenwerejustsimplehousewiveswith
nojob,mendidallthework,andgayswereamythtoldtochildrentoscarethemstraight.However,
therearestillmanyissuesinvolvingthequeercommunity.Oneofwhichbeingtheacceptanceof
LGBTQA+teensinhomesandschoolsalike.
Eventhoughwearemakingsocialprogressinmovingpaststereotypesandacceptingpeopleas
humanbeings,ratherthanbyrace,sexualorientation,gender,etc,queerteensarehavingasmuchtrouble
nowastheywerebefore.Eventhoughtheymightfeelcomfortableenoughtocomeout,therearestilla
numerousamountofadultswhorefusetoeitheracceptit,orbethereforthem,andhelpthemthroughthis
criticaltimeintheirlife.Beingateenagerishardenough,butwhenyouhavetocomeout,itchanges
everythingforyouwhetheryoulikeitornot.Whetheritsagoodchangeorabadchangeisuptowho
youaresurroundedbyinyourcommunities,beitatschooloryourownhome.

Fixsociety.Please.ThosewerethefinalwordsofatransgenderteeninOhio,LeelahAlcorn.
ShepostedasuicidenoteonlineonDecember28th,2014,andthenkilledherselfbywalkinginfrontofa
semithesameday.
IhatedgoingtothestorebecauseIknowthatsomewherebetweenmygrandmom'shouseand
thestorewouldbesomebodywantingtopickonmeforsomereason.WordsfromDarnellMoore,
recallingthetimewhenagroupofboysattemptedtosethimonfireoutsideofthegrocerystorehewas
goingtoasaqueerteen,fetchingsomesuppliesforhisgrandma.Hewasonly13.Mynextdoor
neighborwasoneoftheyoungmen.Andheemptiedthegasolineonme.Irecallhimattemptingtolighta
match,anditjustwouldn'tlight.Thathappenedaboutthreetimes.Andbythetimehetriedtolightthe
matchagain,myaunthadcameoutside.Ijustremembermyauntdraggingmetothelocalhospitalwith
gasolineinmyeyes.AndIsmelledlikethatfor,like,24hours.
Thefactthatthesewordshavebeenspokenfromqueeryouthfromthisdecade,fromthisdayand
age,provethatsocietystillneedstoshapeupsothattheLGBTQA+teenscanfeelsafebeingthemselves.
Thefactthatkidstheiragecallthemhorriblenameslikefaggot,dyke,bear,andmanymoreprove
thatwestillhavemuchprogresstomake.Imeanpeopleevenusethetermgayasaninsult.Doyou
haveanyideahowthatmustfeel?Howstupidthatsounds?Weneedtostepupourgame.
Weneedtolearntoacceptthem.
Sowenowacknowledgethatitsaproblemwhatcanwedo?Well,wecouldstartbystopping
ourattemptstofixthem.Conversiontherapyisstillathing,andthatssickening.Conversiontherapyis
whenastraightpersontellsaqueerpersonwhytheyshouldbestraight,blamestheirsexualityona
traumaticincidentfromtheirchildhood,andshamesthemforeveractingoutonit.Wefirstneedtostop
doingthis.Allattemptstochangesomeonessexualityarenevergoingtowork.Itssomethingthatthey
cantcontrol,andneithercanyou.
Next,weneedtoprotectthem.PeopleaggressivelyactoutontoLGBTQ+people,anditcanbe
lethal.Justlookattheexamplesmentionedinthefirstfewparagraphs.Suicide,arson,attemptedmurder,
assault,battery,thelistgoesonandon.Noteventomentionthepsychologicaleffectsofthetorturethey
havetoendure.Theydontfeelsafejustsimplywalkingdownthestreet,andhavegrowntobedefensive
overlittlethingsbecausetheydontknowwhatotherpeoplearegoingtodo.Gay,lesbian,transgender,
genderfluidallofthesetypesofpeoplehavebeenmurdered,specificallybecauseoftheirsexuality.Its
notsafeforthem,andtheyneedourhelptoprotectthem.
Wecandothisinmanyways.Wecancreatelegaldocumentsthatprohibitthiskindofbehavior,
beitslang,aggressiveactions,butalsojusthealthandsafetylaws.Itwouldtakesomepersistenceand
perseverance,butwecangetthosedocumentsthrough,becauseweneedto.Thenthequeerpopulation
wouldgetthesamechancetogetajob,thesamepay,thesametreatment.Theonlybadpart,isthatthis
is,asyoucouldimagine,averytediousprocessandwouldtakealotofeffort.Also,itcouldhavethe
oppositeeffect.Aswecanseewithlawsandrestrictions,theytendtomakethesubjectswanttodo/have
thatevenmore,soitcouldenablethestigmaticpeopletoreactharsherthanpreviously.Whilethatis
unlikely,sincetheSenaterulingsamesexmarriagelegaldidhelptherateofqueermarriageacceptance
orevenjustoccurrence.
Whatwecanalsodoisbuildmoresafehousesandsecureandsafeplacesforqueerteensinneed
togo.AccordingtoProfessorIanRiversatBrunelUniversityLondon,andtheAlbertKennedyTrust,
69%ofhomelessqueerteensweremadesoduetoparentalrejection,69%forabusewithinthefamilybe
itphysical,emotional,sexual,and62%foraggression/violencewithinthefamily,andmakeup24%ofall

youthhomeless.Theyneedsomeplacetostaysomeplacethatiswelcomingandwontturnthemaway,
nomatterwhotheyare.Shelterswouldbeagreatsolutiontothis.Itwouldgivethemsomeplacetostay
whiletheworldimprovesitself,oruntiltheycangetajobandsufficeforthemselvesandtheirfuture.The
downsidetothiswouldbethatitwouldbecostly,anditwouldbemoreofacharitableeventthana
profitableone,butitwouldpayoff.Justnotinmoney.Itwouldhelpcountlesspeopleinneedofsecurity
andshelterwhentheyhavenone.Iftheydonthavetheirfamily,whatdotheyhave?Theyhaveno
support,nowheretostay,noonetolookafterthemwhentheycantdosoforthemselvestheyneed
sheltersfullofwelcomingvolunteerstohelpthemthroughthisemotionalexperience,findthemaplaceto
staypermanently,andgetthembackontheirfeet.
WeputsomucheffortintomanyotherproblemslikewhenWalterPalmerkilledCecilthelion,or
therecurringSeaWorldevents,andmakesureourvoicesgetheard.Wehelptogetmanyotherpeopleto
seehowwrongandcruelitis.Welldoyounotbelievethatfamilieskickingouttheiradolescentmember
oftheirhousesandtheirlivesisntcruel?Isbeingdesertedbyeveryoneyouknow,onlybeingabletorely
onfriendswhoareactuallyyourfriends,eventhoughtheyreaminorandcantdoanythingnotcruel
enoughforyou?Peoplewhounderstandjusthowwrongandcruelthisisactoutthesamewaythose
activistsforCecilandSeaWorldprotestersacted.Ifwegotwholecommunitiestoactlikethatwe
wouldnthaveanymorecaseslikeLeelahAlcornsorDarnellMoore.Wewouldhaveacceptanceand
averagelives.ThoughImsurewecouldjustfindanotheraspectaboutcertainhumanstoturnintoa
large,andeverlastingepidemicafterward.

Footnotes/SourcesCited:

Brent,Hawkes."Timetoban'conversiontherapy'foryouth."TorontoStar(Canada),April01,2015.,
NewspaperSourcePlus,EBSCOhost(assessed19Nov.2015)
"AnOutcastTeenAttackedWithSlurs,Fists,GasolineAndAMatch."
WeekendEditionSunday(NPR)
(2014):
NewspaperSourcePlus
.Web.18Nov.2015
LGBTYOUTHHOMELESSNESS:AUKNATIONALSCOPINGOFCAUSE,PREVALENCE,
RESPONSE,ANDOUTCOME.ProfessorIanRiversBrunelUniversityLondon,2015,27Nov.2015