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Megan Vokal
McDermott
APE, Pd. 5
3/17/2009

No Voice

The era of self-discovery known as the teenage years is a time of confusion for everyone.

Hormones are raging, interests are forming, peers are being evaluated, and a general sense of

identity is developing in the minds of America's teens. For the average 13- to 19-year-old, the

stresses of growing up are more than enough to deal with. But for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and

transsexual teens, this time of questioning comes with a whole new set of problems; as they try

to come to terms with their sexual identities, they must face the challenges of living in a society

that does not fully understand nor accept what seems perfectly natural to them. Oftentimes,

homophobic discrimination from their peers, a lack of information about themselves, and fear

and anxiety over the disclosure of their sexual orientation can lead to depression and a low self-

esteem that might not have been otherwise felt. If left unchecked, these stress factors can build

up into a heavy burden that becomes impossible to bear. And when it finally gets to be too much,

they take matters into their own hands, finding rest at the barrel of a gun. However, none of it is

necessary. The internalization of anti-gay sentiments held by society puts homosexual teens at

high risk for suicide, but their deaths can be prevented through the efforts of schools and

members of society whose opinions matter most to these troubled teens.

“Every 90 minutes one adolescent commits suicide, making it the third leading cause of

death among ten- to 19-year-olds” (Kitts). That is approximately 5,840 deaths by suicide a year.

According to a 1989 article written by Paul Gibson and published by the US Department of

Health and Human Services, 30% of those suicides were committed by homosexual youths.
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However, this statistic has been continually questioned and has become the subject of a heated

debate. Many argue that the 30% statistic results from faulty research slanted to support the

homosexual agenda, and that it is nothing more than a myth. Peter Muehrer, chief of the Youth

Mental Health program in the Prevention and Behavioral Medicine Research Branch of the

National Institute of Mental Health, supports this claim. Muehrer states in Delia M. Rios's 2000

article that “...'there is no scientific evidence to support this (30 percent) figure,'” and pointing to

studies that have produced conflicting results. Others have found similar problems with Gibson's

math. “...[T]he Gibson report is riddled with statistical inconsistencies,” said conservative

organization Concerned Women for America, which argues that Gibson's report was

fundamentally flawed on several accounts. But at the same time, other studies have shown results

that, if not matching Gibson's statistics exactly, support his reason for concern. “In a [2001] study

involving over 6,000 adolescent girls and over 5,000 adolescent boys, [S. Russell and K. Joyner]

concluded that adolescents with a same-sex orientation were more than twice as likely to attempt

suicide” (Kitts). Also, the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey “...has been conducted

every two years since 1993 with consistent results” (Star), finding that LGBT teens “...are almost

four times more likely to attempt suicide and five times more likely to receive medical treatment

for an attempt than heterosexual youth.”

The variety of results is mainly due to the difficulty of conducting suicide research based

on sexuality.

...[T]here are no reliable to standard methods for measuring suicide attempts...Death

certificates do not list whether an individual is heterosexual or homosexual. And...gays

and lesbians...may not be inclined to identify themselves to researchers conducting

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general population studies. (Rios)

Depending on where research is conducted, who participates, and the validity of their statements,

along with several other independent variables, it is hard to conduct a study that accurately

depicts what percentage of suicide victims are gay and how many of their deaths are related to

their homosexuality. However, alternative methods for detecting a need for gay teen suicide

awareness may make the quest for such statistics unnecessary. The Trevor Project hotline,

headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, is the nation's only 24-hour suicide prevention helpline for

gay and questioning youth. Created in 1998, the helpline, as of April 2006, “...has received over

30,000 calls, and handles a monthly average of 750 to 1,000 calls” (Star). So, even though

researchers have debunked Gibson's 30% statistic, figures from The Trevor Project, along with

personal stories, show a clear sign of need for the suicide prevention of homosexual teens.

Researchers will often stress that homosexuality is not a suicide risk factor in and of

itself. “The increased risk comes from the psychosocial distress associated with being gay”

(Kitts). The fear of being labeled as something so negatively viewed by society places stress on

homosexuals that is intensified within high school and junior high environments. Teenagers are

greatly affected by the opinions of their peers and commonly suffer ridicule for matters as

insignificant as their clothing, much less their sexuality. Teens that have not yet come out fear

being ostracized by their friends while carrying the burden of a secret that they have no obvious

option but to keep. Teens that have come out commonly face teasing and abuse, which

sometimes escalates to the physical level, while terms like “faggot” and “dyke” follow them

down hallways to remind them that they are different. This often causes gay teens to feel anxiety,

depression, and self-loathing, which in many cases would not be otherwise experienced. “...
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[U]nlike other troubled adolescents who are at-risk for suicide, gay teens may be psychologically

healthy; but gay teens must cope with a gay-hostile environment that, if internalized, can be

destructive to self-esteem—and survival” (Snowder).

But unlike other victims of bullying, gay teens have nowhere to turn when faced with

these situations. Parents are often kept in the dark about their child's sexual orientation, due to a

fear of being rejected. “Even if their families knew what they suffered, [teens say], they feel

certain their parents would be too ashamed of them to do anything about it” (Schleis). School

authorities do not offer much more assistance. Homosexuality is kept out of class rooms so well

that it is difficult for students to determine who would help and who would make situations

worse. Diane Allensworth, associate executive director of programs for the American School

Health Association, “...stated that a recent survey of its members who are school nurses and

health teachers revealed that 'homosexuality was the number one topic they weren't equipped to

discuss'” (Snowder). And Paula Schleis and Kim Hone-McMahan reported that some “...school

officials said they were not aware of any problems facing gay students.” Teens with religious

views are used to hearing homosexuals condemned as sinners, so they avoid turning to anyone

affiliated with religion. Antonio, a gay teen, once asked his Christian friend how she would feel

if he had killed someone while driving drunk, raped a girl, or was gay. Being gay was “the one

thing she said she couldn't forgive” (Schleis).

The lack of support from family and friends makes it even more difficult for gay teens to

cope with their sexuality, and their chances of committing suicide are greater when no one is

aware of the cause of their depression. Usually, teens who attempt suicide because of their sexual

orientation do so near the time of self-identification, after they have labeled themselves as gay
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but before they have announced their orientation to others. Finding themselves confused and

apparently alone, they do not know how to deal with being different from the rest of the world,

and suicide appears to be their best option to escape what they do not want to become. “One

study involving 350 gay adolescents between the ages of 14 and 21 reported that 54% made their

first suicide attempt before coming out to others, 27% made the attempt during the same year

they came out, and 19% made the attempt after coming out” (Kitts). The nondisclosure of their

sexual identity may protect teens from public humiliation and abandonment, but it leaves them to

struggle through their problems on their own, and if these problems are new to them, they can

easily be overwhelmed and put themselves at risk. “Overall, three-fourths of all first attempts

temporally followed self-labeling” (Snowder).

However, gay teens do not have to attempt suicide to be at risk. Often, they will engage

in other harmful activities, such as drug and alcohol abuse, cutting their forearms or legs,

dropping out of school, running away from home, and unsafe sex. A 1995 Minnesota study

found:

...lesbian and bisexual girls were more likely to become pregnant and more likely to

have multiple pregnancies than heterosexual girls. “Youth that are struggling with their

sexuality or sexual orientation are at risk for engaging in sexual behavior because

they're trying to work things out,” says [senior staff attorney for the LAMBDA Legal

Defense and Education Fund, Heather] Sawyer. “Lesbian youth, for example, might

fight against that by engaging in sexual behavior with older men.” (Lee)

The Massachusetts Department of Education found in 1995 that gay males and lesbians were

“...five times more likely than straight kids to skip school out of fear for their safety and almost
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five times more likely to use cocaine” (Jerome). The use of drugs or self-injury allows them to

escape from their reality without putting their lives in immediate danger. What they really want

is a release from their daily sufferings, not necessarily death. That makes running away

appealing because it relieves them from the responsibility of living their lives. However, if they

cannot find hope, their troubles easily catch up to them and they seek a more permanent solution.

This solution may be an instant death accomplished with a rope and chair, or a slow death of

unimaginable physical suffering that rivals the mental anguish already felt. This has been

witnessed in “...a terrible new trend...: purposely contracting AIDS” (Snowder). Especially in the

homosexual population, the means of contracting AIDS are not sparse and the result is no less

deadly than pulling a trigger, though the notion may be less frightening to a teen whose line of

vision stops at ending their pain. But teens who take this route often are not aware of what they

are getting into, and suffering with AIDS gives them a whole new reason to wish they were dead.

The increased risk of suicide that gay teens face makes suicide prevention and support

targeted toward their situation an absolute must. Unfortunately, the subject of homosexuality is

so controversial, many people tend to avoid it in public discussions. But for teens struggling with

their sexual identities, it is something that needs to be addressed. Outside of the media, society

still speaks strongly against being gay, drowning out of the voices of those who think differently,

and gay teens are left believing that there is something wrong with them; they are somehow less

human than the heterosexual population that makes up the majority. But if people would abandon

the fear of controversy and speak up, that could change. One of the best places to accomplish this

is within the school systems. There, teens are most vulnerable to the cruelty of their peers. But

there their voices can also be heard the loudest, and with the support of friends, family, and
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teachers, they can make the change they deserve and increase their chances of surviving their

adolescence.

Teens spend approximately eight hours in school. For gay teens, these hallowed halls can

be either a living hell or a sanctuary under the supervision of their teachers. So far, few schools

have been able to provide adequate support. School officials “...usually stop the use of the term

'faggot' if they hear it....[But] officials rarely admonish a student for using the term, 'That's so

gay,'―meant to describe anything strange, bad, or disgusting...” (Schleis). And even when a

teacher comes along who does not tolerate homophobic remarks, students still get away with

abuse in hallways and after school when administrators are not around to monitor them. But that

does not make the situation hopeless. Rather, it calls for a different approach. Instead of simply

rebuking abuse toward gay teens when it is seen, schools should strive for a more proactive

solution by implementing “...school programs that deal frankly with homosexuality in an attempt

to end the social stigma attached to it” (Hamilton). This has seen some success, as more schools

are providing support systems such as the Gay-Straight Alliance. “First established in 1988,

GSAs were designed as both support groups for gay students and—with the held of the

sympathetic straight students—a bulwark against homophobia” (?). Currently, there are about

700 GSAs across the nation, and the number is growing.

But while school environments are better for gay teens today that they were in the past,

they are still nowhere near perfect. Some school districts still refuse to acknowledge their

schools' gay populations. Students in the Bellevue Public Schools districts have had to fight

administration to get their voices heard. “Throughout the 2007-08 school year, the GSA at

[Bellevue] East worked to become a sponsored organization. They wrote a constitution and
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English teacher Joe Blackstad became their sponsor” (McGuffey). However, the school has

refused to sponsor their organization, insisting that they instead try to spread their message under

the umbrella of the Diversity Club, “a group that is currently dormant at East.” But school

officials do not realize what message they are sending by rejecting these clubs. Their actions

only encourage the homophobic tension felt by gay students, telling them that their rights are not

as important as those of the student council or sports teams and denying them access to what

may be the only group of people who will tell them that they are not bad for being different

during their whole high school career.

Gay teens are not the only ones who need to hear that they are okay. Because students are

so influenced by their peers and teachers, it is important to communicate information about

homosexuality to others in the schools, to diminish ignorance and discrimination. A better

understanding of homosexuality in the educational system will help gay teens be more accepted,

or at least not be abused because of popular opinions. School policies do not have to favor

homosexuality. But they should not be allowed to discriminate against it, either. Students and

staff who express prejudice against homosexuality should be treated no different than if their

prejudice had been against race or religion, and everyone should have access to information that

does not write off homosexuality as a mental disease or a societal abomination. “'Staff and

teachers need to learn not to allow homophobic behavior. High schoolers need access to good

counselors and information. We need to open up the discussion and dialogue. This research

shows the consequences of keeping this information repressed'” (Hamilton). It is not just an issue

of not offending someone. It is an issue of life and death. When gay teens believe that they are

unwilling freaks of nature, when they want to change but are unable to, they put themselves
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through mental anguish that they do not deserve.

“...[M]any Americans continue to view homosexuality as a character defect to be

controlled or reformed....But the weight of research indicates that people don't select their

sexuality” (Jerome). Still, gay teens are commonly left in the dark trying to figure out what is

wrong with them, when many people that they have never met will tell them that nothing is. Up

until now, the dominant opinion that heterosexuals form the only natural couples has made it

difficult for gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, and transsexuals to be seen as anything other than freaks

or weirdos. And whenever someone expresses a different opinion, they almost always find

someone who will challenge them. But though the subject of homosexuality is controversial, its

incessant debate is not worth the lives of thousands of teenagers whose opinion of self-worth is

affected by the words and actions of those they regard most highly: friends, family, and

authoritative figures. While anti-gay remarks are being casually thrown about among these

esteemed individuals, children are listening with utmost respect. Some of them will never hear

anything else ever again. The problem is not that they are strange, reckless, or chemically

depressed. The problem is that they have no voice to tell them that they are—and will be—okay.
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Works Cited

Concerned Women for America. “The Extent of Homosexual Teen Suicide Is Exaggerated.”

Opposing Viewpoints: Suicide. Roman Espejo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 19 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

Hamilton, Chris. “Homosexuality Is a Factor in Teen Suicide.” Current Controversies: Suicide.

Leslie A. Miller and Paul A Rose. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing

Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 17 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

“High School Controversial: When two students in Baton Rouge, La., set out to form a Gay-

Straight Alliance, they got a real education in the limits of tolerance.” Newsweek 135.12

(March 20, 2000): 54. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High

School. 10 Mar. 2009 <http://www.galenet.com/>.

Jerome, Richard. “The Realities of Growing Up Gay.” Contemporary Issues Companion: Teens

and Sex. Myra H. Immell. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints

Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 19 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

Kitts, Robert Li. “Homosexuality Is a Risk Factor in Teen Suicide.” Opposing Viewpoints:

Problems of Death. David A. Becker. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing

Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 17 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

Lee, Carol. “Sex Education Should Address the Needs of Gay Teens.” At Issue: Sex Education.
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Kristin Bailey. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource

Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 19 Feb. 2009 <http://www.galenet.com/>.

McGuffey, Bri. “East students strive to create sponsored club.” The West Wind 11 Dec. 2008: 1-

2.

Rios, Delia M. “Suicide Among Homosexual Teens Is Exaggerated.” Current Controversies:

Suicide. Leslie A. Miller and Paul A. Rose. Dan Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 19 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

Schleis, Paula, and Kim Hone-McMahan. “Gay Teens Are at Risk.” Opposing Viewpoints: Teens

at Risk. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints

Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 19 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

Snowder, Frances. “Homophobia Increases the Suicide Risk for Gay Teens.” Opposing

Viewpoints: Homosexuality. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Bellevue West High School. 17 Feb. 2009

<http://www.galenet.com/>.

Star, Letitia L. “Gay Teen Suicide is Common.” Opposing Viewpoints: America's Youth. Jamuna

Carroll. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale.

Bellevue West High School. 19 Feb. 2009 <http://www.galenet.com/>.