Gay Teens Feel Less Support in Conservative Communities
April 22nd, 2011
In politically conservative communities with very little gay support programs, there is a higher rate of suicide attempts among homosexual teens. According to a study by Mark Hatzenbuehler, a Columbia University psychologist and researcher, gay teens are bullied and ostracized for their sexual orientation. And unlike more liberal communities, they have very few resources for support and often feel isolated and depressed. “Is it surprising? No. Is it important? Yes,” said Dr. Robert Blum of Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. This research “takes our relatively superficial knowledge and provides a bit more depth. Clearly, we need lots more understanding, but this is very much a step in the right direction,” he said.
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the problem with ‘conservative’ societies is that they almost turn a blind eye to problems that exist and try to push them under the carpet…So instead of getting help,the person in question only feels like something’s wrong with his own self and all the problems follow…
I think that there are many communities out there which are trying to become a little more open minded but it is just not happening fast enough to help those who are struggling with this right now. These are kids who deserve our love and support and definitely do not need to feel ostracized and left out. I am a gay man and felt this all of my life until I left my small home town and got to a city that I have embraced and which feels like has embraced me back. Isn’t this something that we would want everyone to feel? If so then why can’t we all take a step toward opening our minds and hearts just a little bit more.
I am not saying that I think that this is something that anyone would wish for their child, for him or her to be gay. There is so much hatred out there that this causes gay teens to have to face. But I do think that this means that if this is our child then they deserve so much more than that hatred. God made them too, just like you and me. And in my world, God does not make mistakes.
This didn’t even need a study. Conservative areas are filled with homophobes and bigots who don’t understand that homosexuality is not a choice. And well said, Connie!
Gay bashing, verbally or physically, needs to be charged as a hate crime. In fact, so does bullying and ostracizing a person. I didn’t choose my nationality, but if someone was to beat me up solely because of it, they would be charged with a hate crime.
I don’t care what excuses people come up with. If you can’t accept that some are gay, you need to pack up and move to the 16th century where you belong. I agree with the above poster, it should be a hate crime to harass people based on their sexuality.
@Yvonne–isn’t it already? There was that boy recently who committed suicide after his roommate streamed video online of him making out with another boy that he’d secretly recorded. I’m sure I read the feds were involved and that was to be charged under something like that.
It needs to be mandated on a federal level to give support to any oppressed minority. The attitudes some have in conservative states needs to change and it needed to change long long ago. Of course it exists in the shadows everywhere, but those states are the worst offenders in my opinion.
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