The rash of suicides and my own growing sense of a situation that has gotten way out of control have prompted me to add a page onto my blog that will be a list of resources for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. I'm not sure how much this feature on my blog will actually be used but I need to do something, anything to let these kids know that they are not alone. Bullying in general is getting out of control but the bullying of LGBTQ+ youth in schools is becoming epidemic. I know that gay youth have always been 4 times as likely to take their own lives but this feels to me like we are reaching a point that we may not be able to come back from.
I hope that if this list helps even one young person find the help they need that it will be well worth the time. I would encourage any of you who know of any other resources out there to please let me know and I will add it to the list. I'm willing to include outreach programs, counseling services, or even blogs that cater to the LGBTQ+ community.
Here is the link to my blog post, It Gets Better....It Gets So Much Better, that was sort of my wakeup call to myself. I'm ashamed to admit that while I've always known that this is a problem, I haven't always been vocal or aware of it enough to do something about it. I hope that by doing this I'm at least taking a step in the right direction.
Please let us all band together to help these kids know that they are loved and supported and that life is worth living.
It's Gets Better Project - Videos submitted by those who wish to tell GLBT youth that they are not alone and that life does and will get better.
PFLAG: Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - National organization in all 50 states that provides support to GLBT youth and their families.
The Trevor Project - A 24 hour suicide prevention hot line giving GLBT or questioning youth someone to talk to when things seem the darkest.
Youth OUTreach - A GLBT youth outreach program sponsored by LAMBDA.
Sioux City Journal - Front page editorial against bullying (4/12)
2 comments:
Ryan - this is an awesome post - good for you for putting this up. I just returned from camp today (there's a link to "camp" on my morning post) and I really learned a lot and have to say I was not aware how bad the stigma still is. It really breaks my heart.
It breaks my heart. I know in Minnesota alone there have been 2 or 3 well publicized cases of a bullied, gay teen taking their own life within the last year. I just pray that more people will step up and protect these kids.
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