If you know
or suspect someone is
considering suicide,
please click here to go to
our detailed section on suicide.
Average "Coming Out" Age: (source:
Family Acceptance Project, a San Francisco State
University-based research group)
While national figures are lacking, a
study of California families conducted between 2000 and
2005 found that the coming-out age is now on average
13.4 years (as opposed to 14-16 in the late 1980s to
mid-1990s and the 20s in 1970).
"Project director Caitlin Ryan says
youngsters several decades ago may have sensed they were
different but weren’t quite able to label it. Now,
she says, they are much savvier, thanks to the vast
amount of information available on the Web, as well as
TV shows like “Glee,” which features an openly gay
character at high school and appeals to kids as young as
8 or 9."
"But the more positive images of today,
she notes, give a “false sense that acceptance is
everywhere. Most people don’t realize that while society
has more positive images, that doesn’t translate into a
more supportive school or a more supportive home or
someone for a young person to talk to.”" (source article)
Middle-School Students:
91% of middle-school students who are
GLBTQ are verbally harassed (source:
GLSEN.org)
59% of middle-school students who are
GLBTQ are physically assaulted (source:
GLSEN.org)
Only 5 percent of middle-school students
who are the victims of cyberbullying tell their parents
(source:
Parenting.com)
Middle-School & High-School Students: (source:
GLSEN.org's 2009 National School Climate Survey, unless
otherwise denoted below)
37% of all teens (i.e., regardless
of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression)
reported being ridiculed, humiliated, or verbally or
physically threatened by another child, either in person
or online. (source:
CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll dated 10/04/2010)
85% of LGBT students reported being
verbally harassed, 40% reported being physically
harassed and 19% reported being physically assaulted at
school in the past year because of their sexual
orientation.
64% of LGBT students reported being
verbally harassed, 27% reported being physically
harassed and 13% reported being physically assaulted at
school in the past year because of their gender
expression.
72% heard homophobic remarks, such as
"faggot" or "dyke," frequently or often at school.
Nearly two-thirds (61%) of students
reported that they felt unsafe in school because of
their sexual orientation, and more than a third (40%)
felt unsafe because of their gender expression.
29% of LGBT students missed a class at
least once and 30% missed at least one day of school in
the past month because of safety concerns, compared to
only 8% and 7%, respectively, of a national sample of
secondary school students.
The reported grade point average of
students who were more frequently harassed because of
their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost
half a grade lower than for students who were less often
harassed (2.7 vs. 3.1).
Increased levels of victimization were
related to increased levels of depression and anxiety
and decreased levels of self-esteem.
Being out in school had positive and
negative repercussions for LGBT students – outness was
related to higher levels of victimization, but also
higher levels of psychological well-being.
Anti-gay prejudice affects
straight youth, too. In fact, for every gay,
lesbian
and bisexual youth who reported being harassed,
four straight students said
they were harassed because they were perceived
as being gay or lesbian.
23% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
"questioning" (LGBQ) students, faculty and staff were
more likely to experience harassment compared to
heterosexuals -- 83% identified sexual identity as the
basis of their harassment.
39% of transgender students, faculty and
staff experienced harassment -- 87% identified their
gender identity/expression as the basis for the
harassment. The form of harassment experienced by
transgender people was more overt and blatant than that
experienced by other groups.
33% of LGBQ and 38% of transgender
students, faculty and staff have seriously considered
leaving their institution due to the challenging climate.
43% of LGBQ and 63% of transgender
students, faculty and staff hide their sexual
orientation and/or gender identity/expression.
13% of LGBQ and 43% of transgender
students, faculty and staff feared for their physical
safety. This finding was more pronounced for LGBQ
students and for LGBQ and/or transgender people of
color.
1 in 5 youths between age 10 and 18 have
been a victim of cyberbullying or participated in
cyberbullying. This figure is conservative,
because children are often afraid to come forward to
their parents, bullying experts say.
12/01/10:
Gay Teens Bullied to the Point of Suicide:
It's a shocking trend. Isn't it time for all of us
to encourage compassion and respect, no matter how
we feel about homosexuality?
Bullied: A Student, a School
and a Case That Made History
This documentary recounts the tragic
yet inspiring story of a young gay
man (Jamie Nabozny) who took a stand
against the bullying he experienced
in school. The film offers a message
of hope to those fighting harassment
today.
Through research-based interventions,
GLSEN provides resources and support for
schools to implement effective and
age-appropriate anti-bullying programs to
improve school climate for all students.
While many schools show a willingness to
address bullying generally, effective
efforts must address the pervasive issue of
anti-LGBT bullying as a crucial element of
the problem. Listed below are programs and
resources to help all members of the school
community address bullying in inclusive and
effective ways.
Take a Stand. Lend a
Hand. Stop Bullying Now! Campaign.This Department of Health and Human Services
Web site includes tip sheets that parents, peers, kids,
administrators, law enforcement, educators and communities
can follow to do their part in making a difference in the
lives of children who are being bullied.
09/30/10:
Navarro: Don't Let the Bullies Win "Of course the thought of suicide
has crossed my mind a time or two. Let me share
this. THANK GOD I never took that action. The
friends I have made, the experiences I have had, the
laughter I have shared would have all been missed.
In hindsight, some of my darkest moments now seem so
small and insignificant that I am amazed I gave them
so much power at the time. I am even able to laugh
about it now."
What
comes
to mind
when you hear the words “high school”? Do you
think of a safe and friendly environment where
students go to learn? Well, that isn’t the way
it is for thousands of teenagers across the
country. Just try to imagine going to school
every day and worrying about your safety so much
that you cannot concentrate. Imagine being
screamed at, kicked, punched, threatened, and
spit upon. How would you feel? Note:
Article starts on page 4 of this document.) [View]
Bullied: A Student, a School and a
Case That Made History
This documentary recounts the tragic yet
inspiring story of a young gay man (Jamie
Nabozny) who took a stand against the
bullying he experienced in school. The film
offers a message of hope to those fighting
harassment today.
NBA, GLSEN and Ad Council's
"Think B4 You Speak" PSA
The
LGBT Employees of Facebook
Click here to see the best "It Gets Better"
videos.
From the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP),
the leading national not-for-profit organization
exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing
suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to
reaching out to people with mental disorders and those
impacted by suicide:
Trevor Lifeline - 24 hour hotline
for youth in crisis: 1-866-488-7386
From the National Association of
School Psychologists, representing school psychology
and supports school psychologists to enhance the
learning and mental health of all children and youth:
Research indicates that the way suicide
is reported in the media can contribute to additional
suicides and suicide attempts. The following resources
provide guidelines on how to talk about the issue in an
effective and responsible manner.
Through research-based interventions,
GLSEN provides resources and support for
schools to implement effective and
age-appropriate anti-bullying programs to
improve school climate for all students.
While many schools show a willingness to
address bullying generally, effective
efforts must address the pervasive issue of
anti-LGBT bullying as a crucial element of
the problem. Listed below are programs and
resources to help all members of the school
community address bullying in inclusive and
effective ways.
BullyingInfo.org: Bullying
Prevention and Response. In 2009, the
Departments of Education and Health and Human Services
joined forces with four other departments to create a
federal task force on bullying. In August 2010, the task
force staged the first-ever National Bullying Summit,
bringing together 150 top state, local, civic, and corporate
leaders to begin mapping out a national plan to end
bullying. The task force also launched a new website,
www.bullyinginfo.org, which brings all the federal
resources on bullying together in one place for the first
time ever and is focused on providing tools and resources
for youth, parents, teachers and mental health providers to
prevent and address bullying.
Take a Stand. Lend a
Hand. Stop Bullying Now! Campaign.This Department of Health and Human Services
Web site includes tip sheets that parents, peers, kids,
administrators, law enforcement, educators and communities
can follow to do their part in making a difference in the
lives of children who are being bullied.
Bullied: A Student, a School and a
Case That Made History
This documentary recounts the tragic yet
inspiring story of a young gay man (Jamie
Nabozny) who took a stand against the
bullying he experienced in school. The film
offers a message of hope to those fighting
harassment today.
Identifying the Problems
Advice to Parents
Family Embraces "Princess Boy"
The Kilodavis family has no problem with
the fact that
5-year-old Dyson likes to dress as a
princess. In fact,
they're so supportive, mom Cheryl has
written a book
about it. Now, Dyson's school uses My
Princess Boy as
an anti-bullying tool.
Average "Coming Out" Age: (source:
Family Acceptance Project, a San Francisco State
University-based research group)
While national figures are lacking, a
study of California families conducted between 2000 and
2005 found that the coming-out age is now on average
13.4 years (as opposed to 14-16 in the late 1980s to
mid-1990s and the 20s in 1970).
"Project director Caitlin Ryan says
youngsters several decades ago may have sensed they were
different but weren’t quite able to label it. Now,
she says, they are much savvier, thanks to the vast
amount of information available on the Web, as well as
TV shows like “Glee,” which features an openly gay
character at high school and appeals to kids as young as
8 or 9."
"But the more positive images of today,
she notes, give a “false sense that acceptance is
everywhere. Most people don’t realize that while society
has more positive images, that doesn’t translate into a
more supportive school or a more supportive home or
someone for a young person to talk to.”"
(source article)
05/23/11:
NYT Offers Gay Teens a Forum The newspaper has interviewed nearly 100 youths, in
various stages of coming out, from around the nation and is
posting their stories on its website, with photos and audio.
Also, there is an online form for readers to submit their
stories. Find out more about “Coming Out”
here.
Coming
out didn’t hurt career, Kolbe says Retiring gay
GOP congress-man says speaking out
changed his life
By his
own admission, retiring U.S. Rep. Jim
Kolbe is an unusual Republican. A
congressman from southeastern Arizona,
Kolbe favored abortion rights, backed
stem cell research and [more]
06/18/07:
New Ground in Debate on 'Curing'
Gays. Christian ministries who see
homosexuality as a treatable disorder are starting
to think that choice may not be a factor.
[link]
Truth Wins OUT:
A
non-profit organization whose
mission is to counter right-wing
propaganda, expose the ‘ex-gay’
myth, and educate America about gay
life.
TV series Boston
Legal's Alan Shore
speaks brilliantly on homosexuality
The story:
The
plaintiff is an elderly judge suing to re-
cover
$40,000
he paid to a religious rehab clinic which
promised to
cure him of being gay - it didn't work.
Resource:
James Dobson's
False Focus on My Family: Why
every person of faith should be
deeply troubled
by Dr. James Dobson’s dangerous and misleading
words about
the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender community"
"Disciples" explores
the lives of three openly-gay
ex-Mormons who all left the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
in pursuit of equality, sometimes at
great personal cost. The film
documents the unique experiences and
challenges that gay men face in a
religion that places a premium on
so-called "traditional marriage."
The Mormon church, through it's
staunch support of Proposition 8 --
California's gay marriage ban -- has
demonstrated its inability to help
gay Mormons bridge the gap between
their sexual identity and their
belief system. (27 minutes)
Living in a rural area with a small population
can add to an increased feeling of isolation for a GLBTQ person
who is still "in the closet" or who is just emerging from that
closet. It's especially hard to find other GLBTQ people
near them for friendship when there are no GLBTQ organizations
or other such outlets in their area. Here, in this "Ask the Expert"
segment from 365gay.com, the question is poised: “How can I find other gay people
in my rural town?”
"How
MANY gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and/or transgender kids
are in OUR school . . . are
in the general population?"
School
officials often ask, when
trying to determine just how
"large" a problem might be
at their school or in their
school district, "How
many GLBT kids are
actually in our school?"
Or, they ask "What is the
percentage of GLBT kids
in the general population?"
The unfortunate point they
are missing when they ask
these questions is this:
Must you have a certain
quota of GLBT kids
before you offer to
protect them and provide
them a safe and welcoming
learning environment?
If there's only one
GLBT kid in your school, or
in your school district,
isn't that one kid worthy?Of course it's your duty
as a school official to
treat that one kid equally.
How could you think
otherwise?
Some public
schools are using web
filtering software to block
student access to positive
info about LGBT issues and
organizations. Blocking
all LGBT content violates
students' First Amendment
rights to free speech. They
also violate the Equal
Access Act, which requires
equal access to school
resources for all
extracurricular clubs,
including gay-straight
alliances and LGBT support
groups. Some schools
have even configured their
web filters to block access
to websites for positive
LGBT rights organizations,
but still allow access to
anti-LGBT sites that condemn
LGBT people or urge us to
try to change our sexual
orientation. This is
called viewpoint
discrimination, and it's
also illegal.
01/22/06:
Your Child and Bullying: Tips for Parents
and Communities
(Related Link: Go
to the Department of
Health and Human Services Web site
www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov to find the tip
sheets that
parents, peers, kids, administrators, law
enforcement, educators and communities can follow to
do
their
part in making a difference in
the lives of children who are being bullied.)
Tackling LGBT Issues in Schools:
A Resource
Module
This comprehensive resource module includes a
rationale for the inclusion of LGBT issues in
school, recommended curriculum and staff development
activities, resource lists and more. Tackling Gay
Issues in Schools is an invaluable resource for
educators, administrators, counselors, trainers and
all others working to create safe and inclusive
school environments.
[View][En
español]
Harassment
in School
What
comes
to mind
when you hear the words “high school”? Do you
think of a safe and friendly environment where
students go to learn? Well, that isn’t the way
it is for thousands of teenagers across the
country. Just try to imagine going to school
every day and worrying about your safety so much
that you cannot concentrate. Imagine being
screamed at, kicked, punched, threatened, and
spit upon. How would you feel? Note:
Article starts on page 4 of this document.) [View]
Shared
Differences
The
experiences
of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students
of color in our nation's schools. A report from
the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
(GLSEN).
Wait!
There's more! Be sure
to click on the "what
people think" link
once at this site --it's an amazing short clip of real people's
(challenged) thoughts on this issue.
This is
not because they are GLBT
-- it is
because they are
rejected
by family and/or friends, and/or
they are
bullied endlessly at
school or elsewhere.
FACT:
One in 7
people who dies by suicide is a
child.
FACT:
One in 3
gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender teens
has
attempted suicide.
FACT:
Half
of gay and transgender youth
have been
rejected by their parents
after coming out.
More than
1 in 4 have been
thrown out
of the house.
FACT:
Gay and transgender teens
whose
parents rejected them
after coming out were up to
9 times
more likely to attempt suicide
than those whose parents
accepted them.
Appearing depressed or sad
most of the time. (Untreated depression is the number one cause
for suicide.)
Talking or writing about
death or suicide.
Withdrawing from family and
friends.
Feeling hopeless.
Feeling helpless.
Feeling strong anger or rage.
Feeling trapped -- like there
is no way out of a situation.
Experiencing dramatic mood
changes.
Abusing drugs or alcohol.
Exhibiting a change in
personality.
Acting impulsively.
Losing interest in most
activities.
Experiencing a change in
sleeping habits.
Experiencing a change in
eating habits.
Losing interest in most
activities.
Performing poorly at work or
in school.
Giving away prized
possessions.
Writing a will.
Feeling excessive guilt or
shame.
Acting recklessly.
It should be noted that some
people who die by suicide do not show any suicide
warning signs.
But about 75 percent of those who
die by suicide do exhibit some suicide warning
signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide
warning signs are and try to spot them in people. If
we do see someone exhibiting suicide warning signs,
we need to do everything that we can to help them.
If you or someone you know
exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed
above,
immediate action is required.
ACT!
ACT:
Be accepting at home.
A little affection goes a long
way. Youth whose parents
accepted their sexual
orientation or gender identity
enjoyed greater overall health;
possessed higher self-esteem;
and were much less likely to be
depressed, use illegal drugs or
think about or attempt suicide.
By
contrast, those who were
rejected by their parents and
family members were up to
nine times
more likely to have attempted
suicide than those whose parents
accepted them.
ACT:
We can do a great deal to
minimize the risk of suicide
among gay and transgender youth.
Showing acceptance and support
is key, as it can decrease the
sense of alienation and
isolation that these youth
experience.
ACT:
Not sure that you can accept
this?
This is why PFLAG is here.
Come, learn from us how you can
overcome the barriers you feel
are keeping you from fully
accepting your GLBT child.
We've helped thousands of
families just like yours -- and
we
can help you too.
ACT:
What to do in the meantime?
Grab your kid, hug them 'til it
hurts, tell them you love them
no matter what. If you
need to, tell them you are
struggling with this news.
Tell them that you need time to
digest and absorb this
information, to sort out your
feelings, and to educate
yourself. Remind them that
they've had a long time to come
to this realization about themself, and you need some time
too to work through this.
But, assure them that no matter
what, they are still your child,
that you love them, and that
together, you both will work
through this and be the better
(and closer) because of it.
You can do this!
If
bullying and/or harassment could be impacting your
child's life, please review
our
section on Bullying and Harassment --
Learn the signs; you may not be aware!
08/15/11:
06/09/11:
Pat & Rex, "new" PFLAG parents of a
young gay adult son;
