Since 1991, the federal government has conducted something called a Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Surveys are done in various locations and look at things like substance use, sex, violence, and eating habits.
The results of the Washington, DC survey were just released and the some of the implications for GLBT teen health are pretty serious. As the Washington Blade reports:
- 23.3 percent of gay high school students in D.C. reported having used methamphetamine, or crystal meth, compared to just 2.5 percent of straight students.
- 24.8 percent of Washington gay high school students reported using ecstasy one or more times compared to 3.9 percent of straight students.
- 39.1 percent reported using marijuana three or more times compared to 17 percent of straight students.
- 30.6 percent reported being bullied at least once on school property in the previous year compared to 16 percent of straight students.
- 30.6 percent of gay teens considered suicide in the previous year, 28.9 percent made a plan to commit suicide and 32.6 percent attempted suicide. That compares to 13.8 percent, 12.1 percent and 8.6 percent respectively in those same categories for their straight counterparts.
- 40.3 percent answered yes to the question, “During the past 12 months, did you ever feel so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that you stopped doing some usual activities?” Just 25.7 percent of straight students said yes.
We don't know if the results will be the same across the country, but even if the numbers aren't identical, this issue needs immediate attention! Schools needs to do a better job of protecting gay students, religious leaders need to preach tolerance, and the government needs to pass laws ensuring protection for the GLBT community. Numbers this high simply can't be ignored!
Why do you jump to the conclusion that everyone needs to approve of homosexuality in order to fix this problem? The fact is that these high risk behaviors were virtually non-existent in the far less tolerant past. Could these risky behavior have something to do with increasing affirmation and permission to experiment with something that is contrary to our nature as humans? Would a genuine analysis–rather than one-sided prescriptions– actually shed light on the subject?
To the first comment, I would like to know how much do you know about homosexuality? The only way to fix this problem is to protect the LGBT, because of the modern society’s ignorance towards LGBT, keep on saying that it’s a choice though it’s really not a stupid choice, it’s the way they were born and some or majority of the people just can’t accept the fact about that, and because of this reason, that’s why the number of the LGBT committing suicide, being depressed, etc. is getting higher.
Linda Harvey:
“Could these risky behavior have something to do with increasing affirmation and permission to experiment with something that is contrary to our nature as humans?”
Actually, the majority of research shows that homosexuality is part of our nature as humans. our genes are coded so that some people will become homosexual, for the advantages of population control and contributing to society in other ways than breeding. High levels of prenatal testosterone are known to be a cause of homosexuality, and homosexual’s brains have a slightly different physical makeup than heterosexuals. This isn’t because of a genetic disorder; genetically healthy gays have no other signs of hereditary illness. Creating some homosexual humans is actually a function of our biology. This is also observed among many, many other species, such as black swans and bonobo chimpanzees. I assume you believe that it’s a choice, based on mankind’s sinful nature and the devil leading us astray, and i assume you also believe that animals don’t have free will and thus can’t choose to follow the devil. If it appears over and over again as instinct in the natural world, it can absolutely be considered genetic. Please do some research on the subject. You’re absolutely right about the fact that a genuine analysis would shed light on the subject. Fortunately genuine analysis is the job of the researchers and statisticians who did the survey, they do it every day of their life. You coming in misinformed and assuming that hundreds of nonpartisan professionals’ analyses are less genuine than your groundless, faith-biased guess doesn’t seem to help shed light on the subject at all.
To Linda~
Why don’t you think about if your kid told you that he/she was gay and that they were being bullied by so many people because of it that they wanted to end their life. Wouldn’t you want to do something about it. LGBT humans should have every right that straight people have and should not be put down, bullied or not have rights for something that they had no control over. Remember we don’t choose to be gay that is the way we were born.