In an article posted by PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Gays and Lesbians), the authors cite frightening research that highlights:
- Suicide is the leading cause of death amongst gay and lesbian youth.
- Gay and lesbian youth are 2 to 6 times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual youth.
- 30% of suicides committed by teens are committed by gay and lesbian teens.
These are alarming statistics, especially considering that it is estimated that around 10% of the population identifies as gay or lesbian. The article goes on to discuss mental health statistics of gay and lesbian youth and highlights many of the issues these individuals face. To read more about this article, please visit http://www.pflagphoenix.org/education/youth_stats.html.
This article stood out for me because there are minimal services that specifically target Gay and Lesbian Youth in the Greater Waterbury area.
As a mental health professional, I understand the effects of stress, depression, and anxiety as a few issues that come up for many youth. For Gay and Lesbian youth, many of these issues are amplified due a many different environmental factors.
If you are struggling with your sexuality and/or if you know someone who may benefit from additional support, feel free to contact me for more information at 203-572-2962 and/or stokescounseling@live.com.
No LeAnne, it's smart internet use. There are too many "nuts" out there. It would be foolish to post anything that could identify one in real life. What's to stop someone from showing up at your door? What if your boss didn't like your "opinion" and fired you? (And yes, that has happened.)
"What all this gay marriage stuff does is continue the undermining of the traditional family of mom and dad. " You've posted that several times, but never say, specifically how. Just parroting some talking point?
" for the best good of an "ordered society." A nasty little man with a funny mustache used words like that once.....
All human beings deserve respect and compassion, at least those persons who are not heinous criminals. One of the hardest lessons for anyone to learn is that people who insult or otherwise act to hurt people on account of the supposed "not-normal" aspect of their victim are actually only telling us about themselves after all. Diversity in populations has always been a strategy nature uses to survive the vagaries of a changing and unforgiving environment. A purely "normal" population would indeed be much more fragile and subject to collapse than populations with variety, which is why diversity in a population is a sign of health and vigor in the species. Human diversity has been a huge source of strength for the development of our culture and technology. Human diversity should be celebrated for the beautiful and constructive thing that it is. Human solidarity is another strength of our species, and is much preferable to the bigotry and bullying that, rooted in misery, can only cause more misery.
But would you say this about the Blacks or Hispanics? Couldnt one say that the whole Gay Marriage and the whole anti gay thing mirrors the Equil rights movement of the 1960's, As I recall, when the Blacks were seeking to change laws and be treated like the rest of society and not animals, there were those who felt it was their jobs or rights to smash the movement, even if it meant assasinating the leaders. What happened? The Blacks got angry and peacefull marches and demonstrations became ugly violent tv news footage. Lets all start worrying about whats going on with ourselves and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing... Im sure all of us have bigger problems in our private lives that need our attention moreso than whos getting married or having sex with whom. its 2012 for gods sake, get over yourselves. Live and let live!
Watch out for the warped & twisted solution that thinks we can try to make the suicide symptom go away by making the gay symptom acceptable. How wrong that is! That falls under the warped concept that if we legalize what is unlawful, we will have fewer criminals! You only have to look back at history to see. The today gays try to gratuitously promote the idea that there were just as many gays in history as there are today, but were suppressed. Now they are going to try to say because they are suppressed today, there is a high rate of suicide. But history and logic debunks that because history shows no such high rate of suicide despite the suppression. Today, gays are people who have morally fallen the lowest and are trying to bring society down with them. The darndest thing is the media & public school system puts that terrible bug into children's heads that makes they start destroying themselves at such an early and impressionable age by harmfully questioning themselves. It's an utter disaster.
"ANOTHER LAWMAKER URGED TO RESIGN: MINNESOTA DEM. ALLEGEDLY SOLICITS SEX WITH 17-YEAR-OLD BOY AT REST STOP"? This is DEM Minnesota State Rep. Terry Gauthier. ..."Among his other pastimes, Mr. Gauthier likes to troll the popular website Craigslist, and not for used toasters, or futons, or any of the things most people use Craigslist for. No, Mr. Gauthier likes to troll Craigslist for sex. With young men. Or in this case, a 17-year-old boy. "And Mr. Gauthier apparently gets what he looks for, because he is now alleged to have engaged in oral sex with the unnamed 17-year-old in question, leading many to call his resignation, and even more to call on him to back out of his race for reelection."... http://www.theblaze.com/stories/theres-another-lawmaker-being-urged-to-resign-minnesota-dem-solicits-sex-with-17-year-old-at-rest-stop/
"...homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexual orientation that poses no inherent obstacle to leading a happy, healthy, and productive life, including the capacity to form healthy and mutually satisfying intimate relationships with another person of the same sex and to raise healthy and well-adjusted children, as documented by several professional organizations (American Psychiatric Association, 1974; American Psychological Association, 2004a, 2004b; Conger, 1975, National Association of Social Workers, 2003);
Blacks were murdered and beaten in the streets. Gays are not given a legal recognition for their relationships. Apples and oranges. Gay marriage is a continual effort to undermine the family by redefining it to mean anything and everything. Nature made it so we need a mom and a dad to have a baby. There is no good reason to interfere in this matter.
Traditional family=mom and dad. Gay marriage=2 men or 2 women Go to the 2nd and get away from the 1st. Any time you recognize families other than mom and dad, you get away from the basic family unit. Not only do I not parrot talking points, I use my real name.
When liberals call me some of the crap you do, I just brush it off. I do not sit around and let it ruin my day. Neither should gay people. If someone is gay, be gay. Understand that no one has an obligation to accept you (gay or straight), your lifestyle, or anything you do.
I can see you follow the liberal handbook very well, divide and conquer. Since you feel that pro-family people are "anti-gay" then it must be us against you and for the record "we" outnumber you by far.
Someone who does not accept homosexuality does not mean they are a homophobe.