Coming Out and Suicide: Words Matter

Via my good friend, Jenny.

This courageous girl, senior Kayla Kearney from Maria Carillo High School, came out to her high school at an assembly honoring Martin Luther King Jr. this year. She takes on the issues of her coming out in an incredibly admirable, brave manner.

Please watch this video. When I started, I was in a hurry with many things to do. 30 seconds into the video I was hooked, and I watched it from beginning to end.

Among other things, she directly answers those who say her sexual orientation is a choice, and those who say she must not act on her feelings. In an especially impassioned section, she describes how she wants to fall in love, walk down the street holding someone's hand, hold them and tell them everything's alright, and eventually, she wants to get married. It just so happens that Kayla wants to be with a girl.


"I want to break the silence... I want to stand up here and talk about this because no one ever does."

The importance of speaking up and standing up for vulnerable teens is extremely apparent. There is a cost, and this cost has a face. Unfortunately, many faces.

Lance Lundsten (March 2011)

Age 18

Adam Wood (March 2011)

Age 19

Nicholas Kelo Jr. (Feb. 2011)

Age 13

Raymond Chase (Sept. 2010)

Age 19

Billy Lucas (Sept. 2010)

Age 15

Caleb Nolt (Sept. 2010)

Age 14

Cody Barker (Sept. 2010)

Age 17

Seth Walsh (Sept. 2010)

Age 13

Tyler Clementi (Sept. 2010)

Age 18

Harrison Brown (Sept. 2010)

Age 15

Asher Brown (Sept. 2010)

Age 13

Justin Aaberg (July 2010)

Age 15

Dominic Crouch (May 2010)

Age 15

There are many more suicides that are not available for me to find on the internet. And there could be many more to come.

The reason for this? It's simple: HATE. And hate often stems from ignorance.

Watch this video of Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber, saying gay kids are inclined to commit suicide because they know being gay is immoral and unnatural.

Kayla understood well the power of words when she came out to her school.  

Words can hurt, but words can also help.

I want to ask you all who are reading this to remember that power, and to promise to never be quiet again. You really can help save lives. 

"It Gets Better"-Helping LGBTQ Youth Stay Alive

We all have busy weeks, and I'm in the middle of a particularly insane one myself. Although we may all get busy, it's important that we not forget those in the closet, newly out of the closet, or questioning their sexual identity who could use support, whether you're a LGBT or a straight ally.

The "It Gets Better" campaign has been something on my radar for a while. It's an effort to reach out to struggling LGBTQ teens. I've watched several videos, and a few have been particularly tear-jerking. Listen to or read this NPR story about creator Dan Savage for more information on this movement.

From NPR:

"Last fall, several teens across the country committed suicide because they were gay or perceived to be gay. This shocking rash of suicides raised attention about a sobering fact: Gay teens are up to four times as likely to attempt suicide as straight teens, and 9 out of 10 LGBT teens have experienced some sort of harassment in their school, according to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention hot line for LGBT youth. When advice columnist Dan Savage heard about the suicide crisis unfolding, he had an idea: If older gay people offered hope and encouragement to gay teens, the teens would realize that their lives were worth living."

Many celebrities have made videos. Here is a video from President Obama:

Watch this video to see creator Dan Savage talk about the project, and the brutal bullying that can haunt LGBTQ teenagers.

According to the It Gets Better website:

Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.

Here's another It Gets Better video:

And please, remember the next time you hear of someone bullying, it is a big deal. Please speak up, and act out on this issue. There is someone out there who could use an ally, and that ally could be you.

Again, here's the website! It's a great resource for everyone, and I suggest visiting.
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

Here's their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/itgetsbetterproject