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Social institutions contribute to homosexual youth suicide
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by Rhonda J Mangus | August 23, 2009 at 05:16 am
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Social institutions contribute to homosexual youth suicide in various ways. According to a perspective on homosexual youth suicide by OpEdNews author Walter Barton, the family, religion, the school, social youth organizations, health professionals, and the juvenile justice system significantly contribute to homosexual youth suicide.
Studies have shown to support the premise that there is a predisposition to homosexuality and that this predisposition begins to emerge in adolescence. It should not be surprising to anyone that gay youth choose to lead a double life because of the negative, homophobic attitudes and remarks in their environment and their fear of rejection and/or abuse.The family unit is a key factor to individual development. A sense of family is inherent in the reinforcement and support brought about through the family unit. Loss of this sense of belonging is devastating to any youth. For a homosexual youth, the thought of rejection or the reality of rejection by the family unit because of sexual orientation sets that youth up for suicidal thoughts. And should that youth come from a dysfunctional or abusive family, the risk increases.
Religious beliefs are a strong motivating factor in gay youth suicide. Homosexuality is often depicted as a sin, morally wrong and evil. Families frequently turn to the place of worship for guidance and understanding; yet many religions continue to condemn this behavior as immoral based on their interpretation of religious writings. Boswell (1980) reports that intolerance for homosexuals has its Western roots in the Middle Ages and confusion of religious beliefs with popular prejudices resulted. An example cited by Boswell is that belief in Christian Scriptures to condemn homosexuality also contains condemnation of hypocrisy, yet in much stronger terms. But Western society has not segregated or oppressed hypocrites nor proclaimed hypocrisy unnatural and punished it by death. (pp. 6-7).
Dr. Jimmy R. Allen, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and whose son is gay, stated in 1993, "It complicates the issue when the element of shame or guilt can be added to justify our frozen attitudes of condemnation." He went on to state, "Suffocating beneath the load of those hostile and angry encounters, quietly in anguish and pain, are parents and children of faith who are rejected and blamed because sons and daughters are having to cope with sexual desires for their gender." For youth who maintain their faith even though they cannot alter their sexual orientation face an unsolvable internal conflict without the support of religious leaders. For the youth, suicide will appear to be a way out of the dilemma their religion has placed them into.
Another risk factor for youth suicide is the environment of school. There are two factors in play: attendance is compulsory and physical and/or verbal abuse can be unchecked. The intolerant attitudes of school children begin in elementary school and become increasingly worse as they grow into adolescence. The immaturity on this topic is directly related to the schools' failure to educate our youth on the subject of sexuality. Access to positive information is generally restricted or banned.
Those who have accepted their homosexual identity are overwhelmed in the school social atmosphere. Often isolated, alienated and withdrawn in fear that friends will find out. Their psychological and social demands to be heterosexual are directly opposed to their internal homosexual orientation. Suicide will appear to be their way out of the dilemma.
Gay youth find little comfort in social youth organizations because of the lack of programs that offer support for their orientation. Many such organizations have explicit policies forbidding the hiring of gay or lesbian staff which denies the gay youth positive role models. Myths that pedophiles are gay continue to plague the mindsets even when statistics show that the overwhelming majority of pedophiles are heterosexual. Hiding one's sexual orientation, placed in an environment in which negative attitudes and remarks go unchecked, the gay youth finds suicide a way out of the dilemma.
An insidious risk factor is one in which the health provider dealing with youth suicide attempt or sexual identity issues refuses to accept adolescent homosexuality as a valid orientation. It is not just a passing phase. Counselors have an obligation to work with the adolescent from their perspective, to open a line of communication that is essential to their ability to help. As a result of poor counseling, a weakened self-esteem and reinforcement of societal intolerance of homosexuality results in increased risk of suicide.
The gay youth who have become a ward of the court has little choice in foster home selection. Many times, the placement mirrors the one in which they left. In many states, gay and lesbian adults are prohibited from being foster parents, the myth of pedophiles again. So the youth is denied a positive role model. Group homes, like foster homes, lack the properly trained staff to deal with the discrimination and abuse of gay youth by other youth in the home.
Social institutions interweave throughout society, social intolerance to homosexuality affects the mental health of gay youth, and attitudes of, comments about and reactions to homosexual orientation reinforce suicidal behavior. Though change is slow, the society as a whole need to provide gay youth the same access to support and social activities afforded other youth in order to reduce their isolation and enhance their socialization skills to reduce the sense of despair at this age of development.
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Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
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worm wood
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Barry ORegan
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (29)
at 05:20 on August 23rd, 2009
Thank you for the post on this Rhonda.
at 05:25 on August 23rd, 2009
You are very welcome, Paschen! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!
at 11:37 on August 24th, 2009
For you, Rhonda, how will you define gay and homosexuality, whether you are using it interchangeably or not?
Homosexuality is engaging in sex with the same sex after you have previously engaged yourself with the opposite sex due to lust . Being gay is having some similarity or almost all the characteristics of the opposite sex, whether it is obvious or not.
I believe that homosexuals start from being gay. When a child begins to exhibit signs of being gay, what do people do? These children starts to grow, they are now left in the mercy of the people around them who have their own religion or norm they abide or reject.
Acceptance is very important for a gay, so do any one regardless of sexual preference. Teenagers start to have problems due to hormonal changes, and so do adults, what more of a gay teenager, or an adult gay? Aside from the expected emotional and physical changes, they will be facing, additional problems caused by intolerance from the people around them whom they expect to guide them. And as they grow, the usual living conditions will definitely be different. Regardless if they are obvious or discreet, beautiful or ugly, there is this longing within them, making them wonder or ask for so many questions and seek for answers; for acceptance, but can't be found. They just thought that engaging in homosexual acts or being discreet is the answer, especially when they mistook the pleasure or satisfaction they get as love and happiness. Or they share the ideals or points of view of those hypocrites, or those ignoramous, or those who enjoy having homosexual affairs and or as a way of living. And no one of them will be satisfied with just that, because the people around them are still the same. They will still meet new faces, people with the same old attitudes toward them or challenging behaviors.
In my country, the Philippines, the common mentality is, "so long as the gay person is not related to me." As far as I have observed they learn to laugh whenever a gay is being depicted, as ugly and effeminate, pretty and dumb, or spoofing someone for entertainment, on TV shows and comedy bars.
I like to watch gay comedians, and those intelligent ones who has their own success stories to tell. Most of them really did struggle just to make ends meet because the head of their family doesn't want to be involved with them, forcing them to leave home at such an early age. Who knows what they've gone through.
I agree with the author that religious belief plays a big role on the life of gays and homosexuals. Condemning something based on the misinterpretation of what the Bible say; the intolerance or tolerance of a leader; the hypocrisy of people around you; or the norms of an ignorant group is really very inhumane and unbiblical.
I have my share of intolerance sometimes, but I know that I have to change that feeling especially to those who has not yet understood God's words. In our Church, we learned to accept the gays. Whether they were once a homosexual, because we believe that guiding them with the undefiled words of God will give them a choice. You cannot change a real woman to like her opposite, neither you can force a real man to like a man. That is how we look at gays, you can't force them not to like whom they would like. But there is always an exception to the rule, whethere you are a real woman, a real man, or even a gay, you have freedom but not letting lust to overpower your freedom. Even a man looking to a woman with lust is a sin, so is a gay looking at a whoever he prefers with lust is a sin. We believe that homosexuals are those man or woman who had sex to an opposite sex, but due to their lust, they even wanted to have sex to same sex.
Regardless of our sexuality, we learned our faith through hearing, and hearing is listening to the words of God in the Holy Scriptures. Our hope becomes stronger everyday.
The Holy Bible is a book of love. It contains the undeniable love of God for those who fear Him, those who follows His commandments, and those who doesn't know him unintentionally. He wants all men to be saved. It is not for God's benefit because you cannot add nor subtract anything from God. But His words are for the sake of the one who is following them and for the sake of those people around him.
Hopeless people are susceptible to committing suicide, regardless of sexual preference. If you are a homosexual and even a gay, and if you believe that you wanted the hope that we share in our church, just send me a message and we are ready to help you understand the difficulty that you are into.
at 16:16 on August 24th, 2009
"Homosexuality is engaging in sex with the same sex after you have previously engaged yourself with the opposite sex due to lust . Being gay is having some similarity or almost all the characteristics of the opposite sex, whether it is obvious or not."
worm wood, thank you for reading, commenting and for the recommendation. It is the case, however, that I do not agree with your line of thinking, particularly your statement above. Nevertheless, each of us entitled to our Opinion.
Thanks again!
at 02:07 on August 29th, 2009
Hi! Rhonda,
I would like to correct my definition of homosexuality. My definition was referring to bisexuality.
This one should be condemned according to the description of the Holy Bible. The one with perversion and vile affections.
Their outlook in life, deeds, etc, are against the righteousness of God, regardless if you are a real man or woman.
But if they choose to follow God's will, they should follow the teaching irrespective of the gender and sexual preference. It is the manhood in the heart, the inner man, regardless of your gender or sexual preference. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.It is God who made man and woman, even those gay and lesbians. And what is good in God's sight is the inner man of heart, with honor and dignity, fighting for the truth in God.
It is the manhood, or the manliness, that is the image of him that created him or her.
Stop! Suicide Is Never a Solution, Period.Especially, for those who wants to follow the will of God.at 02:27 on November 8th, 2009
You do realize that Romans 1 is talking about temple prostitution right. That is not what being gay in today's society is about. That is not what a committed same sex relationship is in reference to today. You need to do more studying before you confuse some young mind. The Bible does not condemn what exists today as a sexual orientation. The Bible was condemning a sexual act having to do with idol worship. What does being gay have to do with changing the image of God into creatures and four footed creatures. Come on. Your not really reading this. Really read these passages. Do your studying. Somebody is going to committ suicide because of you.
at 06:52 on August 23rd, 2009
Thanks for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation, sara star.
"Shouldn't social institutions be protecting them and providing public awareness/education?
Isn't it a part of sex education?"
Social institutions should be protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth. In the majority of cases they are not. Homophobia is entrenched in religious thought throughout the world and sex education for these youth is, for the most part, non-existent in US public education.
at 07:04 on August 23rd, 2009
sara, this is not to say that there are not those who are not working toward protecting and providing LGBT Youth with awareness/education, but matters such as this (and among numerous others) "The Curious Case of School Districts Blocking Gay Rights Websites" continue to send a message of discrimination, intolerance, and stigmatization.
at 08:12 on August 23rd, 2009
Extremely important story, especially when a group like NARTH is trying hand over fist to put gays back into the closet, and ostracize them in every way.
at 18:21 on August 23rd, 2009
Thank you, smkovalinsky!
at 09:15 on August 23rd, 2009
Thanks for this post, Rhonda. I think it should be bigger concern that those families who have their gay young people locked up in the first place.
at 18:32 on August 23rd, 2009
You are very welcome, Pythiian1! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!
Family should be first and foremost in the preservation of the child's spirit. And, even though I fully understand the individual indoctrinated mind, it is still horrifying to me that any parent would subject his/her child(ren) to any social institution where they faced rejection, stigmatization, etc.
Religious beliefs/institutions aside, schools (where children spend at least 13 years of their lives) are often the worst offenders.
at 10:19 on August 23rd, 2009
My wife is Afro-Brazilian and she says she's never heard of a case like this here in Brazil. In fact she says that before Brazil began granting immigration status based on homosexual relationships, she heard of cases where a boy's mother married her son's boyfriend so that her son's boyfriend could live in Brazil, rather than see her son separated from his boyfriend.
There's a great book in that in Portuguese is called "O terceiro traveseiro" and in English would be called "The Third Pillow". It's all about two Brazilian adolescent boys who fall in love with one another, and then the challenges they face. Great book, although realistically and unapologetically explicit at times.
You can download the book for free here: http://www.esnips.com/doc/6f792faf-0bce-460f-b370-ff1ff6b5f05d/Nelson-Luis-de-Carvalho---O-3o.-Travesseiro-gls
If you can read Spanish or Portuguese you'll enjoy it. If you only speak English you can try to use a translator, but it will miss all of the teenage slang and gay culture expressions. So, if you've ever wanted to learn Portuguese now is the time. Read this book and you'll be fluent in Portuguese reading when you're done.
Here's an expensive and comprehensive Portuguese/English dictionary that you can use online for free: http://michaelis.uol.com.br/moderno/ingles/index.php?lingua=portugues-ingles&palavra=gay
You could let Google translate it for you, but Google Translator will make a hash out of some of the best parts.
This is one of those books you can't put down once you start to read it.
at 18:54 on August 23rd, 2009
francislholland, thanks for this! Appears to be an interesting read. I have had difficulty differentiating Spanish/Portuguese. I do think however that Google Translator can do the job for an English translation. Thanks again!
at 11:48 on August 23rd, 2009
"Studies have shown to support the premise that there is a predisposition to homosexuality and that this predisposition begins to emerge in adolescence." Although I do not doubt that this may be true I would like to read those studies for myself.
Does anyone (maybe Rhonda) have the citations for me? I do not believe it is a good idea to accept anything on faith. I prefer evidence and proof.
at 18:04 on August 23rd, 2009
Very good, eastvanray:)! Thank you for reading and commenting! I do not know what studies Mr. Barton referenced for this piece. I can however direct you to scholarly articles that support the premise that there is a predisposition to homosexuality, here.
at 18:38 on August 23rd, 2009
Thanks. I will give them a read.
at 18:55 on August 23rd, 2009
You are very welcome, eastvanray!
at 17:15 on August 23rd, 2009
Thats friggin tragic in this day and age
at 18:04 on August 23rd, 2009
Isn't it though, Barry. Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!
at 19:10 on August 23rd, 2009
Thanks to everyone who read, commented on, provided additional reading material, or recommended this story. Your contributions are always deeply appreciated!
at 04:36 on August 24th, 2009
I think attitudes have changed and will change further concerning the problem of gays, the church of course is the biggest obstacle religion is most certainly anti-gay and of course the church has to be side stepped. Life will get better for gays and a lot of people are fighting for their rights and full acceptance in society.
I am glad to see articles like this the more the better and never let anyone forget the problem, eventually the problem will be solved the more awareness to it helps.
One firm piece of help we can all give when we feel someone is struggling with loneliness try to befriend them as its friendship and understanding that is the biggest aid against depression and suicide. Unfortunately I can offer no more advice and on this issue I am as frustrated as anyone else that cares. We citizen journalist have one powerful tool though and that's our articles or in this case seeded articles and opinions. You have presented a very good heart felt one and something to be proud of and if we all have a calling in life citizen journalism is yours.
.
at 05:53 on August 24th, 2009
Your insight and advice is excellent, Babel-Fish! Thank you for the compliment as well! As mother to a gay male youth, I understand the dark side of social institutions all too well. And, I reiterate the quote of Erik Erikson: "Someday, maybe, there will exist a well-informed, well considered and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child's spirit."
And this is to mean: ALL CHILDREN!
Thanks again!
at 06:25 on August 24th, 2009
Your welcome and I am sure that the world will be a better place for gays to live in, it will never be perfect but its already improved so much since being gay was a criminal offense. Homophobia is gradually becoming a less worrying problem. each new generation gets more understanding.
I can now see why this subject is near to your heart...
at 06:35 on August 24th, 2009
Yes, very near Babel-Fish. Thank you for stopping back and commenting; always deeply appreciated.
at 06:36 on August 24th, 2009
:)
at 08:10 on August 24th, 2009
I would just like to add that I hope that generations years from now are more accepting that our parents generation today. As homosexuality becomes more and more common in our society I hope that we do introduce homosexuality into our school's health classes so one feels comfortable talking about it and it becomes more normalized like heterosexuality.
Luciano Galasso
at 16:11 on August 24th, 2009
Thank you for reading and commenting, Luciano Galasso! Inclusive sex-education in public education is definitely a priority. LGBT Youth have different needs and concerns when it comes to sexual intimacy; denying these facts, and among other things, denies these youth their right to access information that is beneficial to their health, safety and welfare, and is a discriminatory practice in my opinion.
Sadly, few parents are accepting of a child's LGBT orientation. Those who are accepting, often find themselves alone and ostracized as well. Hopefully then, it will not be generations from now, rather NOW, that parents accept their LGBT child for who he/she is and begin to make the statement: Our kids are people too!
at 11:17 on August 24th, 2009
Hopeless people are susceptible to committing suicide, regardless of sexual preference. If you are a homosexual and even a gay, and if you believe that you wanted the hope that we share in our church, just send me a message and we are ready to help you understand the difficulty that you are into.