Supporting LGBT Youths: The Tragedy of Suicide

Never in my life has something so devastated me as the idea that there are LGBT youths committing suicide because of who they are. This is a heartbreaking phenomena, and one that needs to stop.

Deep inside me, I have the great desire to pull these young people aside and explain to them that everything will be okay, that they are not alone, and that things can get better. In my mind, there is simply no greater tragedy than a society that torments some to such a degree that they are left feeling lost, segregated and absolutely hopeless.

You see, when a gay child is born, he or she is generally not born into a gay family or a gay community. They are not continually surrounded with people that are just like them. They can't walk down the street and see scores of others like them. In this respect, members of the LGBT community are bit different from racial minorities. Not even their parents understand their situation, even if they choose to accept them for who they are. They are truly different from nearly everyone they know and love. It's an incredibly isolating existence.

Even if they are not constantly tormented by other students while the teacher turns a blind eye, they are continually reminded of how different they are from everyone else. Their friends start dating members of the opposite sex; their teachers are married with children; and sometimes their clergymen remind them of how sinful homosexuality is. In the worst case scenario, they begin to hate themselves for being different, and see nothing on the horizon that suggests their lives will begin to improve.

What do I implore others to do? I implore them to reach out to LGBT youths and remind them that they really can have a happy future. Remind them that there are others like them, and they are simply not as alone as they feel. Most simply, remind them that they are loved for who they are.

I'm a 24 year old gay man, and I can still feel the isolation. I'm denied the opportunity to hold hands with someone I love in public without fear. We've come so far, but there's always the possibility that someone will see two homosexuals embracing and decide that they need be taught a lesson. Let's not forget, after all, that if two gay men or women walk down the street hand in hand, they are "flaunting their sexuality."

To the young ones: Things do get easier, and things do get better, but it is always a something of a struggle. Just know that you're not alone. Be mindful of organizations out there like GLSEN, that might be able to help you feel a bit more safe and a bit less isolated.