Thanksgiving offers a great
opportunity to reflect on our blessings and bring those not as fortunate into
forefront of our thoughts. To be sure,
from a personal standpoint I feel I’m blessed.
Regarding the accomplishments within our LGBT community to which I’ve
dedicated a good portion my life, there have been blessings aplenty, which make
me feel proud and fulfilled.
I’m proud that Baltimore
achieved a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign Metropolitan Equality Index that reflects myriad achievements on various levels to help bring our
community to at least on par with the rest of the citizenry. I am also elated that my state was wise
enough to allow same-sex couples like ours to marry and finally be able to
receive the benefits that marriage affords.
I am also happy that the state ended discrimination against my
transgender friends this year by asserting that all of our citizens should not
be subject to discrimination.
Thus, with the rainbow flags
flying high and proud, this Thanksgiving brought into focus other areas of
concern that afflict our communities. I don’t want to sound dour but there is a
set of realities or turkeys that should also noted.
Around the same time HRC’s
pat-on-the-back to Baltimore came out, GLSEN presented some disturbing news
that indicates we’re not making sufficient progress in Maryland’s high schools
when it comes to bullying and related issues.
In the report GLSEN’s survey revealed a
staggering high percentage of secondary school students in Maryland who have
heard taunts, name-calling and/or experienced various forms of bullying that are
LGBT-oriented.
Just as disappointing is the
fact that only 14 percent attended a school with a comprehensive
anti-bullying/harassment policy. We have been led to believe the state has such
policies in place and perhaps the students aren’t aware of them. But with so many of the students reporting
such incidents you have to wonder.
Recently, I represented PFLAG-Howard County at a county parks and recreation teen opportunities fair
and heard mixed results from the students.
One student said that her gay friend at her high school is doing fine with
being openly gay and has not experienced any problems with respect to
bullying. Yet, another student from the
same high school, if you can believe it, mentioned her gay friend has been
hospitalized due to the stress he received from being bullied by other students.
Clearly, anti-bullying policies
must be tightened and enforced, and students, faculty and staff alike must be
educated on these policies. While it is
true that today’s youth are increasingly supportive of equal rights for LGBT
people, there is still evidence that it is not universal and bullying of all
forms need to be eradicated. No longer
should a report emanating from GLSEN state that Maryland schools are unsafe for
LGBT students.
Too many teens have taken their
lives as a last resort because of kids who have the need to raise their own self-esteem
at the expense of others. According to
The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to ending suicide by LGBTQ youth,
suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10
to 24. LGB youth are four times more
likely (and questioning youth three times) to attempt suicide than their
straight peers. And about 25 percent of
young transgender individuals have attempted suicide.
Another turkey that needs
carving is the rate of homelessness among LGBTQ youth. As the frigid, cold winter dawns upon us, it
is imperative to acknowledge that homeless LGBTQ youth are sleeping outside in
boxes or on grates just to survive.
The National Coalition for the Homeless
reports that 20 percent of homeless youth are LGBT. (Some organizations’ estimates are even
higher, even up to 40 percent.)
While homeless youth typically
experience severe family conflict as the primary reason for their homelessness,
LGBT youth are twice as likely to experience sexual abuse before the age of 12. LGBT youth, once homeless, are at higher risk
for victimization, mental health problems, and unsafe sexual practices. Over 58
percent of LGBT homeless youth have been sexually victimized compared to 33.4
percent of heterosexual homeless youth. LGBT youth are roughly 7.4 times more
likely to experience acts of sexual violence than heterosexual homeless youth.
"LGBT organizations must seriously direct their efforts to preventing homelessness among LGBTQ youth and dealing with those who are."
To the issue of suicide, homeless
youth who are LGBT commit suicide at higher rates (62 percent) than
heterosexual homeless youth (29 percent).
Transgender youth are even far more vulnerable.
These statistics are as chilling
as the weather and illustrates that parents and families who continue to reject
their children based on sexual orientation and gender identity either throw
their kids out on the streets or make their environment so inhospitable that
the kids need to run away.
Foster care is not a solution at
this point because of the discrimination homeless LGBT youth experience, and
these situations promote a homophobic atmosphere leading many youth to run away
believing they are safer on the streets.
LGBT organizations must
seriously direct their efforts to preventing homelessness among LGBTQ youth and
dealing with those who are. It’s not as
sexy a cause as marriage equality where tons of money had been raised. But this crisis needs to be met if those
organization still aspire to remain relevant.
This little reminder only
scratches the surface. We still need to
face the epidemic of HIV/AIDS as folks are mistakenly assuming that unsafe sex
practices are OK now. They aren’t.
We have a developing crisis in
the rapid growth in the aging population whereby seniors are experiencing
discrimination in assisted living and nursing care facilities. The discrimination among those entities are
driving LGBT seniors back into the closet and preventing their partner’s access
to them.
There are other such turkeys
that need carving providing more food for thought to chew on, but this list should fill you up for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment