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In the last year, it has been hard toturn on the television without seeing something about the bulying of gay teens or even worse, the suicide of a gay teen.
Many people refuse to accept that this is a problem, but it is, and we need to offer support to gay teens whenever possible.
Nearly all of us have heard an anti-gay sur used, whether it was directed at a gay teen or a straight one. In either case, the words such as “homo” and “faggot” should be avoided completely, even if the have become all-too-familiar in the vernacular of teens in school today. In addition to having to endure these insulting words, gay teens also face many other challenegs that straight kids may not. Some gay teens don’t receive support from their families and are turned away. Others are constantly told that their lifestyle is a “choice.” This, in fact, is a belief that many people still hold, even though studies have shown a “gay gene” does exist.
Bullying of gay teens happens just as often, if not more often, as it does to straight teens. It happens at school, on the street, and even in the home sometimes. What isn’t surprising is that the bullying comes from other students and adults as well. Some schools have begun to support gay students by creating safe havens for them. LGBT centers have been established in some school, as have no-tolerance bullying policies. While not all schools have follows this lead, many are, and that is a big step in the right direction.
