In the past two years, 8 students have committed suicide in a Minnesota school district due to extreme harassment. At least four of these students were gay.
Many portray Generation Y as being an overall more tolerant group of people, whether in terms of race, religion, or sexual preference. It seems, however, that our generation has yet to truly embrace homosexuality, an issue that is becoming increasingly relevant in schools across America as more and more students choose to “come out.” These LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) students are not treated with the same respect as their heterosexual counterparts, shown by a recent national survey in which more than 65% of students and educators reported witnessing both verbal and physical assault in schools, directly rooted in homophobia. According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 84% of those surveyed reported hearing terms such as “gay,” “dyke,” and “faggot” used in a derogatory manner, which can lead many bullied gay students to believe that their sexual preference is wrong. Such pressure can cause LGBT students to have GPAs that are on average half a grade lower than their straight counterparts, and make them five times as likely to skip school and put off secondary education, usually because they associate school with an unsafe environment. Worse, however, is when some of these students choose suicide.
Not all students “come out” because they want to. In the Minnesota district case, for example, one school student’s parent reported her son being maliciously “outed” in the eighth grade, and subsequently being severely bullied by his classmates. “Toward the end of ninth grade, … a classmate told him he would go to hell because he was gay,” his mother had told the New York Times, describing the religious undertones to her son’s bullying. Her son committed suicide three months later. He was 15.
Schools now face the problem of how to handle the rise in LGBT students, and many are attempting to institute gay-straight alliances in the hopes of decreasing bullying and fostering a safer environment for students. Most of these efforts, however, are concentrated in high schools, but an increasing numbers of younger students choosing to “come out” have left middle schools baffled. Students are now coming out as early as age 11, and are turning to external groups such as the Openarms Youth Project in Tulsa, Oklahoma for support and guidance. Are these students even old enough to make judgments about their own sexual preference? How old should students be before they can make such decisions? Such questions plague both middle and high schools in trying to handle their homosexual students, but regardless of school policies, homophobic bullying continues. Some states such as California, Washington, and Wisconsin, have enacted anti-bullying policies specifically concerning sexual preference. Call them crazy, but the nine states that have followed suit have reported 25% decreases in bullying rates due to a stricter message sent to schools. Is this no-tolerance policy to homophobic bullying the solution?
Many avoid “coming out” during their school years in the hopes that doing so as an adult will lessen their harassment. Even this tactic, however, has its flaws, as many adults, influenced by religion and conservative views, have attacked homosexuality and condemned it as a sin. Opponents cite the Bible, in which Leviticus, 18:22, states “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.” But what happened to loving thy neighbor as one loves thyself? Shouldn’t homosexuals be embraced just as all other people are embraced? How many homosexuals, no matter their age, have to be driven to the point of suicide before their values are socially respected, if not accepted? What such evangelical Christians spread basically makes many homosexuals feel that they are rejected in the eyes of God, and these beliefs are passed on to their children. In some more conservative areas such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Bible is often cited at city council meetings, causing heated debates over issues including recognition of LGBT history month, a debate that drove homosexual resident Zach Harrington to suicide. Harrington’s case marks gay bullying as a pressing issue that transcends school walls into the adult world, where not all homosexuals are given the respectful treatment they deserve as human beings.
Generation Y may be more tolerant in certain issues, but when it comes to understanding and accepting LGBT individuals, whether in schools or in the adult world, our generation still has a long way to go before we are truly okay with the gay.
Many portray Generation Y as being an overall more tolerant group of people, whether in terms of race, religion, or sexual preference. It seems, however, that our generation has yet to truly embrace homosexuality, an issue that is becoming increasingly relevant in schools across America as more and more students choose to “come out.” These LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) students are not treated with the same respect as their heterosexual counterparts, shown by a recent national survey in which more than 65% of students and educators reported witnessing both verbal and physical assault in schools, directly rooted in homophobia. According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 84% of those surveyed reported hearing terms such as “gay,” “dyke,” and “faggot” used in a derogatory manner, which can lead many bullied gay students to believe that their sexual preference is wrong. Such pressure can cause LGBT students to have GPAs that are on average half a grade lower than their straight counterparts, and make them five times as likely to skip school and put off secondary education, usually because they associate school with an unsafe environment. Worse, however, is when some of these students choose suicide.
Not all students “come out” because they want to. In the Minnesota district case, for example, one school student’s parent reported her son being maliciously “outed” in the eighth grade, and subsequently being severely bullied by his classmates. “Toward the end of ninth grade, … a classmate told him he would go to hell because he was gay,” his mother had told the New York Times, describing the religious undertones to her son’s bullying. Her son committed suicide three months later. He was 15.
Schools now face the problem of how to handle the rise in LGBT students, and many are attempting to institute gay-straight alliances in the hopes of decreasing bullying and fostering a safer environment for students. Most of these efforts, however, are concentrated in high schools, but an increasing numbers of younger students choosing to “come out” have left middle schools baffled. Students are now coming out as early as age 11, and are turning to external groups such as the Openarms Youth Project in Tulsa, Oklahoma for support and guidance. Are these students even old enough to make judgments about their own sexual preference? How old should students be before they can make such decisions? Such questions plague both middle and high schools in trying to handle their homosexual students, but regardless of school policies, homophobic bullying continues. Some states such as California, Washington, and Wisconsin, have enacted anti-bullying policies specifically concerning sexual preference. Call them crazy, but the nine states that have followed suit have reported 25% decreases in bullying rates due to a stricter message sent to schools. Is this no-tolerance policy to homophobic bullying the solution?
Many avoid “coming out” during their school years in the hopes that doing so as an adult will lessen their harassment. Even this tactic, however, has its flaws, as many adults, influenced by religion and conservative views, have attacked homosexuality and condemned it as a sin. Opponents cite the Bible, in which Leviticus, 18:22, states “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.” But what happened to loving thy neighbor as one loves thyself? Shouldn’t homosexuals be embraced just as all other people are embraced? How many homosexuals, no matter their age, have to be driven to the point of suicide before their values are socially respected, if not accepted? What such evangelical Christians spread basically makes many homosexuals feel that they are rejected in the eyes of God, and these beliefs are passed on to their children. In some more conservative areas such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Bible is often cited at city council meetings, causing heated debates over issues including recognition of LGBT history month, a debate that drove homosexual resident Zach Harrington to suicide. Harrington’s case marks gay bullying as a pressing issue that transcends school walls into the adult world, where not all homosexuals are given the respectful treatment they deserve as human beings.
Generation Y may be more tolerant in certain issues, but when it comes to understanding and accepting LGBT individuals, whether in schools or in the adult world, our generation still has a long way to go before we are truly okay with the gay.
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