Still think that peopleCHOOSEtobegay,lesbian,bisexualortransgendered?  Afterreadingthefollowingsoberingstatistics,askyourselfthis:  WhatSANEpersonwouldCHOOSEtobesubjectedtoallthis?!

SUICIDE&DEPRESSION
{Note:  Numbersappearinginparentheses"()"attheendofeachstatementdenotethesourceofthatinformation.  Allsourcesarelistedatthebottomofthispage.]

• Suicideistheleadingcauseofdeathamonggayandlesbianyouth.(1)
• Gayandlesbianyouthare2to6timesmorelikelytoattemptsuicidethanheterosexualyouth.(1)
• Over30%ofallreportedteensuicideseachyeararecommittedbygayandlesbianyouth.(1)

 REJECTION

• 50%ofallgayandlesbianyouthreportthattheirparentsrejectthemduetotheirsexualorientation.(2)
• 26%ofgayandlesbianyouthareforcedtoleavehomebecauseofconflictsovertheirsexualorientation.(1)
• Inastudyof194gayandlesbianyouth,25%wereverballyabusedbyparents,andnearly10%dealtwiththreatenedoractualviolence.(12)

 HOMELESSNESS

• Approximately40%ofhomelessyouthareidentifiedasgay,lesbianorbisexual.(3)
• Serviceprovidersestimatethatgay,lesbianandbisexualyouthmakeup20-40%ofhomelessyouthinurbanareas.(18)
• Inastudyofmaleteenagersself-describedasgayorbisexual,27%movedawayfromhomebecauseofconflictwithfamilymembersoversexualorientation.  Almosthalfhadrunawayfromhomeatleastonce.(2)

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• Gaysandlesbiansareatmuchhigherriskthantheheterosexualpopulationforalcoholanddrugabuse.(1)
• Approximately30%ofboththelesbianandgaymalepopulationshaveproblemswithalcohol.(1)
• Substantiallyhigherproportionsofhomosexualpeopleusealcohol,marijuanaorcocainethanisthecaseinthegeneralpopulation.(6)
• 55%ofgaymenhavehadasubstanceabuseproblemsometimeintheirlife.(10)

 HIGH DROP OUT RATES

• Approximately28%ofgayandlesbianyouthdropoutofhighschoolbecauseofdiscomfort(duetoverbalandphysicalabuse)intheschoolenvironment.(2)
• Gayandlesbianyouth'sdiscomfortstemsfromfearofnamecallingandphysicalharm.(4)
• Gayandlesbianyouthareatgreaterriskforschoolfailurethanheterosexualchildren.  Academicfailure,lackofstudentinvolvementandlowcommitmenttoschoolareprofoundforgayandlesbianyouthbecauseschoolsareneithersafe,healthynorproductiveplacesforthemtolearn.(1)

 VERBAL&PHYSICALASSAULTS

• Teenagestudents(gayANDstraight)saytheworstharassmentinschoolisbeingcalled'gay'.(11)
• Inanationalsurvey,youth(gayANDstraight)describedbeingcalled"lesbian"or"gay"asthemostdeeplyupsettingformofsexualharassmenttheyexperienced.(14)
• Gaystudentshearanti-gayslursasoftenas26timeseachday;facultyinterventionoccursinonlyabout3%ofthosecases.(9)
• InSeattle,34%ofstudentswhodescribedthemselvesasgay,lesbianorbisexualreportedbeingthetargetofanti-gayharassmentorviolenceatschooloronthewaytoorfromschool,comparedto6%ofheterosexualstudents.(16)
• Gayandlesbianyouthlive,workandattempttolearninconstantfearofphysicalharmatschool.(4)
• 27%ofgayandlesbianyouthhavebeenphysicallyhurtbyanotherstudent.(12)
• In53schoolsinWashingtonState,77incidentsofanti-gayharassmentandviolencehavebeenreportedinthepast3years,with34oftheseincidents(44%)seriousenoughtowarrantpossiblecriminalallegations.(15)

 LACK OF SUPPORT

• Fewadministratorsdisciplinestudentsforname-callingandharassmentofgayandlesbianstudents.(5)
• Teachersmaywishtostopharassmentandanti-gaycomments,butfewhavehadanyspecifictrainingwhichwouldteachthemtointerveneeffectivelyandmanyfearreprisalswithouttheexplicitsupportandbackingoftheiradministration.(5)
• InMichigan,28%ofschoolpersonnelsurveyeddeterminedtheirschoolenvironmenttobeemotionallyunsafeforgayandlesbianyouth.(17)
• Over50%ofnationalyouthservicingorganizationsreportthattheydonothaveservicesorresourcesinplacetoeducateyouthonsexualorientationortosupportgayandlesbianyouth.(13)

 LACK OF ROLE MODELS

• Thereareveryfewopenlygaystaffmembersorteachersinschools.(5)
• Thepresenceofopenlygayand/orlesbianstaffmembersisacrucialcomponentofanyschoolprogramseekingtoreducebigotryandprovidesupportforgayandlesbianstudents.(5)

 VICTIMS OF CRIME

• Gaysandlesbiansarethemostfrequentvictimsofhatecrimes.(7)
• Gaysandlesbiansareatleast7timesmorelikelytobecrimevictimsthanheterosexualpeople.(7)
• Atleast75%ofcrimesagainstgaysandlesbiansarenotreportedtoanyone.(8)
• Inastudyof5metropolitanareas(includingBoston,Chicago,Minneapolis/St.Paul,NewYorkCity,andSanFrancisco),therewere1,833[reported)incidentsofanti-gayandanti-lesbiancrimes,whichwasa31%increaseoverthepreviousyear.(8)

 WHYSHOULDTHISISSUEBETALKEDABOUTINSCHOOLS?

•  Inatypicalclassof30students,8students(27%oftheclass)willbedirectlyaffectedbyhomosexualityofself,oneormoresiblings,oroneorbothparents.(10)

AND PEOPLESTILLBELIEVETHATOURLOVEDONES

 CHOOSETOBEGAY... 

ARETHEYNUTS?!?