Suicide and LGBQ youths

A recent study conducted by Canadian researchers and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry shows that for LGBQ youths contemplating suicide, the primary risk factor is whether one identifies as LGBQ, not whether one is attracted to people of the same sex or whether one acts on that attraction. I was unable to find a link to the actual publication but the Science Daily article I linked to above gives some of the particulars. According to the article, the researchers found that “those teens who self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, or who were unsure of their sexual identity, were indeed at higher risk for suicidal ideation and attempts. However, teens who had same-sex attractions or sexual experiences--but thought of themselves as heterosexual--were at no greater risk than the population at large. Perhaps surprisingly, but consistent with previous studies, the majority of teens with same-sex sexual attraction or experience considered themselves to be heterosexual.”

Yue Zhao, one of the authors of the journal article, explains, "The main message is that it's the interface between individuals and society that causes students who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual the most distress.” This flies in the face of claims from right-wing and religious groups that it is the “gay lifestyle” or the fact that LGBQ people have gay sex that puts them at risk. As one site called Chastity.com claims, “While prejudice against homosexuals can play a role in their unhappiness, evidence suggests that the lifestyle itself causes further pain,” but the site does not say what this “evidence” is. Other anti-LGBTIQ sites refer to the “Gay Youth Suicide Myth” or the “Homosexual Urban Legend.” As the study suggests, the blame for the increased rate of suicide ideation and attempts among LGBQ youths sits squarely on the shoulders of mainstream society and on groups and individuals who continue to stigmatize, marginalize, and oppress LGBTIQ individuals. -Adrienne