September 4-10 was earmarked as National Suicide Prevention Week. It was recognised that youngsters identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) are two out of three times more likely to commit suicide when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Tragically, one out of three lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens will attempt suicide.
As the LGBT community in Antigua and Barbuda, and the wider Caribbean, continues to grow and more young people openly declare their sexual orientation, many have and will become targets for aggressive behaviour. This is unacceptable. Assaults often result in serious injury or death. In other cases, suicide is the answer. Regardless of how we feel about diverse sexual orientations, we have to find saner, more holistic ways to embrace each others' humanity. Yes, we may still acknowledge deep ethical differences, and at the same time, relate to one another from the context of the Golden Rule.
The school, of all places, should show exemplary leadership, social graces, and rational behaviour. Some who are put in charge of our schools ignore anti-LGBT bullying. As these so-called responsible adults remain neutral in the face of obvious and subtle heckling, unfortunately, their behaviour reinforces dark stereotypes about LGBT. They also send the wrong message to the teens that their sexual orientations do not matter. Beyond the school, I expect church leaders, without damaging their good Christian identity, to uphold ideals of human solidarity.
I don’t expect the church to abandon its ethical obligation of telling the truth to its communities. But the church cannot turn a blind eye to the social evil of harassing and inflicting serious injuries to LGBTs. This leads to teenagers taking their own lives. No way on earth could this negligence be right in the sight of God.
LGBT teens struggle with mixed feelings over their sexual identity -- be it feelings of being attracted to someone of the same sex when he or she was raised to get married and have children. These feelings of same-sex attraction are compounded by feelings of rejection. When linked to intolerance from a school system, society at large, and resistance from within one’s own family, suicide sets in.
It is particularly painful for LGBTs to be rejected by their own families. The home should be a place of love and comfort, but in many instances, it is riddled with conflict and stress. It becomes an increasing hostile environment for LGBT teens.
Unless we cultivate a passion for nurturing social commitments, even with those who are different from us, our societies will not grow and expand. LGBT teens need to feel a sense of belonging and love. They need to be integrated as full members of the family. They need to be protection by law. And they need to know that they can grow up to make their contribution to nation building, like any other teen. If we protect their individual rights, they can make a difference that inspires us all.
On September 12, the Guyana Stabroek News featured a young man who told his story of how, as a homosexual teen, three men grabbed him off the street in Georgetown. They took him to a dark alley where they raped him, then left him bleeding and broken. He felt so ashamed that he never told anyone the real story about what had happened to him. The men claimed that they wanted to teach the boy a hard lesson. The young man contracted HIV.
Fortunately, the youth has come to terms with what happened to him. He turned a tragedy into a triumph, and now travels all over the world speaking about his ordeal. This is a great ending. But for many other LGBT teens, the story ends with suicide.
It is well known that people who go through life not feeling loved, respected, and accepted from peers are likely not to love themselves. Many fall back on suicide.
When we put an emphasis on community and compassion, and on values-based politics, we promote the common good. Time to save our LGBT teens.
October 5, 2011
caribbeannewsnow
