Site Index: Major Sections

Introduction

Resources on Bisexual / Gay Male Youth Suicidality.

Countries or Group of Countries where Bisexual/Gay Male and/or Lesbian / Bisexual Female and/or Queer and/or Transgender Youth are (may be) at Greater Risk for Suicidality.

Suicides & Attempted Suicides by Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Youth: On-Site Reports.

Suicides & Attempted Suicides by Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Youth: Off/On-Site Reports.

The Public School Situation for Bisexual / Gay Males and/or Lesbian/Bisexual Females and/or Queer and/or Transgender Youth.

Bisexual/Gay Male and/or Lesbian / Bisexual Female and/or Queer and/or Transgender Youth of Color: At Risk?

The American Indian / First Nations / Aboriginal Two Spirited Information Pages.

Recent Papers / Studies Related to GLBTQ Suicidality.

Most Recent Review Papers on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth Suicide Problems.

Study Contributions Related to Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Suicidality by Pierre Tremblay¹, Chris Bagley¹, and/or Richard Ramsay¹.

GLB Male Suicidality & General GLBT Info - Index for Full-Text Papers / Reports Available on the Internet.

Bisexual/Gay/Queer Male Youth Suicidality: Related Information.

Introduction

In addition to the above, the high risk status of other adolescent males must be considered under the concept of "The Homosexuality Factor in Youth Suicide Problems" (Tremblay, 1995). Many other male adolescents are harassed and/or abused in schools and elsewhere (includes being threatened and/or hurt) because they are "presumed to be homosexual." These males, as a group, are not only "at risk" for suicide problems, but their relative risk increases for the more serious suicide behaviors (Oregon 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results). Bette Greene (1994, Alternate Link) in "America's Designated Victims: Our Creative Young" describes the boys most at risk:

Although much of this force is generated by the fear of homosexuality, it isn't at all necessary to be homosexual to be persecuted as one of America's "designated victims." A designated victim is a boy, usually slender, usually thoughtful, who would prefer creating beauty to crushing bones. Because they might enjoy gymnastics, fencing, acting, writing, or band practice rather than football practice, these boys are called "faggots" and that's just for openers... Ted Fabiano, a young English teacher from Kansas City, flatly stated that homophobia affected everyone in his school. He broke it down: "most obviously are those 'designated victims,' some gay, most not..."

This "No-Man's-Land" status has also been used to describe biracial / multiracial people in 'race'-obsessed America. Research presently being carried out is indicating that biracial / multiracial adolescent males are at greater risk for suicidality than mono-racial adolescents males of color who, in turn, are generally at greater risk for suicidality than white adolescent males. (See 2003 PowerPoint Presentation). The present unknown is how homosexuality would factor into the suicidality problems of male youth of color in North America.

Better support needed for Suicide Surfers. - Online suicide support needed:
"Dr Harris said his study involved more than 1000 people from 40 countries, aged from 18 to 74 years. Many had symptoms of depression. The group at the greatest risk of suicide was young gay or bisexual men, because they were in the group least likely to seek face-to-face help from doctors or support services. It led to calls from Dr Harris for support service workers dealing with suicidal people to take a different approach when talking to gay, lesbian and bisexual people..."

Resources on Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Youth Suicidality.

Are Bisexual / Gay Male and/or Lesbian / Bisexual Female and/or Queer and/or Transgender Youth At Greater Risk for Suicidality in the Following Countries or Group of Countries?

Suicides & Attempted Suicides by Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Youth: On-Site Reports.

Suicides & Attempted Suicides by Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Youth: Off/On-Site Reports.

Special Report: Growing Up Gay (2010): Pullium's church hosted a candlelight vigil for all victims of bullying, on October 11th... National Coming Out Day. "After the service a girl came up to me in tears and said, 'thank you for having this, my two best friends growing up killed themselves, and she made it through- but there's lots of gay and lesbian youth who don't make it through, who cave under pressure."

Coming Out Story - Tim L: "I've always known I am gay. I found more inteterest in my sisters toys than the army men and tanks. I never acted on my feelings because I was unbelievably afraid until I was around 21 years old... Before I could come out of the closet my brother beat me to it. Telling my parents and myself. I was so angry at him, i thought, "what are mom and dad going to do? they can't have two gay sons??" But I was cracking. My drinking was getting worse. I was looking for sex all the time but thankfully too afraid to follow through. I hated myself, despised my emotions and felt I never would experience love. Once I confronted my demons I said, "I'm gay" three weeks later I attempted suicide. I became intoxicated and felt unloved. So I drove my car on a major highway and wrecked. I still can't believe I wasn't hurt, nor anyone else. I even drove home that night only to confess to my brother and family later of my attempt. The worse part is I did it on Christmas day 1997."

Coming Out Story, Part 2 - by Lissa Valerian: "Today seems so far removed from that day more than 10 years ago... After being released from the hospital, I started my freshman year at college, leaving my troubled past behind. In the months and years following my suicide attempt, I tried to block out any recollection of the events that led up to my brush with death... Two years ago I moved to Fort Lauderdale, returning to school for my second degree. It was at this time that I began attending the weekly meetings of Lambda United, the Gay/Straight Alliance of Florida Atlantic University... As an officer of Lambda United, I helped create a website, and developed and maintain an e-mail discussion list, an on-line "safe place" for members to discuss coming-out issues. Why have I done all this? I could have followed the advice of one unenlightened FAU student who suggested that "gays need to just shut up and be gay." But, I didn't, and I won't. Recent reports claim that "suicide is the leading cause of death among GLBT youth," while another states that "homosexually-active adolescents are 8 times more likely to have attempted suicide than their heterosexual peers." Other studies indicate that 25% to 40% of young lesbians and gays have attempted suicide at least once. Rattling off a bunch of numbers from a journal full of odd terms and lots of statistics really doesn't mean much, until you actually put a face with those numbers. How can I look at those numbers without remembering my own experiences? I am one of the many faces behind those numbers."

Gay Suicides: "Each one of us can vividly remember the moment we found out. I was sitting in front of a computer and chatting on AOL Instant Messenger. "Remember that guy Scott," a friend wrote me. A short pause, and then he said, "Well, I heard he killed himself over winter break." And that's how I found out about Scott a year ago -- no official e-mail, no counselor there to console me, just a dark room all by myself. To me Scott wasn't a forgotten acquaintance. He was the first guy I had ever kissed."

Patricia Nicolari - Coming Out as a Lesbian Teacher: "Many more students approached me to confide that they too had a relative who is gay. I also had many colleagues approach me with similiar stories about gay relatives. One teacher had tears in her eyes when sharing with me the story of her son's friend who committed suicide when he told his parents he was gay. He was a student at Yale University who had finally had the courage to share this with his parents; unfortunately, his parents could not deal with this.

One in a million - What the statistics don't say about depression among glbt youth: "Several weeks ago, a youth from rural Ottawa committed suicide. We'll call him Chris, though that isn't his real name. Chris had identified as gay and had made contact, at least sporadically, with the gay community, including the Pink Triangle Services. But it is both figuratively and literally a long bus ride from small-town to downtown Ottawa glbt youth support groups. "We didn't get to know him, so we don't know what the last straw was," says Nathan Hauch. "But he said he felt too much pressure about his sexuality." After tentative forays into the world as a gay youth, Chris chose death over the alienation and rejection he was experiencing."

Student who died under train told family he was gay (Feburary, 2002): "A gifted Cambridge University student [Frederick Hodder] was killed under a Tube train hours after revealing his homosexuality to his parents, an inquest was told yesterday."

Mother wants BC teachers fired: "A British Columbia teacher has been suspended for suggesting that a dead young boy was gay. Shortly after Surrey high school student Hamed Nastoh (called a “faggot” by classmates) killed himself by jumping off a bridge, James Chamberlain wrote a letter to the editor of a small newspaper called the Peace Arch News. It spoke of hearing about a student who committed suicide, a student who was “struggling to come to terms with his gender identity within a hostile secondary school atmosphere and non-supportive family environment.”  That angered the Nastoh family. Mother Nasima Nastoh claims that Chamberlain and another teacher “defamed” her son’s reputation by suggesting he was gay." - Suicide highlights dangers of homophobia.

U. Oregon student's suicide spurs LGBT support (May, 2003): "And the recent suicide of University student Kyle Dalton Richmond, who community members say was suffering from depression and was questioning his sexual orientation, has generated concern about the campus atmosphere for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Richmond, a resident of Junction City, Ore., committed suicide May 15, and a memorial service was held for him Thursday. According to his mother, Richmond was severely depressed at least as far back as March and had previously attempted to commit suicide. He had also gone to the University Health Center and was prescribed anti-depressants. Related controversy: With malice Aforethought (PDF Download). 

Bad Days For Gay Teenagers: "Someone I know committed suicide this past Father's Day. His dad had kicked him out of the house because he was gay. He was just a kid, a teenage boy, on the way to becoming a young man. He liked horror and action movies. He moved around and lived with friends. He worked various low-income jobs to get by. On Father's Day, he decided there was no place for him in this world, so he killed himself."

The Gay Straight Alliance at Petaluma High School: "This GSA has been dedicated in memory of Robin Reed a 15 year old student at Petaluma High School who committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in 1995. Robin was gay and he felt isolated and rejected just for who he was born to be.

Community forum [in Massachusetts] addresses youth suicide issues: "The panel included a gay-straight alliance advisor, 2 gay youth (one of whom had attempted suicide), a clinician, and a parent of a lesbian youth who had committed suicide."

Homosexuality: A Growing Orange County Group is Trying to Overcome the Gay Taboo in Vietnamese-American Families: "Pham, who is not gay, said he started the group after his gay brother, a Catholic who could not accept his sexuality, committed suicide at age 28, and after his Vietnamese girlfriend came out as lesbian."

Gay & Orthodox Jews (Alternate Link): "While there are no statistics available on the community's suicide rate, every gay Orthodox person interviewed for this article told me she or he knew of at least one Orthodox homosexual who had attempted or committed suicide. Experts say the suicide rate among gay Orthodox Jews is likely to be even higher than for the gay community at large, owing to the more restrictive and tight-knit atmosphere of Orthodox communities. And that isolation can have other repercussions as well."

Gays and lesbians in the Muslim community are quietly shattering one of the final taboos of Islam (Alternate Link) (Globe & Mail, 2003): [He] attempted suicide twice before he turned 18. Growing up in Lahore, Pakistan, the eldest son of devout Muslim parents, he could never come to terms with, let alone explore, his attraction to other men. His best attempts to fake interest in girls failed to impress his peers, who began to bully the self-described "effeminate" man. "It was easy for other kids to practise kick-boxing on me," recalls Mr. Malik, now 25. In 1992, he tried to hang himself from the ceiling fan in his room. If it was a cry for help, it fell on hostile ears since suicide is a haram -- religious wrong -- in Islamic law. "My dad's reaction was really bad -- he beat me. I was frustrated with my own life. I had no one to talk to, not even my own parents. In 1997, after a disastrous infatuation with a high-school friend - who later committed suicide after being forced into an arranged marriage -- Mr. Malik tried to take his life one more time. Again, he faced the wrath of his parents, who didn't understand the reason for his depression."

Group calls for 'Muslim' Gay pride: Naveed Merchant told me he had attempted suicide before eventually making contact with al-Fatiha Foundation through the Internet. At first his family recommended electric shock treatment, before reluctantly coming to terms with his lifestyle. But he says most gay Muslims feel they either have to give up the family or they give up their sexuality. "I decided that I wasn't going to give up either. I really believe that Allah made me this way," he said.

World of China Doll: "One day, I met a friend who was my age. At that time I was 17. He had some family problems, but he seemed not to express himself. I always had a feeling that he was Gay and he knew I was completely Gay, but we seemed to keep that very low key. I went to a night club with another friend of mine one night and discovered my troubled friend was in that club dancing as a stripper, and for the first time I met his lover. They were a young couple living together in a small apartment. They were both runaways. (In Texas you can emanicipate at the age of 17 in the court of law.) They were both from a very wealthy family. I learned a lot from them both. After graduating from high school and going to college for 2 years, I began to fall back into the club scene and began to discover myself again. I went back to the club to look for my two lost friends who I dearly loved. It took me awhile. When I found one of them on a corner, he told me that his lover had committed suicide, due to the fact that his parents had found out that he was Gay. I was very upset that a young man like him with a high education would end his life in tragedy. I stayed in contact with his lover for awhile to find out more about his death and decided to go out into the community and be a public speaker."

Life and Death in Queer Korea: "I consider myself lucky, though. Between 1997 and 1999, three of my gay friends in South Korea committed suicide. In May 1998, Oh disclosed his homosexuality to his family. They immediately rejected him and expelled him from their home. After living and suffering on the streets for months, and at one point sleeping in an office, Oh killed himself. The other two went to Seoul National University, which is South Korea's Harvard or Yale. One was in Law School; the other was a graduate student in biology. Their success in society was "guaranteed." However, when they came to the age of marriage, they both faced a brutal dilemma. Neither wanted to marry. But they also didn't want to disown their families and disappoint their parents. So, they chose to kill themselves. One in 1997, the other in 1999. No funerals were held for these three young men: their families considered them "bad" sons."

Oh! To Be In Love and To Say So [Express India]: "Madhu, however, feels it is important to consider the aspirations of gay and lesbian people, of being able to couple with people they love and have their relationship approved by family and friends. ‘‘There were three couples who reportedly committed suicide between Ocober and November last year,’’ she informs. ‘‘The level of emotional trauma that some of these young couples have undergone is reflected in the suicide note of one couple in which they asked the parents not to separate them in death at least.’’"

Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists: "Our folk history also records the stunned silence of the audience. Although Stonewall had occurred a year before, active discrimination against lesbian and gay anthropologists kept the vast majority of lesbigay anthros securely in the professional closet. Indeed, many of the founders of ARGOH/SOLGA never secured full time, academic jobs. One was fired for coming out and took to lawyering instead; another committed suicide. Many paid a real and dear price for their involvement in this political and intellectual movement, and we have lost all too many colleagues to AIDS. For these reasons, it has taken 20 years for SOLGA to "come out" within the AAA."

After a Suicide - Trying to Make Sense of the Senseless: "Recently a close gay male friend committed suicide. He was HIV-positive for almost 10 years and on medication. Everyone I have spoken to about his death thinks it was because he was HIV-positive, but I don't. I think it was something else. He had just turned 40 years old, which he hated. He had been a partygoer since he was in his late teens, and continued doing the club scene weekly, although he complained a lot about it. He had always used alcohol and drugs on the weekends but began to take large doses of crystal meth and got hooked. He made attempts at rehab, but was unsuccessful..."

Board, Public back Gay Student group [Michigan, December, 2000]: "Betty Desbiens, a former teacher and valedictorian in 1938, said it was about time the high school had such a club. Desbiens said she knew of a star basketball player at the high school who committed suicide 40 years ago because he was gay and didn't have anyone to talk to about it."

Petaluma Educators Get Lesson in Gay Awareness [1995]: ""On Jan. 24 of this year, on an incoming tide and facing San Francisco, our son Robin was seen leaping from the Golden Gate Bridge," says Cotati parent Stephanie Reed, recalling the suicide of her gay 15-year-old son, a Petaluma High School student who'd endured prolonged harassment, homophobia, and isolation."

Bad days for gay teenagers: "Someone I know committed suicide this past Father's Day. His dad had kicked him out of the house because he was gay. He was just a kid, a teenage boy, on the way to becoming a young man. He liked horror and action movies. He moved around and lived with friends. He worked various low-income jobs to get by. On Father's Day, he decided there was no place for him in this world, so he killed himself... Make no mistake: he killed himself. No social group or club killed him. His family did not kill him -- I cannot even imagine the torment they are going through. But still, all of the messages, all of the attitudes, all of the rebuffs added up to something. They were all factors that influenced his choice, limited his choice, made him think he had no other choice...My friend is dead, but there a lot of other gay teens out there who are still alive. Until each of us makes a choice against prejudice, until we recognize that bigotry and homophobia are the diseases in our society, until we say that being gay is OK, they'll all be in danger."

Simpson Advocates Tolerance, Gay Rights: "In a conversation Wednesday, Simpson recalled the beginning of his concern about gay issues. He said a fellow student was harassed and called "queer" at Cody High School in the 1940s. "I can't imagine, in the forties when I was a freshman and a senior in high school, the pain that he must have gone through, and he later committed suicide," Simpson said. "I remember how they picked on him, I remember his face.""

Australia: Australia has one of the highest rates of male youth suicide in the industrialised world. Studies here show that young gay men are up to three times more likely to contemplate and attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Sometimes the worst kind of violence visited on gays can end up being the violence they do to themselves.Even high school children are at risk when they face uncontrolled homophobia from their fellow pupils..." - Anti-homophobia plan may curb suicide rate.

Homophobia Kills (Australia): The Role of Secondary Schools in the Prevention of Suicide Among Queer Youth - by Alastair Lawrie, Team Health (PDF Download). "From personal experience, I know of the detrimental impact of homophobic experiences at secondary school. As stated above (see Background), this was a major reason why I considered/attempted taking my own life. Overall, this report makes clear that homophobia in secondary schools contributes to the high rate of suicide among queer youth.

Tasmanian Gay Law Reform: "A year after homosexuality was de-criminalised in Tasmania the gay activist Rodney Croom, his mother Beverley and Kaye Donovan, the mother of a young gay Tasmanian who committed suicide talk about the pressures on young gay people in Tasmania. Rodney and Beverley discuss how he told them he was gay and how they dealt with his public activism."

A Quebec study (by Michel Dorais) of 24 gay males who attempted suicide. At the time of their suicide attempt(s), others knew or suspected that they were gay and many experienced homophobic abuses, sometimes associated with their suicide attempt(s).

A Quebec Study of Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM. Montreal Cohort) (Translation) reported that 36.1% of these males had attempted suicide in their lifetimes. 21.4% = One Suicide Attempt, 11.0% = 2-5 Suicide Attempts, and 3.7% = More than 5 Suicide Attempts. Thoughts about suicide having occurred at least one was reported by 71.2% of male studied. Suicide and coming out among Montreals gays and bisexuals. Is there a link? "On the Quebec scale, the data provided by health and social services inquest 1992 - 1993 indicates that 4.5% of men between the ages of 15 and 24 years and 3.5% of men between 25 and 44 years had experienced serious suicidal ideations (with or without suicide attempt) at least once in their lives. The preliminary data originating from the 629 OMEGA participants having completed their fourth interview offers a more somber portrait."

B.C. Study Shows Gay Youth Face High Suicide Risk (1999). - Child Death Review Unit, BC Coroners Service (2008). "Looking for Something to Look Forward to" (a B.C. youth who died by suicide) ... A Five-Year Retrospective Review of Child and Youth Suicide in B.C. : In the five-year period between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007, 81 children and youth died by suicide in British Columbia. When this project was initiated, 66 of these cases were closed and 15 remained open and under investigation. The Child Death Review Unit’s review of the 66 closed cases resulted in the following findings: • Older youth (age 17–18 years), males, Aboriginal children and youth, and gay, lesbian and bisexual children and youth, as well as those who were questioning their sexuality, were at increased risk of suicide... Sexual orientation: Four children and youth identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Three other children and youth had been questioning their sexual orientation in the months prior to death.

A Calgary study of 750 young adult males reported that 62.5% of males who had ever made a serious attempt at killing themselves were homosexually oriented: Either self-described as homosexual or bisexual and/or being currently homosexually active: having related sexually with another male in the past 6 months.

Issues of Transgendered Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Although TCHP data is limited in that its cohort resides in the City and County of San Francisco and its purpose was to assess HIV risk specifically, transgendered AAPIs are everywhere, often building visible communities in metropolitan areas across the U.S... Of the total sample of transgendered respondents (MTF% / FTM %): ... 32% / 32% have attempted suicide... According to the Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan for San Francisco, transgendered respondents persons are at increased risk for HIV infection due to a combination of biological, economic, psychological, behavioral, social/situational and access-related cofactors. Primary among these are a much higher incidence of commercial sex work, substance abuse, poverty, lack of access to HIV/AIDS and medical services, and discrimination by AIDS service organizations as well as employers. In particular, commercial sex work, largely a result of employment discrimination and poverty is closely associated with: increased rates of injection drug use as well as substance abuse, increased STD rates, increased rates of rape and coerced unprotected sex, increased trauma to tissues during sex, history of child sexual abuse and abusive relationships, as well as dramatically increased numbers of sexual encounters and numbers of sexual partners of higher risk. - HIV prevalence, risk behaviors, health care use, and mental health status of transgender persons: implications for public health intervention: "We recruited transgender persons through targeted sampling, respondent-driven sampling, and agency referrals; 392 male-to-female and 123 female-to-male transgender persons were interviewed and tested for HIV... Sixty-two percent of the male-to-female and 55% of the female-to-male transgender persons were depressed; 32% of each population had attempted suicide.

A 2001 South African Study reported that 38.7% of gay/bi adolescent males "have attempted to commit suicide because of their sexuality."

A 2000 New Zealand Study rreports on the main reasons for suicide attempts by sexual minority youth.

Southampton, England: Many people coming to terms with a sexual preference regarded as outside of the 'norm' can experience rejection not only from their peers but also from members of their family. Because of these pressures they may choose to conceal or reject their sexuality which in turn can have damaging effects on their psychological health. The consequences of this often result in excessive substance misuse or other forms of self harm - including suicide. Over 20% of the 248 young people registering with the local Lesbian and Gay youth project, Breakout, have attempted (3 successfully) suicide. Others record experiences of eating disorders or have been diagnosed as having schizophrenia. - A Hopeless Future?

What is the extent of the GLB suicide problem in Britain? Does anyone care?  Is anyone doing related research work? From another city in England, the  following was reported on July 25, 2001 (reprinted by permission): "I am  just suffering the pain of a member of my GLB youth group killing herself (last Sunday, she was 20!!) I've known other LGBs kill themselves; in fact  in the area where I live I know of three (an older gay man and an older lesbian, and now Louise) within the 18 months. I once set up something called Esteem in the early 90's to try and get funding to conduct research in Britain; we applied to the lottery but were not successful, then my funding ran out and also a member of the group (a retired psychiatrist)  killed himself. I found it all a bit too much and the group collapsed."

Pride Prince proud that he’s ‘coming out’ (Northern Ireland, 2000): "Vulnerability, isolation, being bullied and feeling less valued as a person are among the problems faced by young gay people. According to a 1999 survey carried out by the male gay health organisation, the Rainbow Project, 64% of gay men who faced bullying in school considered suicide."

The 1995 Seattle Schools YRBS Study. "The Homosexuality Factor" is associated with almost 40% of the more serious suicide attempts. Lethal Homophobia Effect ?

1999 Oregon YRBS Study: Greater Suicide Problem Risk For Student Harassed on the Basis of Assumed Homosexual Orientation. The Situation is Worse For Males.

The Public School Situation for Bisexual/Gay Males and/or Lesbian/Bisexual Females and/or Queer and/or Transgender Youth.

Ohio's Tyler Wilson, 11, Gets Arm Broken By Classmate For Being a Cheerleader (2010). Boy Cheerleader Tyler Wilson Won't Quit Despite Arm Broken by Bullies (2010).

Schools confront gay suicide surge, minus specifics (2010): School officials choose to confront "bullying" without addressing the issue of homophobia.

 

Joshua Melo was a sensitive, shy, polite, caring, talented, and intelligent 15-year-old 10th grader who attended Strathroy District Collegiate Institute in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. He hanged himself on November 26, 2004; he was suffering from severe depression after enduring endless bullying because some bullies at the school believed that he was gay.

America's Designated Victims: Our Creative Young (The Alan Review, 20(2), 1994): "Although much of this force is generated by the fear of homosexuality, it isn't at all necessary to be homosexual to be persecuted as one of America's "designated victims." A designated victim is a boy, usually slender, usually thoughtful, who would prefer creating beauty to crushing bones. Because they might enjoy gymnastics, fencing, acting, writing, or band practice rather than football practice, these boys are called "faggots" and that's just for openers... Ted Fabiano, a young English teacher from Kansas City, flatly stated that homophobia affected everyone in his school. He broke it down: most obviously are those "designated victims," some gay, most not..." by Bette Greene ( Alternate Link), author of The Drowning of Stephan Jones.

Doing the Math - What the Numbers Say About Harassment of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Students. Physical and/or Verbal Threats Faced by LGBT Youth. Faculty and Staff Attitudes Toward LGBT Students. Effects of Homophobia on the Behavior of LGBT Youth.

“To hear gay jokes and the words faggot and dyke - that’s a common thing in the halls of every school, but it’s completely ignored by the teachers. . . . I mean these are people in authority—it just kind of reinforces that this is okay. And for those kids not out of the closet, who may not even recognize what it is, that’s going to reinforce their self-hatred once they realize who they are. —Elsie, African American lesbian and public high school student” (Herr, K. (1999). Institutional violence in the everyday practices of school: The narrative of a young lesbian. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, 5(3), 242-255, p. 247). This citation marks the beginning of the Lugg (2003) paper.

“Nobody like a sissy. That includes dykes, faggots, and feminists of both sexes.” Vito Russo. The Celluloid Closet (p. 2). This citation marks the beginning of the Davis (2002) paper.

Robbie Kirkland: "At an early age Robbie was teased and harassed because he was noticeably different from the other boys. Robbie was soft spoken, gentle, creative, and disliked sports. Robbie made many efforts to fit in with the other boys such as participating in sports and pretending to have crushes on girls. It wasn't enough. He was still perceived as gay and encountered teasing and harassment, usually out of the teacher's view. Over a period of time, the effects of homophobia, he encountered at school, left him feeling ashamed, isolated, and insecure. He was not happy to be gay, knowing how much his Catholic schoolmates, society, and the Catholic doctrine rejected homosexuality."

“People have tried to kill me since I was a child.” - This statement by a "transgender violence survey respondent" marks the beginning of the Tarynn and Eyler (1999) paper.

British Columbia: "That week the newsstands hit with the story that rocked many out of their complacency. Hamed Nostoh, a 14-year-old Surrey teen committed suicide. He was teased to the point of suicide because many of his peers thought he was gay." (speak out: An activist's life - Andrew Carroll, Special To The Peak).

ACLU Warns Arkansas School to Stop Persecuting Gay Student [Oklahoma, March, 2003]: Now that McLaughlin has become more open about his sexual orientation, the school has made numerous attempts to punish and silence him for being out at school:  One teacher called a conference with McLaughlin’s parents and the principal because she objected to his being open about being gay. During the meeting, the principal concurred that she was opposed to McLaughlin talking at school about being gay. A different teacher ordered McLaughlin not to discuss his sexual orientation, saying that she found it “sickening,” and later called his mother to complain about his homosexuality. School officials preached their religious views on homosexuality and forced him to read aloud from the Bible in clear violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. This was done as punishment after McLaughlin, who is himself a Christian, disagreed with a teacher for calling him “abnormal” and “unnatural.”

Petaluma Educators Get Lesson in Gay Awareness [1995]:Reed's testimony underscored her son's suffering. "Because he was different, Robin was sexually harassed by mean-spirited peers who called him 'fag,' 'sissy,' 'queer,' 'gay blower,' and other sexually derogatory terms," an anguished Reed told the school board. "Robin did not commit suicide because he was gay. He committed suicide because he was in pain. The time bomb had exploded. The anti-gay messages struck at his core."

Bad Days For Gay Teenagers: "There's school. This is the place where kids are teased and taunted for being "sissies" or "wusses" or worse, where being effete means getting beaten up. This is the place where teachers are prohibited from even discussing sexual orientation, much less being supportive of a kid in crisis about his."

An Ian River (2001) Study (Educational and Child Psychology) of a non-random sample of 92 gay/bi males and 27 lesbian/bisexual females in UK: 30% reported having attempted self-harm / suicide - 53% reported having contemplated self-harm / suicide in association with bullying at school.

Commentary: Schools as social institutions are places where the word "gay" and synonymous words such as "fag," "faggot," and "poof" / "poofter" commonly used in Britain and Australia, are not concepts / words invented by children or adolescents. These words are given / taught to them by their society and young males in western countries have also used these words in highly predictable ways (Plummer, 1999, 2001), almost like all these boys had gone to the same school of homophobic abuse. Goldstein (1999) outlines the current American definition of the word "gay" in reference to the Columbine High School murder / suicide event:

"The word 'faggot' has never merely meant homosexual. It has always carried the extrasexual connotation of being unmanly [being like a female]. But these days, the implications of that insult have expanded. To say that a certain behavior is 'so gay' can apply to anything stupid, clumsy, or outré. It's probably the most effective way to call a guy a loser, and in this age of sexual candor, when high school students know that some of their peers may actually be gay, the accusation has an even more fearsome ring."

"One young gay youth who had dropped out of an honors program angrily protested, 'Just because I am gay doesn't mean I am stupid,' as he told of hearing 'that's so gay' meaning 'that's so stupid,' not just from other students but from teachers in his school."

Worst days of their lives (Australia): "School is usually a nightmare for gay and lesbian pupils, writes Greg Callaghan. "FAGGOT!  Pooftah!  Fairy!"  They kept yelling it at me, as I left the school yard.  When some stones flew in my direction, one hit my head... Three years after his ordeal at Claremont College ­ a state school in the outer suburbs of Hobart ­ Chris Jones, 21, still smarts from the pain and humiliation. For Jones the harassment began after he confessed to his gay sexual persuasion... That black cloud of prejudice may soon be at least partly lifted after last week's launch of a rural youth network ­ Outlink ­ for gay and lesbian youth, including support services and a new anti-homophobia education kit for teachers, due to be released next month. Boys talk: Diverse masculinities (Please note these are real quotes from real boys and their language may offend). Boys talk: The effects of Homophobia - "I get called names. The traditional one is 'spastic', but I also get called 'gay' and 'faggot'. It's a macho male thing to hate homosexuals. I get called gay because I've got cerebral palsy and my right hand and wrist hangs limp, which is an easy target for that sort of comment. I'm called 'soft' because I don't play football, I don't do drugs, I don't drink 24 hours a day. It's a social status thing … they think I'm different because I've got cerebral palsy and they think I'm different because I don't play sport and they think I'm different because I'm not drinking and I'm not doing drugs. … Being disabled has probably made me more aware of, more sensitive to, people's feelings. If someone's homosexual, that doesn't bother me in the slightest. If someone's black, it doesn't bother me either but I know people who would line them up and shoot them all."

A Recipe for Suicide? “The realization that he was gay had come as something of a shock to Devon, who had felt very isolated in his self-questioning. What made it more complicated was that he himself had the residue of a lot of the homophobic attitudes that young men grow up with: ‘I know I was homophobic when I was 14 … I was thinking that no, it’s completely unnatural. I really did think I was the only person in the world who had that problem, because I’d heard about someone being gay, but I never actually thought there were people out there, who were like that. So I thought that gay was just an expression. I didn’t think they existed at that age and I was just like, NO! NO WAY! NO WAY! I thought it was like a disease you – not a disease, but like a – a thing that you shouldn’t be thinking. A thing that should be got rid of.’[ (P. 273: Data from “the Respect study, a multi-method which project involved over 1,700 young people aged 11-16 in schools in various UK locations (including Northern Ireland), and from marginal groups including gay and lesbian group.” (Sharpe, 2002: 263).

Mike, age 14, had reported feeling suicidal and he had also written a suicide note (USA). A little later, when asked about what could have made things less negative for him, he replied: "If there were more supportive messages around you, such as "if you need someone to talk to.." or "if ever you are feeling lonely or depressed...", it is somewhat easier to get through each day... Obviously, in my situation or one similar, a way of knowing that there are other gay people around might have helped. The worst thing about learning your gay at a young age is the fact that it is lonesome knowledge. The worst thing in teen's minds is  being different, and a different sexuality ranks high in the difference meter. You feel as if your the only gay person around, though you keep hoping your not. But that hope often times leads to heartbreak, such as learning that someone you may have liked isn't gay. This realization can hurt a lot. If, perhaps, there were more gay support-type influences around teen's school, life as a gay teen would be more the norm as opposed to being a curse." (Email to Website Author: June, 2003)

Coming out: la galère des ados. (Translation) - "Depuis que la visibilité a gagné la rue et que la tolérance vis-à-vis des homos a grimpé dans les sondages, une croyance tenace a aussi envahi les esprits: celle qui consiste à penser qu’il est beaucoup plus facile pour les jeunes, aujourd’hui, de faire leur coming out. Il n’en est rien. Si l’on découvre effectivement son identité sexuelle de plus en plus tôt, il n’est pas forcément évident, quand on a 15 ou 16 ans, de le dire et de l’assumer. D’autant qu’à l’école et même au sein du milieu gay et lesbien, bien peu de structures sont mises en place pour les aider à trouver leurs repères. On ne sait pas où rencontrer ses semblables, ni même s’ils existent. Souvent, on ne peut même pas encore mettre un nom sur ce que l’on ressent. Aux clichés véhiculés sur une «jeunesse gay libérée et démonstrative» dans une «société sans tabous», la réalité quotidienne montre un tout autre visage... "Sylvain évoque sans sourciller la longue liste de brimades dont il a été victime, sa solitude, ses résultats scolaires toujours plus catastrophiques, son sentiment horrible de ne pouvoir parler à personne de ce qu’il ressentait. Et de sa tentative de suicide: «Je voulais attirer l’attention. Je rêvais que quelqu’un vienne vers moi et me dise: je te comprends. Mais personne n’est venu.» Même pas ceux qui lui ressemblaient: «Je savais que d’autres jeunes de mon école se sentaient homos, mais en voyant ce qu’on m’infligeait, cela ne les encourageait pas à en parler.»"

Candace Gingrich Talks Diversity with Student Activist Jonathan Perry: "Jonathan Perry is a 26-year-old, third year student at Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black college in Charlotte, N.C. Concerned about the lack of support for openly gay students, Perry organized two forums on sexual orientation and race, and founded the school's first official gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) organization. In an interview with HRC National Coming Out Project Manager Candace Gingrich, Perry talks about being an African-American gay male coming out in church and on campus...One of my first actions was to put together a forum on diversity and sexual minorities, a first for Johnson C. Smith. The forum was based on what I had witnessed and heard about the needs on the campus. There were so many people on the down low [someone who is not open about being gay, lesbian or bisexual]. I had heard stories of attempted suicide because of difficultly coming out. Under the circumstances, I would have been happy had a dozen people shown up. What I got was nearly a hundred!"

From Gay Trinidad - Voices: -Gay In A Straight World - "...It's being taught to hate yourself knowing that you cannot change, knowing you can never share that wonderful feeling of being in love with your family and most of your friends... I am 17 and I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT to LIVE MY "SO-CALLED LIFE" LIKE THIS. One day I WILL try to change this, I PROMISE." - My Lowest Point - "...Sometimes I have to ask myself how can life be so happy at one point in time and then plummet to the deepest depths of despair....  I needed to be able to distance myself from reality. I did to a point. I had that happy place in my mind that I would retreat to whenever everything was bad. However everytime I retreated into it, it grew smaller until there was nothing left... Its horrible being gay and your parents not knowing and not accepting. I hurt inside everytime my father makes a derogatory comment. And he does it alot." - Homophobia and gay youth suicide: two interrelated destructive forces in our society. An open letter to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
 
 

References

Goldstein, Richard (1999). The ‘Faggot’ Factor: The chickens came home to roost at Columbine High. OC Weekly, May 21-27. Full Text.

Lugg, Catherine A (2003). Sissies, Faggots, Lezzies, and Dykes: Gender, Sexual Orientation, and a New Politics of Education? Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(1): 95-134. Abstract. Commentary. 

Plummer, David (2001). The quest for modern manhood: masculine stereotypes, peer culture and the social significance of homophobia. Journal of Adolescence, 24(1): 15-33. PDF Download, PDF Download. PDF Download.

Plummer, David (1999). One of the boys: masculinity, homophobia, and modern manhood. New York: Haworth Press (Google Books) (Amazon).

Sharpe, Sue (2002). ‘It’s just really hard to come to terms with’ young people’s views on homosexuality. Sex Education, 2(3): 263-77. Excerpt.

Tarynn M; Eyler, A Evan (1999).  Hate Crimes and Violence Against the Transgendered. Peace Review, 11(3): 461-8. Excerpt. Full Text. 
 

Bisexual / Gay Male and/or Lesbian / Bisexual Female and/or Queer and/or Transgender Youth of Color: At Risk?

 
The Additional Problems of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth of Colour is a chapter from: The Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Factor in the Youth Suicide Problem (1993-94).

Racism in Predominantly White Gay and Lesbian Communities.

Ethic / Sexual Minority Youth. Excerpts from "Gay Male and Lesbian Suicide," by Paul Gibson (1989). Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide Volume 3, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Full Text. PDF Download.

Ethnic minority youth (i.e. Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian) comprise a substantial number of youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual.  Ruth Hughes, Coordinator of Gay Youth Services at the Center for Special Problems in San Francisco, reports that these youth face more severe social and cultural oppression than other gay youth and far more serious problems than other adolescents (29). .. Davis notes a dramatic increase in suicides among young blacks over the past two decades that has brought their suicide rate nearly equal to that of white youths (30). Hendin, in his book Black Suicide, offers an explanation: "It does not seem surprising that suicide becomes a problem at such a relatively early age for the black person. A sense of despair, a feeling that life will never be satisfying, confronts many blacks at a far younger age than it does most whites" (31).

Ethnic minority gay youth additionally face racial discrimination from white homosexuals that is a reflection of their treatment by the majority culture. Dutton writes that the gay liberation movement has often failed to consider the needs of ethnic minorities while ignoring their issues and concerns (32). Jones adds that: "Little has been written about Third World sexual minorities, and when generalities were made about our lifestyles, attitudes, and behaviors, they were often made in reference to white cultures - white cultures being the basis for Third World cultures to deviate from or strive for" (33). Finally, ethnic minority gay youth must contend with discrimination and special problems from their own ethnic group because of their sexual orientation. Hughes believes that ostracism and separation from their own ethnic group is particularly painful and difficult for these youth to cope with: "They expect acceptance by those like themselves who understand and have experienced oppression. Too often, blacks don't want to face the issue and see homosexuality as a struggle for white gay males. Ethnic minority gay youth are seen as an "embarrassment" to their cultural group. There is more concern for daily survival issues than an increased understanding of homosexuality" (29).

Jones adds that: "Lesbians and gays growing up in Third World communities experience just as much, if not more, oppression as heterosexual minority youth do in non-Third World communities. Unfortunately, most of the negative attitudes and oppressions bestowed upon lesbians and gays in Third World cultures are reactions to the influence that mainstream  white culture has on it" (33). Two issues that strongly effect ethnic minority gay youth are religion and the family. Ethnic minority cultures have historically believed that homosexuality is a sin according to the faiths to which they predominantly belong. Parents frequently use religion as the standard to evaluate homosexuality. A homosexual orientation in their son or daughter becomes incompatible with religious beliefs. Ethnic minority gay youth often internalize these religious values, and feel guilty for having homosexual feelings and experiences, fearing they are condemned to hell.

The family also plays a central role in the lives of these youth with strong expectations that they will fulfill social roles and perpetuate the extended family. A homosexual orientation is sometimes seen as a sign of disrespect to the family by the youth and a threat to the family's survival. Ethnic minority gay youth have tremendous fears of losing their extended family and being alone in the world. This fear is made greater by the isolation they already face in our society as people of color. These ethnic minority gay youth who are rejected by families are at risk of suicide because of the tremendous pressures they face being gay and a person of color in a white homophobic society. 

Lesbians of Color May be at Higher Risk for Suicidality Than White Lesbians.

Meyer IH, Dietrich J, Schwartz S (2008). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders and suicide attempts in diverse lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. American Journal of Public Health, 98(6): 1004-6. Abstract.  PDF Download. (Download Page)

The Two Spirited Information Pages.

• Aboriginal GBTT-s Males Are More At Risk For Suicidality Than Other Aboriginal Males & White GBT Males.

• American Indian Male (Female) Suicidality: A Higher Risk For Having Attempted Suicide.

• American Indian / First Nations Male/Female Youth Suicide Rates: A Higher Risk for Suicide.

• Information Excerpts on Terms Such as "Two Spirit" - "Two Spirited" - "Berdache" - "Winkte" - "Nadleeh" - etc.

• North American Aboriginal / American Indian / First Nations GLBT-s Internet Resources.

• Aboriginal & Sexual Minority Over-Representation In Street Youth Population.  Higher Suicidality Risk For Street Youth. Highest Suicidality Risk for Sexual Minority Street Youth.
  

• Vancouver's MSM Vanguard Cohort, Montreal's MSM Omega Cohort & Vancouver's VIDUS Cohort (Injection Drug Users): Aboriginal & Sexual Orientation Related Results... Suicidality, Sexual Abuse, Sex Trade...

Some Recent Papers Related to GLBT Suicidality. Many Full Text Papers & Documents Here.

Ryan C, Huebner D, Diaz RM, Sanchez J (2009). Family rejection as a predictor of negative health outcomes in white and Latino lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. Pediatrics, 123(1): 346-52. PubMed Abstract. PDF Download. PDF Download.

Mayock P, Bryan A, Carr N, Kitching K (2009). Supporting LGBT Lives: A Study of the Mental Health and Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. Dublin: National Office of Suicide Prevention. Full Text. Full Text. Full Text. Download Page. 

Plöderl M, Kralovec K, Fartacek C, Fartacek R (2009). Homosexualität als Risikofaktor für Depression und Suizidalität bei Männern. Blickpunkt DER MANN: 7(4): 28-37. PDF Download.

Beyond Blue (2009). Depression and anxiety in gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (GLBTI). Asutralia. PDF Download.

King et al. (2008). A Systematic Review of Mental Disorder, Suicide, and Deliberate Self Harm in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People. BMC Psychiatry. Full Text. Full Text. Abstract. Related Document.

Meyer IH, Dietrich J, Schwartz, S (2008). Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Suicide Attempts in Diverse Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations. American Journal of Public Health, 98(6): 1004-1006. PDF Download.

Saewyc EM, Skay CL, Hynds P, Pettingell S, Bearinger LH, Resnick MD, Reis E (2007). Suicidal ideation and Attempts in North American School-Based Surveys: Are Bisexual Youth at Increasing Risk? Journal of LGBT Health Research, 3(2): 25-36. PDF Download.

Meads C, Buckley E, Sanderson P (2007). Ten years of lesbian health survey research in the UK West Midlands. BMC Public Health, 19(7): 251. Full Text. Abstract.

Hegna K (2007). Homo? Betydningen av seksuell erfaring, tiltrekning og identitet for selvmordsforsøk og rusmiddelbruk blant ungdom. En sosiologisk studie [Gay? The importance of sexual experience, attraction, and identity for suicide attempts and substance use among teenagers in Norway. A sociological study.] Doctoral thesis, the Institute of Sociology and Social Geography at University of Oslo. Download Page: http://www.nova.no/index.gan?id=12803&subid=0 - PDF Download: http://www.nova.no/asset/2542/1/2542_1.pdf .

Hegna K, Wichstrøm L (2007). Suicide Attempts among Norwegian Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youths General and Specific Risk Factors. Acta Sociologica, 50(1): 21-37. Abstract. The paper is located at the end of the Hegna (2007) thesis.

ILGA-Europe (2007). Suicidality among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. Report by ILGA-Europe to the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Word Download. Il suicidio tra i giovani gay, lesbiche, bisessuali e transgender. Download Page. Word Download.

Friedman MS, Koeske GF, Silvestre AJ, Korr WS, Sites EW (2006). The impact of gender-role nonconforming behavior, bullying, and social support on suicidality among gay male youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38(5): 621-3. PubMed Abstract. Full Text.

Cull M, Platzer H, Balloch S (2006). Out On My Own: Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Homeless Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth. Brighton & Hove, England: Health and Social Policy Research Centre, Faculty of Health, School of Applied Social Science, University of Brighton. Internet: Full Text. Research Summary: http://www.brighton.ac.uk/sass/research/reports/LGBT_summary.pdf N/A. - (Alternate Link).

Sandfort TG, Bakker F, Schellevis FG, Vanwesenbeeck I (2006). Sexual orientation and mental and physical health status: findings from a Dutch population survey. American Journal of Public Health, 96(6): 1119-25. Full Text. Abstract.

Hidaka Y, Operario D (2006). Attempted suicide, psychological health and exposure to harassment among Japanese homosexual, bisexual or other men questioning their sexual orientation recruited via the Internet. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60(11): 962-7. PubMed Abstract. Full Text.

Kenagy GP (2005). Transgender Health: Findings from Two Needs Assessment Studies in Philadelphia. Health and Social Work, 30(1): 19-26. PubMed Abstract. Full Text.

Ramsay R, Tremblay P (2004). The Changing Social Construction of Western Male Homosexuality: Associations With Worsening Youth Suicide problems. Poster Presentation: 2004 CASP (Canadian Association For Suicide Prevention) Conference held in Edmonton, Alberta in October.

The result of a New Zealand study (Longitudinal Sample) is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(3): 541–546 (March, 2003): "Sexual Orientation and Self-Harm in Men and Women" by Keren Skegg, Shyamala Nada-Raja, Nigel Dickson, Charlotte Paul, and Sheila Williams. Lifetime suicide attempt incidences for young adult males: Heterosexual (6%), Minor Homosexuality (16%), Significant Homosexuality (25%). For females: Heterosexual (9%), Minor Homosexuality (11%), Significant Homosexuality (33%). Link to abstract (Must Locate) at American Journal of Psychiatry web site. (PubMed Abstract)

The result of a Norwegian study (Longitudinal Sample) is published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112(1): 144-51 (February, 2003): "Sexual orientation and suicide attempt: a longitudinal study of the general Norwegian adolescent population." by Wichstrom L, Hegna K. (PubMed Abstract). "When homosexual attraction, homosexual identity,and same-sex sexual behavior were entered to predict suicide attempt, only same-sex sexual behavior was significantly predictive.

"Non-consensual sex experienced by men who have sex with men: prevalence and association with mental health." Patient Education and Counseling, 49(1): 67-74. (PubMed Abstract): "Almost 1 in 10 of the men (n = 358, non-random, 19-35 years of age) had engaged in juvenile prostitution, 14% were forced into sexual activity before 14 years of age, and 14% were sexually victimized after the age of 14. Those exposed to non-consensual sex were 2.9 (95% CI: 1.8-4.7) times more likely to abuse alcohol than those free of victimization. Those who reported childhood sexual abuse were 3.3 (95% CI: 1.7-6.4) times more likely to have attempted suicide. Juvenile prostitution was associated with current depression (OR=6.4; 95% CI: 2.8-14.9)."

May, 2002 - New Australian study: "A community survey of 4824 adults was carried out in Canberra, Australia... Conclusions: The bisexual group had the worst mental health, although homosexual participants also tended to report more distress. British Journal of Psychiatry. Full Text.

August, 2002 - Paul JP, Catania J, Pollack L, Moskowitz J, Canchola J, Mills T, Binson D, Stall R (2002). Suicide attempts among gay and bisexual men: lifetime prevalence and antecedents. American Journal of Public Health, 92(8): 1338-45. PubMed Abstract. Full Text. Related Article: Gay men much more likely to attempt suicide.

A 2002 Re-Evaluation of Massachusetts 1995/97 & Vermont 1995/97 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys: Bisexually Active Adolescents Most At Risk. See related information in 2003 PowerPoint Presentation by Pierre Tremblay & Richard Ramsay.

Remafedi, Gary (2002). "Suicidality in a venue-based sample of young men who have sex with men." Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(4): 305-10. PubMed Abstract: "One-third of all respondents reported at least one suicide attempt, and 4.7% attempted suicide in the past year. Although suicide attempts were more prevalent among African-Americans and urban residents; only school enrollment was significantly associated with attempts in the multivariate analysis (odds ratio = .55, 95% confidence interval = .31,.97)."  PDF Download.

Homosexuality and Suicide: A Case Report (Annals of Medical Sciences 2001;10:41-44): "In this case report, we presented a young gay patient who attempted suicide and discussed the major causes of this attempt, primarily sexual prejudice of the society and possible therapeutic approaches."

Etude et statistiques sur les jeunes gays en Suisse romande (Translation): For the young gay identified males studies, 31.7% reported suicide ideation occuring in the past 6 months, and 24.4% reported having attempted suicide in their lifetime. Also noted: A 1999 German study of 217 homosexual idividuals (age = 15-27) reported that 18% had attempted suicide.

Special Issue on "Sexual Orientation" in "Vis-à-vie" by the Quebec Association of Suicidology is available.  La revue le Vis-à-vie, vol. 10 nº 2, 2000: Le thème de ce numéro est « Suicide et orientations sexuelles » (Translation) -  Un double tabou. (Translation) - Orientations homosexuelles ou bisexuelles chez les jeunes présentant des problèmes suicidaires: recherche, problématique et propositions. (Translation) - La honte d'être. (Translation) - Mort ou fif, différence assassinée. (Translation) - Événements suicidaires chez les hommes gais. (Translation) - Gai écoute, 20 ans d'espoir. - Suicide-Action Montréal et Gai écoute : un projet conjoint de formation et de sensibilisation. (Translation) - L'intervention dans Chaudière-Appalaches. (Translation) - Histoire de vie. (Translation)    Note: The English version of "Orientations homosexuelles ou bisexuelles chez les jeunes présentant des problèmes suicidaires: recherche, problématique et propositions" by Pierre Tremblay and Richard Ramsay is available as "Suicidal problems of youth with homosexual or bisexual orientations: research, problems, and proposals.

Identity Questions: "Are you... Bisexual, Gay, Fa’afaine, Heterosexual, Queer, Takataapui, Transgender, Transexual, Homosexual, Straight,  and/or other (please indicate)? Are you... Asian, Maori, Pacific Islands, Pakeha, New Zealand European, European, and/or other (please indicate)?" Some Examples of Qualitative Categories for Main Reasons for Suicide Attempts "Loneliness and/or Social Isolation: I was lonely, my flat mates were all against me and I felt really depressed. It was also mid-year exam time. I also felt that my life was going no-where." "Hopelessness: Felt as if there was nothing in the world there for me. No people, no life, no jobs-nothing. I felt like a burden on my mum and thought the world would be better off without me in it." "Depression: The sense of isolation, depression, stress. Compounded by my emerging gay identity. This attempt was triggered by fighting with my brother." "Fear of rejection and/or lack of support from family: Family were drifting from me, and I felt alone, friends had moved on with their lives, I had no relationship which I wished for at the time." "Societal heterosexism:Being told that being queer was unnatural and people like that don't deserve to live!" "Low self-esteem, self-confidence and/or self-acceptance" "Miscellaneous:I thought if I took the problem away by trying suicide, it would solve itself." - "Attention I think." - "Felt there were no other options." The Study's Abstract I'm Going Home: A personal Journey "I can understand why some queer youth may decide to end their lives. I realised I was sexually attracted to men at the age of 12. By the time I had my driver's licence, I had suicidal thoughts daily. Everyday, on my way to secondary school I would drive a rural road with a 50-metre cliff off to one side. Each time I breached the top of the hill I would decide whether or not it was worth continuing on my way to school, or if I should have an 'accident' and kill myself." (From the Preface, by John Fenaughty) Study Available Via University of Auckland Library

An Ian River (2001) Study (Educational and Child Psychology) of a non-random sample of 92 gay/bi males and 27 lesbian/bi females in UK: 30% reported having attempted self-harm / suicide - 53% reported having contemplated self-harm / suicide in association with bullying at school.

Suicide Research (Scotland): (Download Page) -  Introduction. - Methodology. - Findings: information on respondents. - Suicidal thoughts, feelings and behaviours. - Summary of main findings. - Conclusions. - Recommendations. "Live To Tell" Study.

Research highlights: 95 Gay/Bi Males aged 15-26 (Average age = 20.8 years). 28% of respondents had at some point deliberately injured themselves with no suicidal intent. This compares to 2% of men in the general population.. 54% of respondents had seriously considered taking their own life, compared to 13% of men in the general population who have ever considered suicide. 51% of respondents who had previously considered suicide now no longer felt suicidal. However, 15% of respondents still seriously considered suicide at least once a month. 27% of young gay/bisexual men have attempted suicide compared to 4% of the general population. Suicide attempts were most common in those young gay/bisexual men aged 14 to 20. 58% of those who had attempted suicide made only one attempt. 35% had made three or more attempts. 23% made five or more attempts. 54% of respondents who had attempted suicide had at some point deliberately injured themselves without wanting to take their own life.

Stigma (horror?) and "gay" as a new invention: From Common to a Rarity  - How many Males Know 'it' but don't like word "gay" or "bisexual"? More than many would believe!

Most Recent Review Papers & Mata-Amalyses on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth Suicide Problems.

Bagley C, and Tremblay P (2000). Elevated rates of suicidal behavior in gay, lesbian and bisexual youth. Crisis, 21(3): 111-17. PubMed Abstract. Online Draft.

Bagley C, and D'Augelli AR (2000). Suicidal behaviour in gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. BMJ (British Medical Journal), 320(7250): 1617-8. (Editorial) Full Text.

Corboz J, Dowsett G et al (2008). Feeling queer and blue: a review of the literature on depression and related issues among gay, lesbian, bisexual and other homosexually active people. Melbourne: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society. Full Text.

Dennert G (2006). Die psychische Gesundheit von Lesben und Schwulen - eine Übersicht europäischer Studien. Verhaltenstherapie & psychosoziale Praxis, 38(3): 559-576.

Erwin K (1993). Interpreting the evidence: competing paradigms and the emergence of lesbian and gay suicide as a "social fact". International Journal of Health Services, 23(3): 437-53. PubMed Abstract.

Halpert, Stephen  C (1999).  Suicidal behavior among gay male youth:  Fact or fiction? Ph.D. Thesis, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Abstract supplied by author on August 21, 2001. A paper related to this study is in press, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy. (Link to Abstract)

Haas AP, Eliason M, Mays VM, Mathy RM, Cochran SD, D'Augelli AR, Silverman MM, Fisher PW, Hughes T, Rosario M, Russell ST, Malley E, Reed J, Litts DA, Haller E, Sell RL, Remafedi G, Bradford J, Beautrais AL, Brown GK, Diamond GM, Friedman MS, Garofalo R, Turner MS, Hollibaugh A, Clayton PJ (2011). Suicide and suicide risk in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations: review and recommendations. Journal of Homosexuality, 58(1): 10-51. Abstract. Full Text: Open Access.

Julien D, Chartrand (2005). Recension des études utilisant un échantillon probabiliste sur la santé des personnes gaies, lesbiennes et bisexuelles. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 46(4): 235-250. APA Abstract.

King et al. (2008). A Systematic Review of Mental Disorder, Suicide, and Deliberate Self Harm in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People. BMC Psychiatry. Full Text. Full Text. Abstract. 

Kulkin HS, Chauvin EA, Percle GA (2000). Suicide among gay and lesbian adolescents and young adults: a review of the literature. Journal of Homosexuality, 40(1): 1-29. (Review) PubMed Abstract.

Lebson M (2002). Suicide among homosexual youth. Journal of Homosexuality, 42(4): 107-17. PubMed Abstract.

Leu, Christian (2008). Orientation sexuelle et comportements suicidaires: Une enquête sur les résultats de la recherche internationale et nationale sur les facteurs de risque et de protection pour les adolescents homosexuels et bisexuels. Berne, La Suisse / Switzerland: Le collectif Formation de PINK CROSS, LOS et fels. Full Text N/A. Download Page N/A. Word Download. Translation. Download Page.

Leu, Christian (2008). Sexuelle Orientierung und Suizidalität: Eine Untersuchung der internationalen und nationalen Forschungs-ergebnisse der Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren für adoleszente Homo- und Bisexuelle. bern, Switzrland: PINK CROSS, LOS und fels. Full Text N/A. Download Page N/A. Word Download. Download Page. Translation. PDF Download. Translation.

Lewis NM (2009). Mental health in sexual minorities: recent indicators, trends, and their relationships to place in North America and Europe. Health Place, 15(4): 1029-45. Abstract.

Lhomond B, Saurel-Cubizolles MJ (2009). Orientation sexuelle et santé mentale: une revue de la littérature [Sexual orientation and mental health: a review]. Revue d'épidémiologie et de santé publique, 57(6): 437-50. Abstract. Dowload Page: In two Documents: Text & Tables. Download Page.

Marshal MP, Dietz LJ, Friedman MS, Stall R, Smith HA, McGinley J, Thoma BC, Murray PJ, D'Augelli AR, Brent DA (2011). Suicidality and depression disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Adolescent Health, 49(2): 115-123. Abstract. PDF Download.

McAndrew S, Warne T (2004). Ignoring the evidence dictating the practice: sexual orientation, suicidality and the dichotomy of the mental health nurse. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 11(4): 428-34. PubMed Abstract.

McDaniel JS, Purcell DW, D'Augelli AR (2001). The relationship between sexual orientation and risk for suicide: research findings and future directions for research and prevention.. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 31(Suppl.): 84-105. (Review) PubMed reference.  PDF Download. (Download Page)

Meyer, IH (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5): 674–697. Full Text. Summary.

Morrison LL, L'Heureux J (2001). Suicide and gay / lesbian / bisexual youth: implications for clinicians. Journal of Adolescence, 24(1): 39-49. PubMed Abstract. PDF Download. PDF Download.

Plöderl M, Kralovec K, Fartacek C, Fartacek R (2009). Homosexualität als Risikofaktor für Depression und Suizidalität bei Männern. Blickpunkt DER MANN: 7(4): 28-37. PDF Download. Translation.

Plöderl M, Sauer J,  Reinhold FR (2006). Suizidalität und psychische Gesundheit von homo- und bisexuellen Männern und Frauen – Eine Metaanalyse internationaler Zufallsstichproben. Verhaltenstherapie & psychosoziale Praxis, 38(2): 283-302. Abstract. Related Conference Presentation PDF. Translation.

Remafedi G (1999). Sexual orientation and youth suicide. JAMA, 282(13): 1291-2. Full Text (Must Scroll): PDF Download. Full Text.

Russell ST (2003). Sexual minority youth and suicide risk. American Behavioral Scientist,  46, 1241-1257. Full Text: PDF Download.

Schlatter J, Irala J, Escamilla I (2005). Psicopatología asociada a la homosexualidad [Psychopathology related to homosexuality.]. Revista de Medicina de la Universidad de Navarra, 49(3): 69-79. PDF Download. Translation.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center (2008). Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Newton, MA: Education Development Center, Inc. Prepared by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center for the Center for Mental Health Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Download: http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf. A Related Google Cache Document.

Tremblay P, Ramsay R (2000). Orientations homosexuelles ou bisexuelles chez les jeunes présentant des problème suicidaires: recherche, problématique et propositions. Le Vis-À-Vie, 10(2): 5-8. Internet English version of the paper: Internet English version of the paper: Full Text. Full Text (French). Translation. 

Study Contributions Related to Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Suicidality by Pierre Tremblay¹, Chris Bagley¹, and/or Richard Ramsay¹.

Ramsay R, Tremblay P (2005). Suicidality & Homosexualities: Are we part of the problem or solution? CASP Newsletter, 14(2). PDF Download N/A PDF Download.

Suicidal Crisis and Depression and the Emergence of Homosexual Identity in Young Males. (STAND 2001 Article: PDF Download) by C. B. & P. T.

"Suicidal problems of youth with homosexual or bisexual orientations: research, problems, and proposals." (2000: English Version, published in French) by P.T. & R.R. --- Orientations homosexuelles ou bisexuelles chez les jeune presentatnt des problemes suicidaires: recherche, problematique et propositions. Vis-a-vie 10 (2), 5-8. Full Text.

Elevated Rates of Suicidal Behaviour in Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youth. (2000, Review Paper published in Crisis: Full Text Draft, PubMed Abstract) by C.B & P.T.

The Social Construction of Male Homosexuality and Related Suicide Problems (2000: Full Text of Paper Presented at Conferences in San Diego & Boulder: Full Text) by P.T. & R.R. Interim Updated paper (2002-2004). Related Information.  

On the prevalence of homosexuality and bisexuality, in a random community survey of 750 men aged 18 to 27. (1998: Draft Full Text, PubMed Abstract) by C.B & P.T.

"Gay and Bisexual Male Youth: Overrepresented in Suicide Problems and Associated Risk Factors." (1997: Full Text distributed at a Conference in Colorado) by P.T. & R.R.

Suicidal behaviors in homosexual and bisexual males. (1997: Book Version Full Text, PubMed Abstract) by C.B & P.T. (Addendum 2000)

"The Homosexuality Factor in The Youth Suicide Problem." (1995: Full Text, with Table of Contents) by P.T. with assistance from R.R. & C.B.

"The Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Factor in the Youth Suicide Problem." - (1993-4: Related Information, Some Chapters, Excerpts) by P.T. (1996 Update)

Bisexual / Gay / Queer Male Youth Suicidality: Related Information

Suicide memorial. Why This memorial? Suicide Information. Articles.

Suicide Vigils. Memorial Links. Awareness Links. Bibliography.

Help Lines

Kids Help Phone, Canada: 1-800-668-6868 - The Youth Line is a phone line for youth in Ontario, Canada: You are not alone! You can call the Lesbian Gay Bi Youth Line at 1-800-268-YOUTH (1-800-268-9688) across Ontario, or (416) 962-YOUTH (962-9688) in the 416/905 local calling area. The Youth Line Website: http://www.youthline.ca/.

Gay Boys Support (http://www.gayboysupport.nl/en/): Listing of International Resources (http://www.gayboysupport.nl/en/helplines.htm).

Transgender Help Lines (NorthEast Indiana Transgender Support Groups): http://www.neitsg.com/helplines.html.

Site Authors and Acknowledgements

These GLBTQ Info-Pages were located at the University of Southampton from 2000 to 2003, this being the result of a collaboration with Dr. Chris Bagley, Department of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton.

Graphics are compliments of Websight West. The Synergy Centre donated computer/Internet time to facilitate the construction of this GLBT information site. Both are owned by a Chris Hooymans, a friend, and former publisher of a gay & lesbian magazine in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Chris continues to offer his expertise whenever needed and he has supplied, free of charge, the hosting of the site - Youth Suicide Problems: A Gay / Bisexual Male Focus - at which a smaller - GLBTQ Education Section is located.

Computer time was also supplied by Rick Reist & Glenn Lynas, and Glenn also supplied other forms of assistance.