Asher Brown Suicide: Was Anti-Gay Bullying to Blame?

Asher Brown (family photo)

(CBS/AP) Is life really harder for gay teens and other young people who don't confirm to "gender norms?"

Absolutely, a new study says. It showed that the mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people is severely compromised by bullying and harassment they receive in school.

The study comes on the heels of the suicides of Asher Brown, a 13-year-old in Houston who fatally shot himself after his classmates reportedly made fun of him because they believed he was gay, and of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student who killed himself after another student posted video on the Internet of him making out with a man.

The study examined the school-related experiences of 245 LGBT young adults between the ages of 21 and 25. It found that LGBT young adults reported higher levels of depression and decreased life satisfaction.

The scientists behind the study called on schools to take action to address the bullying, violence, and social isolation that LGBT youth face, including the implementation of education programs for students and faculty, offering support programs, and protecting students through tough antidiscrimination policies.

"Our research makes it crystal clear that anti-LGBT bullying is a major reason that youth who don't conform to gender rules or expectations have poorer mental health later in life," study co-author Stephen T. Russell, a consultant with the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State Univeristy, said in a written statement.

The study was published in the November issue of "Developmental Psychology."

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[CUSTOMTOUCHRACER]

http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=1088&teamID=20081

this is the link to make donations to help raise money for asher browns family along with the prevention of teen sucide! without your imput we cannot spread the word that this is a problem and something needs to be done about it! please make a donation and give your support to this cause!

[CUSTOMTOUCHRACER]

Hey all Ive noticed that a Bunch of people are wanting for this tragic situation to end with all young children and teens. My boyfriends sister has started up a cause to help raise money for asher brown?s family they are doing a suicide awareness walk and are taking donations and support from people like you to help make and change the number of children that commit suicide each year. we are fighting back and need your help to do so! please join her cause and stop the bullying and sucides that may follow!Help her Make a difference by spreading the word and makeing donations remember 1 person who tells ten friends makes ten more people aware that this is a major issue and that we do need to make something happen!

[purplenights]

The blame for a lot of this gay bullying has to be placed right where it belongs, with the gay community. The gay community is constantly barraging these kids to "come out" to their family and friends, and, in fact, support a "national coming-out day". Yet people do not get it. Most kids do not want an in-your-face queer telling them that they are gay, and trying to get straight kids to accept that, and it makes straight kids angry to have to deal with this kind of thing. When I was growing up, if some kid was found out to be gay, some of the other kids would beat the hell out of them. The gay community, encouraging gay kids to come out to everyone, does a real disservice to these kids. These kids are pushed into doing this because gays remind them that they have to do it "for other gay kids", and that if they don't they are "living a lie". The bottom line is that they gay community is the cause of many of these kids' deaths, and the gay community is more interested in their own agenda instead of being interested in those who fall victim to it.

[livestrong2213]

Your comment is really showing your ignorance for the the "gay agenda", as you call it. The whole purpose is to make it safe for these kids to come out when they are ready. To say that the gay community is the cause of these suicides is an insult to everything that they have worked so hard for. Purple for pride for the nine that died.

[ajsona]

Most of us believe that we are born with our sexual orientation. Is it time to question that? It is proven that even after all the research, activist group efforts, lobbying, education etc, our society does not think LG behavior as a norm. How about teaching not to engage in sexual behavior outside man-women? Don?t we all agree that primary function for sex for pro-creation. Anything outside that depends upon 1 or 2 (and may be more) individual (s)personal choice. We should question that personal choice. If less and less people are making that choice, we will have lesser issues surrounding this behavior.

[linguist1]

Dear ajsona,

With respect, kids who get beaten up and called the "F" word generally are not engaging in any sexual behavior. They are being attacked for who they are, or at least who they are perceived to be.

Walking to class isn't a sexual activity.

I knew I was gay by the time I was 14. I was celibate -- a "virgin"-- until I was 30.

That didn't stop other kids from beating me up and hurling anti-gay epithets at me.

They knew.

People shouldn't have to earn the right to live their lives in safety and dignity. That includes gay people.

You don't have to know what someone may --or may not-- be doing in private to treat that person fairly.

If more and more people made the choice to respect others --including gay people-- we would have fewer problems with people getting beaten up for no reason other than blind animus.

Peace,
Linguist1

[ramonher]

The one thing that no one speaks of, or reports on is the fact that those who choose to out themselves, do so by their own free will and must understand that there are consequences. What most gay people don?t understand, is that just because America is tolerant of the gay lifestyle, it by no way means that the accept it. Tolerance does not equal acceptance.
The other thing that is never reported on or spoken about, is how comfortable are gats about being gay. It is possible that Tyler Clementiwasn't totally comfortable about his lifestyle choice.
There will always be anti gays as there will always be prejudices, as long as there are humans. While I agree is would be nice if that were not the case, but I?m just being realistic.

[urbanh]

Thank you ramonher!

This is a situation where ideology has become more important than child safety. In an effort to de-stigmatize homosexuality teens are being pushed by teachers and counselors who are plugged into the homosexual culture. Teens should not be pushed into self-identifying as homosexuals because their sexuality is often not even fully understood by themselves yet. They should be encouraged to take advantage of the option to simply take their time and delay sexual activity. It is known that the breakup from a sexually active relationship (whether heterosexual or homosexual) increases a teen's suicide risk - ESPECIALLY FOR BOYS. So why isn't this very important information being put out there by the Lame-Stream Media ???

I think it is ideology over safety.

[RenaeMe1972]

Every single one of us is different from every single other one of us in some way. Why do we need to keep pointing out those differences in mean, hateful, cruel ways? Just live a good, honest, kind life and let others try to do the same. We CAN get along if we would all just try.

[hemmee]

Renae, Amen to that. People are so preoccupied with pointing out what's different in someone else that they forget about their own differences. We're all different and some more different than others. People need to mind their own business....what a boring world this would be if we were all like each other.