Suicidal Bullied Homosexual Teens

Exploratory Essay

Kaitlin Presnell

English 2 – Block 2

Ms. McKoy

11 September 2013

Suicide after Gay Bashing

I have multiple friends who are homosexual. Although none of them have really experienced full depth bullying, they have had their struggles of non-acceptance from society, family, and friends. My Uncle Craig is homosexual and has a partner named Yong. They have both had their fair share of uncomfortable situations when dealing with being gay. They know what it’s like to be unaccepted and referred to as a “menace” in society. My uncle did not “come out” until he was out of high school, because he was too afraid of being bullied and labeled an outcast. I have a friend named Ryan who is homosexual. He just recently started “coming out” to more and more people, but he’s still afraid to tell his family that he’s gay. His mom suspects he is, but he hasn’t confirmed her suspicions just yet. He knows that doing that would cause his family to drift apart. He used to cut himself because the stress of it all was too much to bear and that was a release for him. He finally stopped a little after he got to high school, because he had some help from friends. Every now and then, he’ll have someone come along and state their beliefs to him about how he shouldn’t choose to be gay because it’s wrong. What some people don’t see is that homosexuality is not something you can turn on and off. You can’t choose what gender you like. No one can choose what they like or hate. It’s just something you have no control over. Homosexual teens shouldn't have to worry about being bullied, because it could drive them to harmful or suicidal behavior.

Most homosexual teens that are bullied either have suicidal thoughts, attempt suicide, or commit suicide. In the article, Adolescent Sexual Orientation and Suicide Risk: Evidence from a National Study, Russell stated, “Studies show that LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) teens are two to three more times likely to commit suicide. They account up for 30% of the suicide rate. Between 48% and 76% have thought of suicide while between 29% and 42% have attempted suicide (Russell, Joyner).” These numbers are much higher than the statistics from studies for the general adolescent population. In the same article, he stated, “Those measurements are that between 19% and 29% having suicidal thoughts and between 7% and 13% having actually attempted suicide (Russell, Joyner).” It has been proven also that suicide rates are higher when dealing with “outed” homosexuals or teens who have made it known to everyone that they are gay in grades 9-12. Homosexual teens are more likely to kill themselves than the common teen, because they have to deal with being different from everyone and standing out no matter how hard they try to fit in. Some people believe that homosexuality is “contagious” so they have to stay away from gay or lesbian teens. Some people believe that if they have a homosexual friend that’s the same gender as them, their friend will develop a crush on them and flirt with them non-stop. Homosexual teens shouldn't have to hide their true self or worry about being bullied for it. They should be accepted for who they are.

Maybe none of my friends or family have been bullied so bad they got pushed to the brink of suicide but many people do every day. They decide that they are worthless because that’s what they keep hearing over and over from people their age, younger, and sometimes even older. It’s a sad thing to see and hear about. These teens start with just cutting themselves thinking it’s nothing and it’s enough to satisfy them. Someday though, that stops satisfying them. They get pushed really far one day by a bully and they decide to go a little further with it. They start slicing their wrists instead or start hooking belts around their necks. In the end, they either have suicidal thoughts, attempt suicide, or commit suicide. So my research question is this: How can we prevent the suicide of bullied homosexual teens? I want to be able to further research this topic so I can find an answer to my question. I want to look at different ways to help someone who may be struggling with their sexuality and bullies. I want to look at the different ways to help change someone’s life permanently.

Narrative Poem

Kaitlin Presnell

English 2 – Block 2

Ms. McKoy

9 October 2013

I Just Want to Roar

I press the razor against my cold skin,

Think about how easily I could cut it,

Think about how hard it is to live,

I tell myself to STOP IT!

You can’t help who you are…..what you are

They just don’t understand

I look at the scars, cuts, bruises lining my arm,

Every one of them reminds me what I withstand

Every day, every hour, every minute, I fear the abuse

I hear the insults even when they are not being said

I hate the way the bullies are amused

They SCREAM and SHOUT and fill me with dread

They crack jokes about homosexuals

Thinking there is no harm done

And the feud between them and the gays never settles

Meaning neither of them has won

I come home thinking it will finally be over for the day

But instead, all I have is an unaccepting family

And all they ever say

Is why do I choose this? My eyes go all teary

This isn't something I chose

I can’t change the way God made me

But yet all I hear are bellows

Of people saying mean things, being a bully

And so I stand here with a razor to my skin

Thinking is it even worth it anymore

Is it worth it to live?

I’m so sick of it. I just want to ROAR

STOP! PLEASE! BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!

I CAN’T TAKE IT! I’M TIRED OF THE WAIT!

WAITING FOR LIFE TO HAVE MEANING!

WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR ME SCREAMING!

I’m done. I can’t do it anymore. I need help yet no one hears.

All of my fears,

It’s becoming too much to handle

I’m starting to think help is unavailable

I press the razor HARDER to my skin

I make a cut that’s very thin

I feel RELIEVED of all the pressure I've built up inside

Everything I have to hide

Yet it’s not enough. It doesn't help anymore.

I can still feel everything deep down in my core

I contemplate suicide

Something that I have tried

I thought back to what started this all

Those words that started this brawl

I decide I’m done

I guess the bully won….

Letter to the Editor

HCS Early College High School

2050 Highway 501 E

Conway, SC 29528

September 19, 2013

Letter to the Editor

The Sun News
P.O. Box 406
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578

Dear Editor in Chief:

My name is Kaitlin Presnell. I am a sophomore at Early College High School in Conway.

I am writing to address the issue of homosexual teens committing suicide after being bullied.

More homosexual teens are “coming out” these days. That means they have to take on the risk of getting bullied. Not every gay teen gets bullied but most do. When they do, it reduces their self-esteem making them more vulnerable. This will often lead to these teens having suicidal thoughts, attempting suicide, or committing suicide. Not only can gay teens be judged by their peers, but also by their family. Some can handle being criticized by their schoolmates, but can’t by their family.

Many people believe that this issue is being greatly exaggerated. Studies proved that homosexual teens accounted up for 30% of the suicide rate. It turns out that this information was taken only from at-risk homosexual teens so it could be somewhat wrong. However, suicide rates are higher for homosexual teens.

Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate your help and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Kaitlin Presnell