I hate politics. What's the difference if Congress repeals the ban or the courts? With deluded peole like John McClain throwing roadblocks against our civil rights, it will never happen in Congress. President Obama now has the chance to remove one more obstacle in our path to true equality.
On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 5:41 PM, Jake <jakewest_tn@yahoo.com> wrote:
Twink Wars; Oct 13, 2010Safe PICS For All Ages, Rated GGo Direct to Group to View Message w/ Pics @ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Peckers_Pics/Diet & Fitness:
In September 2010 alone, at least six gay youth -- all of whom endured a relentless stream of taunts by their classmates -- ended their own lives. Among those bullied to death: Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after his sexual encounter with another man was broadcast on the internet; and Billy Lucas, 15, and Asher Brown, 13, who killed themselves following severe harassment by their peers.
Sexual orientation aside, all youth are at risk: According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24. That means that more than 5,000 U.S. teens and young adults take their own lives every year. Among university students, the statistics are even more sobering: The Centers for Disease Control identifies suicide as the second leading cause of death on college campuses.
Coming out as gay -- or simply being perceived as homosexual -- can exacerbate the stresses of adolescence. The Trevor Project -- an organization that operates the only 24/7 crisis line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth -- reports that gay teens are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers; nine out of 10 teen LGBT students have experienced harassment at school.
"Youth of every sexual orientation are at risk for suicide -- but a young person who's struggling with his or her sexual identity is at a much greater risk," says the Trevor Project's East Coast call center manager, Kelli Peterman, who has talked to dozens of gay teens reaching out for help via the hotline.
"Especially for those who live in conservative communities, there's the constant stress of, 'Who can I come out to?' Even before a teen gathers the courage to come out, he or she may often hear comments like, 'If I had a gay friend, I wouldn't hang out with him.' When you're 13 or 14 years old, that's a tremendous amount of stress." Dr. Daniel Carlat, a psychiatrist at Tufts University of School of Medicine and AOL Health's mental health expert, adds this: "Feeling suicidal is usually about depression and isolation, and while many teens feel isolated, being gay makes that feeling much worse."
With all of the media attention surrounding the surge in gay teen suicides, many have wondered if the media itself is partly to blame for encouraging more teens to take their lives. "I doubt it," says Carlat. "I think more media attention has been focused on the issue of late, giving the appearance that it is more common," he says. Peterman agrees: "The slew of deaths in such a short time caught us all by surprise -- and we're deeply saddened by the news," she says. But does all this coverage somehow encourage bullying or even incite copycat suicides? "Not necessarily -- bullying of gay teens was pervasive long before any of these reports. It's our hope that all of this media attention will create safer schools."
In our Twitter-happy culture, openly identifying as gay is particularly fraught with danger for gay teens. As in the case of Clementi, bullying can take the form of technological shaming. "In the age of social media," says Carlat, "a teen's sexual orientation can become public very quickly." And while there's not much Clementi could have done to prevent his roommates from secretly taping and broadcasting his intimate encounter, all teens are encouraged to seek help when they're verbally victimized by classmates. "Gay teens who feel bullied should talk to the principal, their teacher or the school counselor," says Carlat. "Most schools now have anti-bullying policies in place, and they will usually take some action.
Since isolation is one of the worse outcomes of being bullied, it's important to find organizations for emotional support."
Carlat adds that parents and friends can best support gay teens by talking openly about the topic. "If there is another family member or a family friend who is openly gay, bring that person up in conversation in a normal way," says Carlat. "Discuss openly gay celebrities like Ellen Degeneres and Adam Lambert. If someone in the family uses the 'f word' to describe someone who is gay, make sure to talk about how insulting that is and how damaging it can be to a young person's self-esteem."
Perhaps just as significant as the recent wave of suicides is the social climate that gave birth to them: A May 2010 Gallup poll shows that 43 percent of Americans still call gay relations "morally wrong." While that's the lowest number in Gallup's decade-long research on the topic, that statistic nonetheless sheds light on why teens like Clementi, Lucas and Brown were snubbed by their classmates -- by other children who took on the attitudes of their parents and of the society at large. "Parents should realize that most of the scientific community believes that sexual orientation is genetic and that being gay is not a choice," says Carlat. "Stigmatizing someone for being gay is like criticizing them for having brown hair. It is really a relic of another era."Consider joining:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ObamaBiden2008/joinTake Action:
- Boycott advertisers of Glenn Beck on Fox News as well as all of FOX NEWS! Glenn has lied about Health-care, called our President a racist, and is anti-gay rights.
- We demand immediate end of DADT. It is out-right discrimination.
- Boycott Bill O'Reilly and FOX News and their advertisers. Bill discussed a French commerical by McDonalds that was meant to show that McDonalds is Gay Friendly. Bill said what is next? Is McDonalds going to get be Al-Qaida friendly as well? Further, Bill said that McDonalds would never show a gay friendly commercial in the USA. Imagine, Bill is comparing Gays to Al-Qaida!
- Boycott Arizona the home of senile - Sen. John McCain: because of their Hateful anti-Immigration Law that encourages racial profiling and increases hatred towards minorities. A remedy: Demand Republicans to support Immigration Reform. Further, Their Senator McCain voted against ending DADT and blocked Immigration reform! We shall hold the voters of Arizona responsible!
- NEW: Boycott Target and Best Buy for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations.
And Now, Our War of the Fittest!This group is called "Peckers PICS." The English - slang definition of "pecker" is to pluck at the truth. Therefore, we peck at items such as Gay Men's Health, Male Fitness, Gay (LGBT) Politics & Issues. In this section you may peck at each photo in order to decide the winner of the "war of the fittest!" Whereas, you should select the guy that may inspire you to exercise and "get fit!" Warning: This may stoke you!Remember your participation in discussion of health / news articles - appearing in this message is greatly appreciated!
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