Thursday, June 07, 2012

Growing Up Gay in America - Not a Pretty Picture Thanks to "Godly Christians"

The Christianist enemies of LGBT equality whine incessantly about being concerned about the welfare of children.  The results of a new HRC sponsored survey of LGBT youth makes it clear that the welfare of LGBT youth is nowhere on the radar of these supposed protectors of child welfare.  Indeed, thanks to the handiwork of the Christianists in fanning the flames of homophobia and disseminating the lie that sexuality is a "choice" and changeable" LGBT youth suffer much more in many ways than their heterosexual counterparts.  Do the "godly Christians" give a damn about these victims?  Of course not.  Their sole focus is on power, forcing their religious views on all citizens and, last but not least the money they rake in using the "gay agenda" as a bogey man t frighten the ignorant and the simple minded.  Here is a sampling of what the HRC survey revealed: 

The deck is stacked against young people growing up lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in America. Official government discrimination or indifference along with social ostracism leaves many teens disaffected and disconnected in their own homes and neighborhoods.  With an increase in public awareness about anti-LGBT bullying and harassment and the strikingly high number of LGBT youth who are homeless, in foster care, or living in high-risk situations, it is critical that we get a better understanding of the experiences, needs, and concerns of LGBT youth.

This groundbreaking research among more than 10,000 LGBT-identified youth ages 13-17 provides a stark picture of the difficulties they face. The impact on their well-being is profound, however these youth are quite resilient. They find safe havens among their peers, online and in their schools. They remain optimistic and believe things will get better. Nevertheless, the findings of Growing Up LGBT in America are a call to action for all adults who want to ensure that young people can thrive.  The survey measured key factors that impact the daily lives of LGBT youth .  .  . 

Compared with their peers, LGBT youth in this survey report a greater sense of isolation or separation from their community in general, and among specific community activities. Fewer LGBT youth have an adult in their community to talk with if they feel worried or sad, compared with their peers. When thinking of their future, LGBT youth believe to a greater extent than their peers that they must leave their community to make their hopes and dreams come true.

LGBT youth are twice as likely as their peers to say they will need to move to another town or part of the country to feel accepted. Among LGBT youth, 63% say they will need to move, while 31% of their peers report the same.
LGBT youth are about twice as likely as their peers to have been verbally harassed and called names outside of school (in the neighborhood or mall, etc.) as well as to have been physically assaulted outside of school.
LGBT youth are more than two times as likely as non-LGBT youth to say they have been verbally harassed and called names at school. Among LGBT youth, half (51%) have been verbally harassed at school, compared to 25% among non-LGBT students.

Nearly six in ten LGBT youth (57%) say that churches or places of worship in their community are not accepting of LGBT people; a third (35%) say their own church or place of worship is not accepting.

Less than a third of LGBT youth (32%) chose their family among a list of places where they most often hear
positive messages about being LGBT; nearly half (46%) chose their family among a list of places where they most often hear negative messages about being LGBT.
You get the drift.  For more details, read the report.  So much of the unhappiness tracks directly or indirectly back to the poisonous atmosphere in society for LGBT individuals that is kept alive by fundamentalist religious belief, one of the great evils of our time.  So much pain and so much unhappiness just so self-congratulatory bigots like Maggie Gallagher, Tony Perkins, Bryan Fischer, Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Timoth Dolan, Albert Mohler, et al, can feel good about themselves while raking in the bucks from the misery they sow.  It is disgusting.  And it's one of the main reasons why I want nothing to do with the name "Christian."

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