Did you know?

Even in elementary school, students say words like faggot and queer and they continue to use the word gay as an epithet ("That's so gay!")(www.bctf.ca). Many children who use these words don't even know what they mean, but they know they are hurtful. As teachers it is important that we address our own ideas about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered issues (LGBT) in order or us to begin to address the seriously bigoted and unsafe areas our schools are for LGBT youth.

Here are some real and scary statistics.

- LGBT youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide.
- 30% of teen suicides are committed by LGBT youth.
- 28% of LGBT students drop out due to harassment
- 80% of LGBT youth report severe issolation in school.
- 45% of gay males and 20% of lesbians report verbal and/or physicl violence
- 26% of LGBT youth leave home.
- 20% of all persons with AIDS in the are 20-29 years old; given the long latency period between infection and the onset of the disease, many were probably infected as teenagers.
- 97% of students in high school report hearing homophobic remarks from their peers.
- 53% of students report hearing homophobic remarks from staff.
-68% of adolescent gay males use alcohol and 44% use other drugs.
- 83% of adolescent lesbians use alcohol and 56% use other drugs.
- Depression strikes homosexual youth at five times the rate of other teens.

* Two very important things to keep in mind about these statistics: 1) These are based on the students who are 'out'. 2) It is very difficult to get statistics on transgendered and Bisexual youth, perhaps indicating that they are even more issolated.

^ Statistics found at www.case.edu/provost/lgbt/safezone/stats.html