GAY VOICES WERE HEARD AT EVENT

To The Editor:

Saturday, June 21, 1997 was Gay PRIDE Day in Michigan. It was a special day for all Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered people in our state, as well as for those who are our supporters. Even with inclement weather, several hundred people gathered and marched in Lansing to show the state legislature that we are here, we are proud, and we are not going away! We are the voting public, and our vote counts! We filled the lawn of the Capitol Building (as the largest group to gather there so far this year!) and our voices were heard!

After the rally, 50 couples stood on the steps of our State Capitol, and were united before God as loving, monogamous couples. It was truly a site to behold - so much love gathered in one place!!

I think for me, one of the most moving events of the day was a speech by 18 year old Jason Bolton, a young man who was kicked out of high school in Muskegon, Michigan for coming out as openly gay, at the age of 15! Jason told the crowd about the statistics by the Department of Health and Human Services, which says that approximately 30% of teen suicides are committed by gay teens. That amounts to 1 teen taking their life every 5 hours and 48 minutes because they cannot take the pressures placed on them by their parents, their teachers, their church, their peers, and their society at large. These kids are taught that they are bad, and to hate themselves for something as inherant as their eye color, or the fact that they are right- or left-handed.

As you read this, please think to yourself that today, 4 CHILDREN will kill themselves, because of something that THEY CANNOT HELP! It could be your child, or your neighbor’s child, or a student in your class, or a youth in your church. Please show them that you love them, unconditionally, and that it is okay to have the feelings that they are having. Get them help, whether it is through a school counselor, or some other mode of counseling. Don’t tell then that they are "bad", or "wrong" for having these feelings, it could be the last thing you ever tell your child.

Here are the titles of some books that you can buy that may help you in understanding gay teens, or help your teen learn to understand themselves:

One Teenager in Ten: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth, ed. Ann Heron, Alyson Publications, 40 Plympton Street, Boston, MA 02118 (1983).

Young, Gay and Proud, a resource book for gay and lesbian youth, also published by Alyson Publications.

Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbian and Gay Children Talk About Their Experiences, McAllister, Wirth and Wirth, Prentice-Hall, 1986.

Following is a list of phone numbers that you can have teens call if they feel that they need help:

GLB Teen Hotline: 1-800-347-TEEN(Weekend Nights Only)

U.S. Public Health Service AIDS Hotline: 1-800-342-2437 (1-800-342-AIDS).

National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-621-4000.

And, I recommend parents to call Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P/FLAG), a support group for families and friends of gay youth, to help them understand what is happening with their child: P/FLAG Kalamazoo: (616) 327-8107

Remember that you may only have 5 hours and 48 minutes, or less, to help.

Randy Kilbourn, Battle Creek, MI
(vanyel@mail.tds.net)