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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1991)
Sexual minority youth task force completes report The 18-month study offers a glimpse into the often tumultuous world of this high risk population by Inga Sorensen new study estimates there are at least support in the schools or at home,” says Cham 50,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual bers. “Pressure to conform is extremely intense, youth in Oregon, many of whom especially during high school and junior high experience rejection by family and school. If they make it through without dropping friends, depression, suicidal out or committing suicide, they’re still bound to thoughts, verbal and physical abuse, and drug low self-esteem because of the abuse suffer and alcohol addiction. The 18-month study, they’ve been through.” Oregon’s Sexual Minority Youth: An At-Risk The young people who participated in the Population, offers a glimpse into the often tu group discussions spoke candidly about their multuous world of this high risk, vulnerable feelings and experiences, and their remarks are population. The 38-page document, which is found throughout the report This is a sampling: based largely upon conversations with local - “I want to talk about my pain. The first time young people, finds that many sexual minority I considered suicide was in the sixth grade and I youth feel confused or ashamed when they begin took twenty aspirin...my behavior was very de to discover their sexual identities. When they structive, self-mutilating. I never really wanted seek support, or unbiased information, it’s usu to kill myself but just to hurt myself because I ally not there. In fact, the report essentially con hated myself so much for not being what people demns social service providers and educators for expected me to be.” —Gay male college student. failing to “identify or address the special needs of - “...a lot of drugs and alcohol were frequently sexual minority youth.” The consequences of used as it was just very-how we deal with it I that failure are dramatic, the report concludes, in guess.” —Homosexual college student. that an entire group of young people is left with - “(My mom) hadn’t attacked me or anybody out support during a very volatile period of their that I’ve ever known before. And then when I lives. Recommendations to help service provid told her I was gay, she just kind of flew, you ers, and society in general, to be more responsive know.” —Gay male youth. and sensitive to the needs of this often ignored - “I came out to a teacher in school, and a few and overlooked population are also provided in months later she started acting strange. She told the report. me things like I wasn’t a good student, that I was "These young people constantly told us they dumb, and stuff like that. I don’t know if this is didn’t know where they fit in. They generally because I came out to her or not, but it wrecked felt alienated. Many have been harassed and my self-esteem.” —Lesbian high school student. physically abused because of their sexual orien - “I always feel extremely alienated at high tation,” explains Judy Chambers, chair of the school, like I just don’t fit in. I come from an task force which worked on the study. “Most other universe, that’s the way I always feel.” — said they felt that they had no one to turn to. Portland high school student. Unfortunately, that tends to be the case.” - “I was pushed into a garbage can and got The Task Force on Sexual Minority Youth stuck. Just several things. Dead things in my was convened in 1989, and released its findings locker...But I had several incidents of violence in in early August, 1991. Individuals who work high school with just being attacked or people with Oregon Children’s Services Division, Ore pushing me or one of my friends had his head cut gon Health Division, Portland Public Schools, with scissors because they didn’t like his tail so Metropolitan Human Relations Commission, they cut it off for him and gouged the back of his Phoenix Rising Foundation, Lesbian Community neck open and he had to have stitches.” —Gay Project, youth and family-serving agencies, and youth. suburban school districts, were among those on Threat of disease transmission, including HIV the task force. They collected national research and AIDS infection, is also a serious problem, as data, conducted local research including survey is violence. The task force report cites a 1988 ing area youth service providers, and hosted study that found that 40 percent of sexual minor group meetings with sexual minority youth. ity youth seeking services at the Hetrick-Martin Thirty young people participated in these discus Institute (formerly the Institute for the Protection sions. They ranged in age from 12 to 24— a of Gay and Lesbian Youth) in New York said timeframe, according to the report, when “many they had been violently, physically attacked. Of gay males, lesbians, and bisexuals first become . those surveyed, nearly half said the attack was 'aware of an attraction to persons of their own solely gay-related; 61 percent of that violence gender.” occurred within the family. The New York State Governor’s Task Force on Bias-Related Vio lence, meanwhile, found that teenagers reacted “more negatively to lesbian and gay people than any other minority group.” The report says that Challenges faced by teenagers are “aware that bias based on race and youth abound ethnicity can no longer be overtly condoned. hambers, who is a Portland Public Schools There is no such awareness concerning the rights alcohol and drug counselor, says many of of gays and lesbians and the students were quite these youngsters run away or are kicked emphatic about their dislike for these groups and out of their homes by intolerant parents who frequently made violent, threatening statement.. cannot accept their child’s sexual orientation. The perception of gays and lesbians as legitimate Many wind up homeless and living on the street. targets for abuse draws strength from the ex In fact, it is estimated that 30 percent of ample set by major social institutions that con Portland’s street youth are lesbian, gay or bisex tinue to deny homosexuals the status of equals.” ual. Many young people turn to alcohol and The report also finds that lesbian, gay, and drugs to mask their feelings of pain and rejection. bisexual young people in rural areas, and those of If they are homeless, they may engage in prosti color, face additional difficulties. Rural youth tution to obtain money, food, shelter or drugs. are “geographically isolated and are even less Young lesbians and bisexual women may be likely to find supportive role models than their come pregnant as a result. Harassment at school urban peers,” while young lesbians, gays and by peers forces many sexual minority youth to bisexuals of color feel “they must align them discontinue their education. selves with either the lesbian and gay community ‘These kids want an education, but there’s no or their racial or ethnic group-there is no com A C mon meeting ground. These youth experience discrimination within the dominant culture be cause of their race and sexual orientation; within their racial or ethnic communities because of their sexual orientation; or within the lesbian and gay communities because of their race or ethnic ity.” These feelings and experiences occur at a difficult juncture in these young peoples’ lives. They are seeking the comradery of their peers, yet find themselves isolated and alone because of their sexual orientation. The pressure to conform may be so extreme that they are forced to deny their true feelings. Loneliness, guilt, or shame prompt their thoughts to turn to suicide. The task force report quotes a 1989 study that finds that many sexual minority youth “suffer from chronic depression and (may be) at high risk of attempt ing suicide when the pressure becomes too much to bear. They may run away from home without anyone understanding why...An unwitting re mark by parent» may be taken to mean that the youth is no longer loved by them.” Studies sug gest that lesbian and gay youth are “two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than hetero sexual youth.” According to Chambers, a primary problem is a lack of positive role models for these youth. "The loudest cry was for role models who are just ordinary folks,” she says. Note this remark made by one youth: “I didn’t know that gay people could come out of regular families or live in regular places, that we weren’t, you know, that gay people weren’t people who you only saw on TV and all hung out in New York City and San Francisco, you know, were perverts or whatever...” Many youth also expressed feelings of aban donment by lesbian and gay adults. Peg Brady, a former gay and lesbian youth counselor says, “It is very important that the gay and lesbian community embrace this issue. We must begin to address the needs of younger lesbians and gays. Many times they feel like they are not wanted, or not included in our community. We are an evolving community and I believe we must, and will, diversify to include both elderly and young gays and lesbians.” Youth lack support espite the myriad of hardships facing sex ual minority youth, the report concludes there is only a smattering of support to help them get through the difficult times. “Lesbian and gay youth receive services from across the spectrum-health, child welfare, educa tion, juvenile justice-but by and large these sys tems have failed to address their needs,” says Marilyn McManus, task force member and man ager of the National Clearinghouse, Research and Training on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health at Portland State University. The center promotes community-based, family-cen tered services for children with emotional, be havioral, and and mental disorders. She adds, “It does not even occur to most service providers to ask whether these youth are gay or lesbian, or whether their problems stem from homophobic responses.” According to the report, “Neither schools nor other youth-serving agencies have policies, pro gramming, or staff training designed to address the needs of sexual minority youth. Accordingly, Oregon’s lesbian, gay and bisexual youth do not D receive appropriate services.” The problems stem from a lack of awareness and education, as well as heterosexism. Many adults bring their prejudices to work with them, while others simply overlook the needs of sexual minority youth because their training never ad dressed the issue. Schools in particular have been very nonresponsive to the needs of sexual minority students. Until recently, the topic has virtually been taboo among the education estab lishment. Glencoe High School in Hillsboro is the only school locally, and perhaps statewide, to have a school-sanctioned support group for les bian and gay students. It joins just a handful of other schools nationally that offer such support. There is some hopeful news-a two-year plan from Multnomah County’s Children and Youth Services Commission has targeted sexual minor ity youth for the 1991-93 biennium. According to Barb Sussex, a county staff member who helped design the plan, the needs of young lesbi ans and gays have been overlooked in county programs and policies. The plan advocates for the development of social services to meet the special needs of sexual minority youth. It also recommends that all commission-funded services be “accessible, sensitive, and relevant” to gay and lesbian youth. Another place sexual minority youth can turn is Windfire, a lesbian and gay youth support group sponsored by Phoenix Rising, a gay and lesbian resource and counseling center. Phoenix Rising’s Michelle Gordon has worked exten sively with these youngsters. “Kids need sup port, especially at an age when peer acceptance is so important,” she says. “It’s hard for them to get through the difficult limes alone. They need to see that other gays and lesbians exist They need someone who understands what it’s like to go to school and be harassed, or what it’s like to be kicked out of your house, or what it’s like to be discriminated against at work. There are all kinds of issues they need to talk about with each other.” Peg Brady, who facilitated the Windfire group for a year and a half, says an incredible transformation can take place, thanks to that support. “When kids would first come to the group, they would be afraid. Their self-esteem would be very low. It was wonderful to watch them become more confident and happier over the weeks and months. The difference was like day and night.” The report outlines a variety of approaches to attack the widespread problem of poor services and homophobia. Three overall recommcnda tioas are presented: 1) Promote public policies that protect against discrimination, assure equal access to services and provide accurate and relevant information. 2) Educate the community, service providers, youth and families regarding issues facing sexual minority youth and regarding available re sources. 3) Advocate for services that permit all young people to develop to their full capacity free from harassment and victimization. According to Chambers, a multi-faceted ap proach must be employed if we are to truly im prove the lives of young lesbians, gays and bi sexuals. “We must view this problem holisti cally if we are to make a difference,” she says. “Homophobia and a lack of awareness exist at so many levels. It’s in our homes, our schools, within our organizations. We have to begin to fight the problem in all of these areas.”