The Effects of Anti LGBTQ+ Bullying

Often resulting from not being educated/taught enough about the community, many confused and afraid students will turn to bullying. As humans, when we don't understand something, we tend to cast it away as something to fear. This has become far too normal of a phenomenon, however. Because it’s not being considered nearly enough just how detrimental it can be to queer students’ mental health. Of LGBT students in the U.S. between the ages of 12-18, 8.3% have reportedly attempted suicide in the past year due to bullying. That’s around 219,763 people. And most are still silently struggling. 
When a student is bullied; especially when it relates to their sexuality or gender identity, their chance of suffering from anxiety and depression is greatly increased. Eventually, 28% of LGBTQ+ students will drop out of school due to this harassment. And for a student who already doesn’t have a support system at home, this risk is even greater. One ignorant joke or word uttered could greatly affect a person's emotional and mental wellbeing for the rest of the time. I’m sure that you wouldn’t want to be the reason that an innocent person dies, so I encourage you not to be. Think about how your actions and words could affect someone before you say them, and teach your children and students kindness. Save lives.