HRC Blog

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services issued Healthy People 2020, a set of goals and objectives to guide health promotion and disease prevention efforts in the United States for the next 10 years. LGBT health is among thirteen new areas of focus in this year’s report, which specifically recognizes that LGBT people face significant health disparities, yet remain alarmingly ignored in the collection of health data and continue to face stigma and discrimination that negatively impact their health.

The tragic news of recent teen suicides paired with a climate of anti-LGBT bullying in many schools has taken an enormous toll on our community and on our nation as a whole. While we are hard at work each day, fighting to prevent bullying and discrimination in schools, this issue also deeply affects all of us here at HRC on a very personal level.

The following post comes from Field Intern Sydney Morauer: On Wednesday night, Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY hosted an incredibly moving vigil for the teens who have recently committed suicide as a result of relentless bullying and hatred. The Skidmore College Pride Alliance and the Christian Fellowship co-hosted the event to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students on campus.

“Bullying for any reason is contradictory to authentic religion.” This, statement by Dr. C. Welton Gaddy of the Interfaith Alliance, is a sentiment that has inspired faith leaders to declare that we cannot afford to be quiet in the face of the violence and hatred that is literally killing our LGBT youth.

As part of the incredible support from all over the community during the crisis of teen suicides, the Reverend Gene Robinson and the Reverend Susan Russell loaned their voices to the It Gets Better Project, a resource of videos reaching out to teens across the nation to let them know first hand that they are cared for and that there can be love and happiness in their future.