Young lives literally are hanging in the balance – and you may not even know it.
Ann Stiles’ made some very thoughtful remarks in her letter to Town & Country last week, regarding why sex education is important and how it can save lives by allowing students to become confident in who they are.
She told the story about a student of hers who was bullied growing up for being different – being gay – so he left for the city. Out of loneliness he came back, and ended his life next to his parents’ graves.
This is a tragic story from which we can learn a thing or two.
People ask why young people are flocking from small towns to cities, and undoubtedly one factor for members of the LGBT community is a lack of support and acceptance.
While Athabasca is indeed quite a progressive rural Alberta community, and I consider myself fortunate to be a part of such a welcoming community, it is by no stretch of the imagination perfect.
I myself am excited to attend my first Athabasca LGBT Support Group Nov. 15, because as a member of the LGBT community myself, when you hear the word “fa***” used regularly in public; when you turn heads at least once a block while holding hands with your partner; when a man continues to aggressively hit on your girlfriend after being informed she is with you; and when a business gives you extremely poor service because it is two women sitting on the same side of the booth, rather than a woman and a man, support is needed.
For some members of the LGBT community who are already fairly confident in themselves – as long as the discrimination does not become violent – these incidents can, for the most part, be shrugged off. But for young people who are still in a dark abyss of trying to figure out who they are, living in an unsupportive community can be fatal.
In my travels, I have gotten to know many LGBT people, and it is quite common that they will stay in their self-harming closet of shame until they see representation of people like them in the form of a mentor, media or in their education.
As Stiles noted in her letter, a more inclusive sex education curriculum, in which LGBT people can see themselves reflected, would undoubtedly save a lot of pain and suffering amongst LGBT people.
The other bonus is a world where LGBT people could live their daily lives with less discrimination and bullying.