Parents blamed for emotional outcome of gay kids

Printed in your very own West Bend News.... (nice)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Young gay people whose parents or guardians responded negatively when they revealed their sexual orientation were more likely to attempt suicide, experience severe depression and use drugs than those whose families accepted the news, according to a new study. The way in which parents or guardians respond to a youth’s sexual orientation profoundly influences the child’s mental health as an adult, say researchers at San Francisco State University, whose findings appear in today’s journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

(Perhaps what is more pertinent is that the parents failed to teach these children what traditional family values are and the child is reaping the emotional, social and physical consequences of deviant behavior. Let's make sure we give a correct evaluation here.)

‘‘Parents love their children and want the best for them,’’ said lead researcher Caitlin Ryan, a social worker who directs the university’s Family Acceptance Project.

(Exactly why parents oppose sexual misbehavior and inappropriate relationships that put their children at risk. That would be called "a good thing".)

‘‘Now that we have measured all these behaviors, we can see that some of them put youth at extremely high risk and others are wellness-promoting.’’ Among other findings, the study showed that teens who experienced negative feedback were more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, nearly six times as vulnerable to severe depression and more than three times at risk of drug use.

If the youth were not involved in risky sexual choices, they would not be in this situation in the first place. Who is teaching? Who is promoting wellness? These kids are victims of poor upbringing, inappropriate choices and/or bad examples.

More significantly, Ryan said, ongoing work at San Francisco State suggests that parents who take even baby steps to respond with equanimity instead of rejection can dramatically improve a gay youth’s mental health outlook. One of the most startling findings was that being forbidden to associate with gay peers was as damaging as being physically beaten or verbally abused by their parents in terms of negative feedback, Ryan said.

This is a ridiculous statement. Of course, words are painful and hurtful. Of course, children should be approached with love in their situations. But the truth about their the potential consequences of their risky behavior needs to be spoken. Don't blame it on the parents. Blame it on our government who supports same-sex marriage, our public school systems who promote special protection for homosexuals, and media (the West Bend News included), who continually shove this garbage down the throats of our youth. Put credit where credit is due.