In another bit of negative regional news for the LGBT community…
If Oklahoma Republicans have their way, the suicide rate among LGBT teens will skyrocket.
LGBT teens are, by far, the most vulnerable group within the LGBT community because they are not considered adults yet and therefore are subject to the will of their parents, teachers, and school administrators. Many teens are scared to reveal their sexuality out of fear that they will be ostracized and discriminated against.
And that appears to be exactly what Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kerns wants since she has introduced several anti-gay bills this year as part of her ongoing hate crusade against gay people.
The most egregious bill of the three is HB 3044, which forbids school officials from referring gay students in crisis to councilors or therapists who would actually treat them like human beings.
According to Slate,
The bill states that no public school “counselor, therapist, social worker, administrator, teacher or other individual” can “refer a student under the age of eighteen” to any “individual, organization or entity” if the referral “pertain[s] to human sexuality.” In fact, public school counselors can’t even “provide the contact information, business card, brochure or other informational materials” of a gay-friendly organization to students.
