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Our society and our campuses are a lot more gay-friendly than they were a decade ago. People are used to seeing gay characters on TV shows with regular frequency. Most college students say that having gay friends or roommates is not a big deal.
But, we forget that coming out is still a relatively brutal emotional process for a lot of college students. We can't confuse the improving environment with the still difficult individual journey.
According to a 2005 study done by the Massachusetts Department of Education, youth who think they might be gay, lesbian, bisexual or have gender identity issues are four times more likely to seriously contemplate suicide than the average teenager. Every year, I hear about students who have committed suicide on college campuses after struggling unsuccessfully with their sexual orientation. Others turn to alcohol, drugs, or other unhealthy choices to cope with their struggle.
I was excited to learn today that the organization called The Trevor Project now has a 24/7 hotline to help young people struggling with their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The number is (866) 4-U-TREVOR. They are getting 15,000 calls a year, which is amazing.
Every volunteer working the hotline receives more than 40 hours of training so that they can help identify resources for callers nationwide. Their website also has a confidential Q&A forum that has lots of good reading for folks who feel most comfortable with that sort of research.
It's important that you let young men and women in your campus community know that there are anonymous resources they can turn to, like the Trevor Project. Do your community a favor and make sure that the hotline's number is plastered all over your residence hall, student center, fraternity life office, athletic department and more. Put it on your student organization's websites, even.
If you are part of an LGBT student group, this is a great resource to publicize throughout your campus. There are many young men and women who might never come to your meetings, but who would make a call to anonymously speak to a caring person.
