Gay-Friendly is Good for all Teens

This article discusses findings that show that gay-friendly communities did not only benefit GLBTQ teenagers but also their straight counterparts.  This was mainly because communities that were considered gay friendly had adopted many policies that forbade discrimination and bullying of any kind.  This is of great advantage to straight teens.  This is because straight teens are bullied too.  However, in a community that will not allow for its young to be hated no matter what their situation, straight teens are protected too.  This survey also found that conservative communities had a higher rate of teen suicide, among both gay and straight teenagers.  This is because the survey found that conservative areas did not score well in the “social-index” area.  This means that their community often partook in poor social habits, some of which include not discussing teen behaviors or isolating the teenager.  This article sheds some light on what must be done in order to stop the devastation of teen suicide.  Simple steps can be very progressive.  The idea of simply talking to a teenager may seem like a very basic thing to do, but this article shows that this basic step can make a world of difference for the teen.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/18/gay-friendly-communities-are-good-for-straight-teens-too/