The notion of isolating one demographic, when we analyse any statistics highlighting deaths, whether it be suicide, traffic, housing fires, diseases or murders, is so useful as to be essential if we're to approach science and sociologists for solutions.
Which would be useful, if the trend was different in the isolated demographic.
It's like taking the statistics from a school where all races get sent to the principle's office at the same rate, but focusing on blacks, because they are obviously being sent to the principles office because they are a minority.
Are we to admonish blacks for asking questions and holding high their commitment to their community? Are we going to label them self righteous for making public their concerns, as some are labeling gays now for daring to isolate their demographic on the subject of suicides?
If they were to come to society and say, I think you should all focus on why blacks commit suicide and help us resolve this problem (Black teens consider suicide about 4/5 as much as white teens).
This would be unacceptable.
Some are trying too hard to look away from this, for some reason. They're flying under the banner of, "gays are too small a minority to be concerned with, look at all the straights committing suicide.
Gays are too small a minority?
Gay teens are acting in the same manner, at the same rate, as ALL teens.
They aren't acting ANY different.
They aren't a minority of suicides. They are simply part of the big picture.
They aren't committing suicide any more than the all teens commit suicide.
If the rate of suicide were increased significantly among gay teens, then that would be one thing, but the fact that the rate hasn't increased indicates that the teens are doing the same thing for the same reason.
I understand their lives and pressures are different, but that doesn't mean that the underlying cause of suicide is different, especially if it is a predisposition to a specific mental illness.
Please think about that beyond numbers. It's about different reasons for the suicides and those reasons being unique to the gay community. Is "straight bashing" popular in your city? I doubt very much that it is.
You already assume you know WHY gay teens commit suicide. So you feel comfortable focusing on the subgroup.
However, without a statistically significant difference in behavior between the subgroup and the group as a whole, there is no reason to single them out for study aside from the group as a whole. Aside from wanting to do something for a minority.
I find it funny that there are people who are trying to turn it around and asking why there are so many more straight people committing suicide. I'm sure they're not doing it simply because they're being bullied, abused, harassed for being who they are. I've NEVER EVER heard anyone being harassed because they're straight.
