A rash of teen suicides has recently plagued our country, alarming families and educators and even catching the attention of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The suicides, which now number close to 10, began with the start of the 2010-2011 scholastic year and the most recent occurred just last week. The victims are predominately males between the ages of 10 and 21 and the majority of them identified themselves as gay or non-heterosexual.

The families of the deceased teens claim that bullying was the driving force behind their children’s death. Most of the parents believe that their children were the targets of hateful teasing, taunting, and physical harassment. They claim that their children suffered relentlessly at the mercy of their peers simply for being different from the norm.

The case of Tyler Clementi is perhaps one of the most publicized out of all the stories. Clementi, a former student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in late September after learning that his roommate had secretly recorded and distributed video footage of him engaging in a sexual encounter with another man. Clementi’s final post on Facebook read, “jumping off the GW bridge sorry.” Unfortunately Clementi’s story is not unique. All of the other victims allegedly suffered from similar tormenting, ranging from teasing and name calling to physical violence and brutality.

The issue hits particularly close to home due to the death of Asher Brown, a 13-year-old former Cypress, TX, resident and student at Hamilton Middle School. Brown tragically shot himself in the head at his parents’ home after being “bullied to death,” according to his mother Amy Truong. These tragedies have even transcended national borders; two Canadian lesbian teenagers recently ended their lives because of the animosity they felt around their peers.

Thanks to the massive amount of media coverage, the suicides have generated a substantial amount of grassroots anti-bullying efforts. School district all across the nation have begun to crack down on bullying, implementing new policies and enforcing those policies that may have previously been more lax. Parents are more adamantly voicing their concerns, demanding that schools take responsibility for these incidents. The tragedies have even inspired social projects like columnist Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better.” Savage’s project consists of a compilation of videos (hosted on YouTube) made by LGBT supporters in order to show struggling and marginalized youth that they have value in society and that life does in fact get better in time.

This September, a reader wrote to Savage Love columnist Dan Savage with the news that another gay teenager from an isolated environment, Billy Lucas from Indiana, had killed himself after being verbally harassed in school. Savage responded with a call for action:

“I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better. […] Many LGBT youth can’t picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can’t imagine a future for themselves. So let’s show them what our lives are like, let’s show them what the future may hold in store for them.”

This was the beginning of the It Gets Better Project. Savage created a Youtube.com channel for LGBT adults to upload videos directed at LGBT teens with the aim of giving them hope for a better future. The Youtube channel reached the 650 video cap the week after its creation and has since gotten its own website (www.itgetsbetterproject.com). Although Savage initially intended for LGBT adults to post videos, many teens and straight adults, as well as some celebrities, have uploaded their own videos offering support and encouragement.  President Barack Obama, who uploaded a video of his own on Friday, is one of the latest to add his name to a diverse list of supporters that includes Vinny from MTV’s Jersey Shore, the singer Ke$ha, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the employees of Google, and the cast of the musical Wicked.

We encourage everyone to learn more about this project and the tremendous struggles of many LGBT teens, especially those in small towns or with unsupportive families and peers. Help prevent teen suicides and show that bullying and prejudice are never acceptable by uploading a video or signing the pledge on the It Gets Better website.

Here are some statistics from the website:

–      9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment at school.

–      LGBT teens are bullied 2 to 3 times as much as straight teens.

–      More than 1/3 of LGBT kids have attempted to commit suicide.

–      LGBT kids are 4 times as likely to attempt suicide [as their] straight peers.

–      LGBT youth with “highly rejecting” families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose families accept them.

These teens may not receive any support from their families, schools, or communities, but there’s no reason we can’t offer them a hand. The ones we don’t reach might not survive long to learn that it gets better.

Your Editors-in-Chief,

Kieran Lyons and Nick Morales

Related links:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=5253730

It Gets Better: President Obama

It Gets Better: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

I’m Kieran Lyons and I share the head editor position with Nick. I’m a junior at Baker and a cognitive science/studio art double major. Some of my interests are drawing, photography, short stories, design, cocktails, cars, food, and, of course, sex.

When Nick and I agreed to become part of Open earlier this year, I don’t think either of us expected to end up running it. Still, I’m glad we are. I’ve been intrigued by Open since I first took the annual sex survey two years ago. At the time, I didn’t really know what the survey was for or who was administering it, but it didn’t matter: I was glad to have an opportunity to reflect on and share my opinions and experiences, even if all it led to was a hair’s-breadth change on a bar graph. When the magazine itself came out I, like almost everyone else, clamored to open it up and read the results of the survey. Hopefully some of us stuck around for the rest of the content, but the discussions that resulted from survey results were valuable on their own. Honest, revealing discussions about sex, sexuality, or gender aren’t that common. It’s a shame, because no one is indifferent about these topics the way many people are about politics. Our bodies, experiences, and desires are a part of us we can’t be rid of.

We hope we can provide a forum for and a push toward these kinds of open discussions. I’m excited to work on my own stories, photoshoots, articles, and editorials and I’m even more excited to look through yours. Art and writing are ways for me to be open about the things that are important to me. Maybe your methods are different, but Open will be there either way. You can model, draw, take photos, or write columns, opinions, stories, or poems. You can help others express themselves by writing surveys, interviewing friends and strangers, editing, or planning events. If nothing else, you can follow our blog throughout the year and read the magazine next semester. Wherever you start, we hope you end up talking.

I’m Nick Morales and I’m a junior at Will Rice. I’m majoring in English and policy studies and I hope to complete the new EEB minor as well. My interests include marine studies and culture, aquariums, wildlife, music, traveling, movies, and foreign languages. I have always had a passion for reading and the literary arts which why I decided to get involved with Open. Although creative writing is not one of my hobbies, I have had a lot of personal experience in journalism ever since I got involved with the production of my high school’s yearbook.

Like Kieran has already said, I never imagined that I would be co-piloting this project. My previous experience with Open was actually quite shallow; I participated in the annual sex survey but I didn’t really take any interest in the actual publication. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that Open also maintains a blog that is constantly updated with all sorts of interesting stories. I had originally intended to be on staff as a copy or design editor but I became fascinated with everything that Open has to offer and a couple of chance events landed me the head honcho position that I now share with Kieran. I’m very grateful to the friend who encouraged me to get involved and who helped me realize the full potential of this unique publication.

As an English major, most of my work for Open will involve writing and editing but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be involved with any of the visual or design elements. Kieran and I will work together to make sure that there is a perfect balance of visual and written art. We are hitting the ground running so make sure to stay tuned for Open’s weekly updated blog entries as well as our student surveys, which have actually already started (check out our Facebook page for more details), and other events that will take place in the very near future.

The way I see it, Open is a fusion of literature and visual art focusing on sex and sexuality. Through poetry, photography, short stories, paintings and expository essays, Open produces a fertile foundation for the discussion of culture, political and social issues, diversity, and human health and wellness. Our mission parallels Rice’s culture of care, which defines how students, faculty and staff interact symbiotically. We hope that our readers will gain a greater respect for and appreciation of the full spectrum of healthy sexual choices, preferences and lifestyles. There are many ways to get involved and we would love to have your input. In fact, we depend on your input regardless of whether you’d like to model, take pictures, design, plan events, write, paint, edit, participate in our surveys, or simply just read along. We hope to make this year Open’s best (and sexiest) to date and we can’t do it without you.

Yours Sincerely,

Kieran Lyons and Nick Morales

Open Editors-in-Chief

For questions or flattering comments, please email us at riceopen@gmail.com