While suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people according to 2020 CDC statistics, LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to seriously consider suicide.
The highest suicide rate was found among young adults, 25 to 34 years (18.35 per 100,000) and person 75 years and older (up to 20.86 per 100,000) while the rate for young adults was 14.24 deaths by suicide per 100,000.įor LGBTQ children and young adults, the figures are even more horrific. The new law also forbids schools to enact policies that would allow teachers to withhold so-called “critical decisions” to parents “affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being,” essentially requiring teachers to inform parents if they suspect a student might be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, leading to schools potentially “outing” children to unsympathetic parents.Īn avalanche of scientific research has established the immense psychological toll suffered by children during the pandemic due to the profit-driven responses of capitalist governments the world over which have refused to enact a Zero COVID policy, instead adopting the criminal “herd immunity” policy, resulting in over 20 million deaths globally and incalculable mental anguish.Īccording to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death in the US in 2020, with 45,979 Americas dying by suicide, an average of 130 per day. Opponents of the law, formally titled the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, have correctly pointed out that the broad language regarding what is considered “age” or “developmentally appropriate” education effectively bars any teaching or discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in every grade due to the risk of already cash-strapped public schools suffering further financial losses due to politically-motivated lawsuits filed by reactionary bigots. Recent polling in Florida shows only 40 percent supported HB-1557, while 49 percent were against it, including the vast majority of young people.īeginning July 1, HB-1557 allows for parents to sue school districts over alleged violations of the policy. Recent polling conducted by PRRI found that “nearly eight in ten Americans (79%) favor laws that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing.”Įven among self-identified Republicans, support for same-sex marriage is evenly divided, with 48 percent in support and only 50 percent opposed. While Republicans have long agitated against democratic rights for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning) persons, there efforts have found little support in the broader population. The Post notes that last year, the Alliance Defending Freedom “formed a coalition with two other conservative nonprofits, the Heritage Foundation and the Family Policy Alliance, that published a list of positions on transgender and gay rights that have repeatedly surfaced in the restrictive new state bills.” The Florida law, and similar ones, have the backing of far-right billionaires and Republican-linked organizations, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, which in recent years, the Washington Post reported over the weekend, has “battled in court against abortion rights and in favor of religious practices in schools and drafted language for anti-transgender ‘bathroom bills’ later used in multiple states.” Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis