Anti-gay politics dangerous for teens

Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they live in a place where most people are against gay marriage. This is one of the findings of a US study involving almost 32,000 high-school students.

The study by a professor at Columbia University compared Utah teens living in conservative counties, where most people are against gay marriage and schools have no policy against bullying, to teens living in liberal counties, where the opposite is true.

It found that gay, lesbian and bisexual teens in conservative counties were 20% more likely to have attempted suicide than those in liberal counties. And straight teens were 9% more likely to have attempted suicide if they lived in a conservative area.

“Is it surprising? No. Is it important? Yes,” said Dr. Robert Blum of Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. “The study takes our knowledge and gives us a bit more depth. We need lots more understanding but this is very much a step in the right direction.”