Did Media Speculation Keep Girls Away?

It is unknowable why Rachel Crites and Rachel Smith killed themselves by following through on a suicide pact, but there is a new theory in today's Metro Weekly about why they may have stayed away from home after pleas for their return:

''Assumptions are problematic,'' says Lindy Garnette, executive director of Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of Metropolitan Washington. Garnette says she is frustrated by all the speculations surrounding the case. She says that if the teenagers had been gay, and if that had anything to do with their two-week disappearance, they might have been more reluctant to come home because of all the speculation in the media.

USA Today Explores Gay Teens

An excellent article from USA Today explores the lives of gay youth, the research that has been collected on them, the way society feels about them and the groups out to hurt them. As with any USA Today article, this one only really scratches the surface of such an important issue, but it is a good starting point for anyone interested in learning more about our gay youth.

The article points out that as more and more gay youth come out at a younger age, our society's attitudes towards gays and lesbians is also progressing: "In 2006, 54% found homosexuality acceptable, compared with 38% in 1992, Gallup polls show."

In fact, the number of affirming gay/straight alliances in America's schools is growing as well: "In the mid-1990s, a few dozen Gay-Straight Alliance clubs were in U.S. high schools; now 3,200 are registered..."

Unfortunately there are still organizations, such as the anti-gay Family Research Council, that are working to make it more difficult for our gay youth to continue to find support in their communities:

"Homosexuality is harmful to society, and young people have no business committing to a sexual identity until they're adults," says Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, a conservative policy group. The council backs a new Georgia law, first in the nation, that requires schools to tell parents about clubs and allows them to forbid their children to participate in gay/straight alliances.

As a community we must ensure these groups do not succeed and our youth continue to find affirming environments throughout their communities. Let's not go backwards.

Dallas Youth Find Family

A recent article in the Dallas Voice tells the stories of gay youth in the Dallas region who have found hope and love in a local support group. The group is sponsored by Youth First Texas, and it provides young people 23 years old and under a safe place to express themselves. Explains one participant:

“They are very – I don’t know how to explain it,” said Cristobal Lopez, 18, who has attended Youth First, for about eight months. “They’re like family to me, I guess, because I connect better with the adults here than anyone in my house at all.”

If only we had self-affirming places like this for our gay youth all across the country...

Two Teenage Girls Commit Suicide

Two teenage girls were found dead in a car this past weekend between the Virgina and West Virgina borders. According to preliminary autopsy results, the deaths occurred as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

16 year-old Rachel Smith and 18-year-old Rachel Crites, both of Montgomery County Maryland, ran away from their homes in January. The night they ran away, they told their parents they would be going to dinner and a movie. When they did not return home, their parents contacted the authorities and a regional search ensued. The girls were not found until Friday, when their bodies were located in Loudon County, Virginia.

According to an entry in Crite's diary, it appears the girls were dating each other. Crite's diary read:

"Wherever I end up laying, whether buried or cremated, I want to stay with my true love, buried next to her. This is my choice. I'm sorry."

It is unclear why the girls ran away from home or why they chose to kill themselves. The parents have been pointing to signs of depression.

Unfortunately, numerous studies have shown that gay youth are disproportionately more likely to commit suicide than their peers. This is partially due to the social stigma and pressures associated with coming out and living as a gay youth.

These were two invisible youth we could not reach in time.