James Orlando

About the author: James Orlando wrote this viewpoint while attending Yale University.

Suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completions are much more common among gay teens than among straight teens, due to high levels of stress caused by society's intolerance of homosexuality and its harassment of gays and lesbians. This stress is further compounded by the fact that gay teens often feel unable to discuss their problems with friends, family, or counselors. Much of the pain, alienation, and suicidal thoughts experienced by gay teens could be alleviated if society accepted homosexuality and condemned the harassment of gays and lesbians.

Suicide among adolescents has been an increasingly distressing problem in our society. The number of teens who attempt suicide, as well as the number of teens who actually kill themselves, has risen substantially...