Aug 20, 2007Quickie Link: Gay Teen Says State Isn’t Always So Civil
By vanrozenheim
(USA) - This may not seem like news in the first state to adopt same-sex civil unions. But 18-year-old William Holden says for all its progressive stereotypes, Vermont can be a hard place for young people like himself. One-third of the state’s gay and lesbian students say they’ve been bullied — double the percentage reported by straight peers, according to the most recent Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Some 40 percent have found themselves in a fight and 20 percent threatened or injured with a weapon at school. Such treatment has led them to suffer higher rates of school truancy, alcohol and drug use and suicide attempts. A state legislative commission is preparing to meet this week to consider a call for gay marriage. But Holden says that for an estimated 10 percent of Vermont’s youth, simply coming to terms with homosexuality remains the biggest challenge.
