Dept. of HHS: No "LGBT" when talking about LGBT Suicide

I thought that maybe I was suffering from outrage fatigue, but this is so petty and hateful that I have reached a whole new level of outrage.  Evidently, the Bush administration hates LGBT people so much that it's no longer acceptable to use the term "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender" even if it would save people's lives.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27202-2005Feb15.html

A federal agency's efforts to remove the words "gay," "lesbian," "bisexual" and "transgender" from the program of a federally funded conference on suicide prevention have inspired scores of experts in mental health to flood the agency with angry e-mails.

At issue is a conference on suicide prevention to be held Feb. 28 in Portland, Ore., and organized by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center of Newton, Mass., a SAMHSA contractor. On the program is a talk that, until recently, was titled "Suicide Prevention Among Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Individuals."

Everyone seems to agree the topic is important. Studies have found that the suicide risk among people in these groups is two to three times higher than the average risk.

So it came as a surprise to Ron Bloodworth -- a former coordinator of youth suicide prevention for Oregon and one of three specialists leading the session -- when word came down from SAMHSA project manager Brenda Bruun that they should omit the four words that described, precisely, what the session was about.

Bloodworth was told it would be acceptable to use the term "sexual orientation." But that did not make sense to him. "Everyone has a sexual orientation," he said in an interview yesterday. "But this was about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders."

Moreover, he noted, transgender people differ from others in terms of sexual identity, not sexual orientation.

"Unless you use an accurate term, the people you are trying to reach don't recognize themselves and don't attend," he said, adding that the agency told him he should not use "gender identity."

Please, feel free to write to the following and let them know how you feel.

SAMHSA Director Charles Curie:

[e-mail]

SAMHSA Project Manager Brenda Bruun:

[e-mail]

•  Tip Jar

  Are other people as outraged by this as I am?

  by ortcutt on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 05:59:09 AM PDT

  •  YES!!!

    And good thing I searched the diaries, because I was just about to post my very first one regarding this very situation.  Obvious to most, there is a plethera and overwhelming number of things that boils ones blood about the BuSHits.  Many times it's hard for me to pick just one.  But when I got the message from a friend about this, it set me off!!  

    Thankfully, my experience with suicide is minimal, but close enough.  When I was 13, my mom tried to commit suicide.  Thankfully, she was unsuccessful.  I've also lost a good friend to suicide.  I feel grateful that I can honestly say that I have never felt or thought of suicide as a solution for my pain in life.  To be frank, although I can empathize, I have a really hard time mentally putting myself in anyone's shoes where suicide seems to be the only answer.  Unfortunately, there are far too many for whom it is...particularly for GLBT adults and youth.

    But gawd forbid we actually MENTION the words GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL or TRANSGENDERED when talking about suicide prevention!

    I got Bloodworth's open letter forwarded to me by my friend her got it from her mom, the Chair of Department of Educational & Psychological Studies at University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.  

    The article does a good job of outlining the outrage, but here's a site that also shows the open letter he sent out with other good info too...check it out...write your letters.

    by Heather in SFBay on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 04:59:00 PM PDT

    •  Reposting

      I think it would be fine if you wrote another diary.  This incident is so batshit crazy that it's worthy of two two diaries in one week.  Especially since you found the Indymedia stuff.  You should probably post it at a normal hour of the day though.  I posted when the story came up on the Washington Post in the middle of the night.

      by ortcutt on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 09:09:34 PM PDT

      •  barbarian!

        I was typing in anger and didn't know about the editing function.  Thanks for helping me find it. I only saw that if you posted it twice you get kicked off.  I might be Mexican American but I can spell. Do'h!

        by TexMex on Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 10:05:58 PM PDT

  •  oh yeah...and

    sorry i missed the recommendation period...i would have!

    by Heather in SFBay on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 05:00:58 PM PDT

•  Yes...

  I know a lot of folks in PFLAG and other organizations who will be very upset by this action. Thanks for bringing to our attention.

  As a member of a Sexual Minority Suicide Prevention Committee locally, I find it repuslive.  

  You can argue about the morality or merits of same-sex marriage (I support them), but no one - especially no religious person - can argue with suicide prevention.  OMG the Bush people are so filled with a) stupidity, b) political motivation, c) hatred!  No they're full of all of these!  What garbage!

  I wonder if the Falwells, Robertsons, and Dobsons will respond to this act - yeah they will - they'll support it!  Now that's being true Christians!  

  by Retired in Ohio on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:09:28 AM PDT