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Politics & The Nation
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010 Bittersweet victories for gay rights advocates
Rash of teen suicides casts a shadow over legal progress
BY SANDHYA SOMASHEKHAR It has been a groundbreaking
PAT CARTER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Larry Whitt, who said he left theNavy after 12 years because he is gay, joins protesters of “don’t ask, don’t tell’’ in Coral Gables, Fla.
year for gay rights advocates, who have won a series of court- room victories on issues includ-
ing same-sexmarriage and adop- tion. Last week, a judge ordered the government to end its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring gay men and lesbians from serving openly in themilitary. But several recent incidents
point to a harsher reality on the ground. At least five teens across the country have taken their own lives after allegedly being taunt- ed as gay. Authorities in New York have recently arrested 10 people in the Bronx in connec-
tion with brutal assaults on two teens and an adultwho police say were tortured for being gay. And Carl P. Paladino, the Republican candidate for governor of New York, grabbed headlines for say- ing that children should not be “brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option.” The incidents have sparked
outrage from gay rights advo- cates, who say they are evidence that much work is left to do
despite the movement’s signifi- cant and rapid progress. “It’s a very odd moment, be-
cause there’s all of these horrific things happening, and they are happening at a moment when we’re making faster progress than, I think, ever before,” said Kevin Cathcart, executive direc- tor of Lambda Legal, an advoca- cy group. He and other advocates also
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note thatmost of the victories in court are being appealed. On Thursday, the Obama adminis- tration asked the federal judge to stay her ruling on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, even as Penta- gon officials announced that, in the meantime, they would com- plywith the lawand refrain from dismissing servicememberswho violate the policy. This summer, supporters of
gay unionswon a historic victory when a federal judge struck down California’s voter-ap- proved ban on same-sex mar- riage. The decision followed a ruling in Massachusetts declar- ing unconstitutional the federal government’s ban on recognizing legally married same-sex cou- ples. Both decisions are on hold pending appeal, and the Califor- nia case is likely to end up before the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, Florida offi-
cials announced they would comply with a court ruling that the state must drop its 33-year ban on adoptions by gays. And a federal judge in Washington state late lastmonth ordered the reinstatement of a decorated Air Force officer who had been dis- missed for disclosing she is a lesbian. But the Bronx attacks, the rash
of teen suicides and the remarks by a prominent politician—who later apologized — have cast a shadow over the legal gains. According to police, the 10
men in the Bronx attacks lured the teens and a 30-year-old man into a home and “tortured” them for several hours while using gay epithets. Last month, Tyler Clementi,
18, a Rutgers student, jumped off a bridge after a sexual encounter he had with another man was caught on a webcam and broad- cast. About the same time, Seth Walsh, an openly gay 13-year-old, hanged himself in his Fresno, Calif., home after complaining of bullying, according to media re- ports. Asher Brown, 13, of Houston
shot himself after classmates mocked him by calling him gay, his parents told the Houston Chronicle. Billy Lucas, a 15-year- old from Indiana, hanged him- self after enduring years of tor- ment, a friend told news organi- zations. And 15-year-old JustinAaberg,
who killed himself in July, was the third openly gay student from his Minnesota high school to take his own life in a year, according tomedia reports. Gay rights groups acknowl-
edge that it is impossible to fully knowwhy someone commits sui- cide. But they say the confusion, isolation and bullying that gay youths often experience can con- tribute to depression and self-de- structive thoughts. The advocates, who view their
struggle as a fight for civil rights, add that social change often sparks negative reactions. “Our gains are generally so
hard won, and take place in the context of fairly vitriolic debate, so the message that goes out is not just what the victory is but also the horrendous debate that surrounds it,” said Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Tony Perkins, president of the
Family Research Council, a con- servative Christian group, has argued that it is unfair to blame society for the actions of a mis- guided bully, or a single troubled teen driven by unknown forces to take his or her own life. He criticized gay rights groups that encourage youths to embrace homosexuality at an early age. “Bullying is bad regardless of
what themotivation.But let’s not jump to the conclusion that sui- cide was the result of bullying, and that bullying was a result of homosexuality,” Perkins said. Ethan Geto, a longtime gay
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activist and lobbyist, said that the incidents of violence, while disturbing, should not obscure advances. Advocates point to public opinion surveys, includ- ing Post polls showing that 75 percent of Americans think gay men and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, and nearly half think gay men and lesbians should be allowed to legally wed. “This is the fastest civil rights
movement in history,” Geto said. “While obviously, in some com- munities, terrible incidents of terrible physical and emotional violence occur, it’s a shadow of what it used to be like.”
sandhya@washpost.com
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