From the Archives of The Advocate.

April 5, 1994: Suicidal tendencies and gay youth

As this issue's cover story attests, lesbian and gay youth issues continue to be controversial in the new century. In the April 5, 1994, issue of The Advocate, Chris Bull delved into the complex politics behind studying gay youth suicide. "For gay-youth advocates the connection between suicide and sexual orientation is far too strong to ignore or even question," Bull wrote. "But ... some [researchers] have accused gay-youth advocates of manipulating the issue for political gain."

The debate centered on a 1989 Department of Health and Human Services report based on social worker Paul Gibson's finding that more than 30% of gay youths had attempted suicide. The study was promptly buffed by the Bush administration. In 1993 David Shaffer, a prominent child psychiatrist, criticized Gibson's methodology, saying his sample group--teens staying at youth and homeless shelters--was already an at-risk group. Shaffer claimed his own method found that only 2.5% of the suicide victims could be identified as gay. But researchers also found flaws in Shaffer's work, saying it relied on families and friends to posthumously know or acknowledge victims' sexual orientation.

"It's tragic that we have allowed politics to get in the way of helping [gay youth]," Gibson told Bull. "Many times it's just a matter of giving them ... an accurate understanding of who they are. How many times do we have an opportunity to help people so easily?"