Jordan Carter.Created a Web-based refuge for rural gay any lesbian youth After a childhood surrounded by anti-gay rhetoric from religious private schools in his rural Texas hometown, Jordan Carter entertained "constant thoughts of suicide" by the time he was 12. Now 19, Carter is on the forefront of making sure other gay youth understand a lifesaving fact: They are not alone. As the creator of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual bisexual /bi·sex·u·al/ (-sek´shoo-al) 1. pertaining to or characterized by bisexuality. 2. an individual exhibiting bisexuality. 3. pertaining to or characterized by hermaphroditism. 4. , and Transgender Youth Transgender youth are children and adolescents who identify as transgender and/or transsexual. Because transgender youth are usually dependent on their parents for care, shelter, financial support, and other needs, and because most doctors are reluctant to provide medical Outreach Network (GayTeenResource.com), Carter uses the Internet to provide an outlet for gay teens nationwide. Averaging 10 "sign-ups" a day, the site pairs lonely teens with local resources ranging from gay youth centers to nearby gay friends. "I believe that I have opened up people's eyes to the great number of youth who still need help out there--and the need for outreach via the Internet," Carter says. With confusion about sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. still ranking as a leading cause of teenage suicide Teenage suicide is the self-killing of a teenager. Although the suicide rate among youth significantly decreased in the mid-1990s, suicide deaths remain high in the 15 to 24 age group with 3,971 suicides in 2001 and over 132,000 suicide attempts in 2002, making it the third , Carter's use of the Internet ensures a vital part of GLBYON's mission statement: that "no GLBTQ GLBTQ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer GLBTQ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning youth is left behind or forgotten." |
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