Suicides On Campus

A new study finds that gay students are twice as likely as straight ones to kill themselves. But the most vulnerable group?

In the course of the study, University of Washington researcher Heather Murphy also uncovered a group of students who previously had not been studied and are at increased risk for suicidal behavior.  These students identified themselves as heterosexual, but also reported being attracted to people of the same sex or engaging in same-sex behavior.

This group was three times as likely as heterosexuals to have made a plan to commit suicide in the past year and six times more likely to have actually attempted suicide in the same period.

The closet is one of the most destructive forces around. Marriage equality is its most potent solvent. It gives people a sense of a future, a place for them to find a home. If you don't have that, if you believe you'll never have that, the temptation for oblivion can become overwhelming.