The Public Eye THE PUBLIC EYE SUMMER  2003 17 Often  it  is  this  sense  of  isolation  that becomes desperation and hopelessness and too often results in a young person engag- ing in high-risk behaviors. Heterosexual students  also  suffer  when  this  type  of harassment  goes  unchecked  because  it sends a powerful message that hate and dis- crimination are acceptable in the school environment. The emotional and physical abuse that LGBTQ students face at school, coupled with the rejection they face from family and friends and the social isolation they feel from other youth, puts these young peo- ple in extreme jeopardy. In fact, studies have consistently found that these young peo- ple experience higher rates of attempted suicide, homelessness, and substance abuse, and more frequently engage in unsafe sex. “I came out to my classmates when I was in seventh grade. I was harassed, followed home and people threw firecrackers at me. They called me all kinds of epithets. I was harassed every minute of every day that I went to  school.  One  day,  I  was  called  into  the assistant principal’s office when I was in the eighth grade and he said, ‘You brought this on yourself.’” - Brett, an LGBTQ youth Many LGBTQ students skip school or drop out because of fear. Still other students suffer as they are rendered invisible in an educational environment which assumes heterosexuality and silences any question- ing  about  sexual  orientation  or  gender identity. Brett’s experience with his prin- cipal is actually quite common. Even more frequently  administrators  deny  that LGBTQ youth exist in their schools at all. In Jyl Josephson’s lead article describing the  Right’s  attack  on  safe  schools,  it becomes clear why so many young people are suffering. It is not because they are les- bian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ques- tioning, but because our schools are afraid of addressing the dangerous and discrim- inatory attitudes and values forced upon them by a minority of conservative parents. Craig A. Bowman has been the Executive Director at the National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) since 2000. NYAC rep- resents  more  than  130  urban  and  rural organizations nationwide, including national and state level direct-service agencies, com- munity-based  organizations,  NGOs,  and advocacy and civil rights groups. NYAC can be found on the web at www.nyacyouth.org, or by calling 800.541.6922. Guest Commentary continued from page 2 m Subscribe! Yes, I want to subscribe to The Public Eye. Please send a subscription to the address below. m Support PRA! Yes, I want to help PRA unmask the Right and its attacks on democracy and diversity. I have enclosed a contribution of $______ toward your work. (donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law) Name Address City State Zip Code m My subscription is a gift to the person listed above. Please enclose a card to let them know the gift is from ______________________________________________ Individual/Non-Profit Organization $29.00 Other Organization $39.00 Student/Retired/Low-Income $19.00 Outside U.S., Canada, and Mexico add $9.00/surfacemail, $14.00/air mail Subscription (4 issues) $_______ Postage (outside U.S., Canada, and Mexico) $_______ Donation to support the work of PRA $_______ (Donors of $50 or more receive a subscription to The Public Eye) TOTAL $_______ m Check Enclosed (Make payable to Political Research Associates) m Charge my Mastercard/Visa Account #    ____________________________________   Exp Date ________________ Name   _________________________________________________________________ Signature  ______________________________________________________________ Mail form with payment to: Political Research Associates, 1310 Broadway, Suite 201, Somerville, MA 02144-1731 For information on additional materials available from PRA, please visit our website: www.publiceye.org and order on-line.