The LGBTQ+ community continues to hear good news since the same-sex marriage laws were passed back in 2015.
New studies are showing states who adopted same-sex marriage laws saw a decline in suicide attempts, especially in high school students.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people. The Jason Foundation found that on average there are 5,240 attempts by young people grades 7-12 each day.
 When it comes to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, “as many as 50 percent of LGBTQ+ teens experience a negative reaction from their parents when they come out; 30 percent experience physical abuse and 26 percent are kicked out of their homes,” according to Psychology Today.
In the 5-4 Supreme court ruling, Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, same sex marriages were legalized nationwide in the United States. This was the first time in over four decades when the LGBTQ+ community no longer felt discriminated against because of their sexuality.
Since these laws were passed, studies found high school students being more at ease and open with their sexuality and no longer feeling like a sexual minority.
According to Psychology Today, “Gay, lesbian or bisexual people are 10 times more likely to experience discrimination based on sexual orientation as compared to heterosexual people.
Previously, 28.5 percent among those identifying themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or unsure of their sexual orientation committed suicide.”
In addition, The Los Angeles Times says, “In the year following any state’s adoption of marriage equality, rates of attempted suicide among such high schoolers in that state fell 14 percent below that group’s rate of suicide attempts in states that had not changed their policies on gay marriage.”
The fact LGBTQ+ community is being recognized and not pushed aside, the suicide rates and attempts will only go down from here on out.
The Human Rights Campaign is advocating for the student non-discrimination act to be passed. This act would prohibit public schools from discriminating against any student because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, which was modeled similarly to Title IX.
“In fact, according to an HRC survey of more than 10,000 LGBTQ+ teens, LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to experience verbal harassment, exclusion and physical attack at school as their non-LGBTQ+ peers. LGBTQ+ youth also identify bullying and harassment as a primary problem in their lives,” according to the Human Rights Campaign.
This bill will be able to give the LGBTQ+ community comfort knowing that they are not being looked passed.
Education is vital to individuals and especially many of these incidents occur on school campuses, will help provide a safe and healthy environment for those who feel bullied or harassed.