New HRC Report on Experiences of LGBT Youth Links Being Out to Happiness, Other Positive Life Factors

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FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 11, 2012
Paul Guequierre

New HRC Report on Experiences of LGBT YouthLinks Being Out to Happiness, Other Positive Life Factors
 NationalComing Out Day report finds openly LGBT youth happier, rely on peers forsupport yet serious obstacles remain to coming out
WASHINGTON –Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth who are out to theirimmediate family or at school report higher levels of happiness, optimism,acceptance and support, according to a new report on LGBT youth released today,National Coming Out Day (NCOD) by the Human Rights Campaign – the nation’slargest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization. The report further analyzes the results of a groundbreaking survey of over10,000 LGBT-identified young people, first released this summer in a reporttitled “Growing Up LGBT in America.”

The NationalComing Out Day report shows that 9 out of 10 LGBT youth (91 percent) acrossthis country are out to their close friends while youth are less likely to beout to immediate family (56 percent) and at school (61 percent).

“The goodnews is that unlike previous generations, many of today’s LGBT youth havesomeone in their life with whom they can be themselves,” said HRC PresidentChad Griffin.  “It is strikingly clear, however, that adults must dobetter in supporting LGBT youth who still fear family rejection, being judgedand ostracized in school, rejected from their religious congregations and thebroader community.”

The reportalso finds youth who are not out often face additional stressors and are morelikely to be cut off from key forms of support including adults in their familyor community to talk to and support organizations at school.  Half of LGBTyouth, both out and not, participate in online communities that address LGBTyouth issues.
 Amongthe report’s key findings:

• Among youth who are not out to their family, the most frequent obstacle they describe is that their family is not accepting or homo/bi/transphobic;
• Among youth who are not out at school, the most frequent obstacle they describe is that teachers or classmates will treat them differently or judge them;
• Nearly half (47 percent) of LGBT youth who are not out to their immediate family say they do not have an adult in their family they could talk to if they were sad, a quarter (25 percent) of youth who are out say the same;
• Among religious-identified LGBT youth who attend services regularly, only 19 percent are out within their congregation and a mere 11 percent are out to their clergy

“We knowthat LGBT youth who are out and accepted by even a handful of close friends orfamily are happier, and everyone has a role in creating an environment in whichyouth feel safe and comfortable being themselves,” said Ellen Kahn, director ofthe HRC Family Project and a professional social worker. “Today we should allconsider what more we can be doing – from the conversations we have at thekitchen table or in the workplace, to comments made by national leaders in themedia.”

This report,the second in a series of efforts to analyze the landscape for LGBT youth,includes a call to action for LGBT youth, their peers, parents, teachers,elected officials and religious leaders. 
 A fullcopy of the report is available at: www.hrc.org/youth.

TheHuman Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working toachieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring andengaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizensand realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

NCOD- Youth- Report