Research Log #8 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: 3/27/20
Name: Konnor Harada
Essential Question: Are people who are LGBTQ bullied worse?

Three Points to Prove: #1: They are easy target.

#2: Gay or bi adults are much more likely to attempt suicide.
#3: Victims usually have little to support them.

Point that this Source Proves: #2

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

"I came out of the closet as gay in eighth grade and ever since I've been bullied. I was, for lack of a better
word, and still am, the school faggot,"

“But gay and bisexual young adults, who reported higher levels of family rejection during
adolescence, were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide”

"You feel so helpless, and day in and day out you're being called something, and they're telling
you the same message: 'Your life is worthless.' And you start to believe it."

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

In this article, Joey Kemmerling talks about his experience of being bullied because of
his sexual orientation. "I came out of the closet as gay in eighth grade and ever since I've been
bullied. I was, for lack of a better word, and still am, the school faggot," He said that after he
came out to his classmates he received many vicious taunts which escalated to a threat on his
life, "There was a point where a kid had a knife on school premises and said, 'I'm going to kill
him. I want that faggot dead.' And I had to transfer schools," Joey said.
Being bullied is a terrible experience for anyone to face, but when combined with coming
out to your own family and not being accepted, it can feel like the end of the world for many
teens which leads to many to take their own life. According to an article from the American
Academy of Pediatrics in 2008, “gay and bisexual young adults, who reported higher levels of
family rejection during adolescence, were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted
suicide” Joey has admitted that in his darkest hours he has thought about suicide.
Because the LGBTQ community is relatively new and small, many teens who are coming
out can feel alone when they are being bullied about their sexuality, especially if their family and
friends aren’t supportive of them. "You feel so helpless, and day in and day out you're being
called something, and they're telling you the same message: 'Your life is worthless.' And you
start to believe it." Joey said.

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Hadad, Chuck. “Bullying victim: 'I believed that I did not deserve to live'” CNN. CNN. 7
October 2010. Web. 27 March 2020.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/05/bullying.victim.kemmerling/index.html
This is a reputable and reliable article because it’s published on CNN which well-known and respected
news platform.