2023-04-28 21:33:45
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There are social incentives for coming out as a member of a sexual minority.
Approximately 1 in 4 US high school students identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another sexual orientation related to the LGBTQ+ community, according to a report released Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).
The data comes from a survey carried out in 2021 by the government agency at the national level, in which they participated a total of 17,508 adolescents of public and private schools. 75.5% of school students self-identified as heterosexual, the 3.2% acknowledged being gay or lesbian12.1% bisexual, while 5.2% said not being sure of your sexuality and 3.9% identified with other sexual orientations.
“The percentage of students with non-heterosexual sexual identity it has increased steadily, from 11% in 2015 to 26% in 2021″, the report highlights. Additionally, the paper shows that teens who identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community experience a “higher prevalence of poor mental healthcompared to heterosexual youth, and who are also “more likely to experience sexual or physical violence, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and suicidal thoughts.
The role of schools
According to the principal investigator of the Heritage Foundation think tank, Jay Richard, the increase in minors identifying with non-traditional sexual orientations is due to study plans that include various genres and that have been implemented in primary and secondary schools in the country. “I have no doubt that schools are playing a key role on this growth,” Richard told the Daily Mail.
In recent years, some schools have begun to teach sex education from second grade, provoking the rejection of the conservative society. For Richard, another factor is also the government’s increased political focus on social justice. «There are social incentives for declaring himself a member of a sexual minority,” he criticized.
Recently, a Vermont state school administration sent a letter to parents of fifth graders advising them that gender-inclusive language would be used in “science” classes, eliminating the terms boy and girl or their synonyms. The terms “boy, male and male sex assigned at birth” shall be replaced by “person who produces sperm«. While the terms “girl, woman or female assigned at birth” will be replaced by “person who produces eggs«.
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