Another LGBT Suicide

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:13pm

A former Howard University student died from suicide on Tuesday, Oct. 5, in her home state of California.

According to the university's college newspaper, The Hilltop, students organized a candlelight vigil for Aiyisha Hassan, 19, who attended Howard University from 2008 to 2009, on Thursday night.

...

Lauren Morris, 21, a senior at Howard, who lived in the same building as Hassan from 2008-2009, said she introduced Hassan to C.A.S.C.A.D.E. Morris added that friends have reported Hassan's suicide was related to her struggles with her sexuality.

'She was having a lot of trouble with a lot of different things,' Morris says, 'but mainly her sexual identity and just trying to express that.'
Metro Weekly

[jennafan]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:13pm

k.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:16pm

Sorry, Jennafan, I know it's not as troubling as people wearing perfume around you.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:20pm

This is the first young lesbian suicide in this unfortunate bout of suicides, isn't it? At least, it's the first one I've read about.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:21pm

I thought that was noteworthy, too, but I guess Jennafan thinks otherwise.
Updated On: 10/12/10 at 01:21 PM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:28pm

For some reason I thought that female adolescents were more likely than their male counterparts to commit suicide, but I think female adolescents are more likely to ATTEMPT suicide than males are.

I would guess female adolescents who are lesbian, bisexual or questioning feel less stigmatized than gay, bisexual or questioning male adolescents do, but that's sort of an unfounded guess.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:31pm

"For some reason I thought that female adolescents were more likely than their male counterparts to commit suicide, but I think female adolescents are more likely to ATTEMPT suicide than males are."

Yeah, that's generally the case Female adolescents are more likely to attempt, and typically try something like an overdose that can be caught in time. Male adolescents typically try a more violent means and are more likely to go through with it.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:39pm

That makes sense. Before I made that post, I did a quick google/wiki search on suicide statistics and that's true across age groups (females being more likely to attempt suicide, males being more likely to go through with it)

I'm not a male and I don't really have many males in my family, but what sort of social groups did the male members of this board have when they were adolescents? Did any of you go to an all-male high school and did that skew it in any way?

I'm asking because, although girls can be horribly mean and catty (ESPECIALLY as adolescents), but I always felt like I had at least one or two friends who I could really confide in. I went to an all-female high school, though, and I'm pretty sure that skews things a bit. But I was just wondering if there was a true connection between gender and social groups and interactions, or if I'm just making it up. I've been away from sociology for a while.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:44pm

My brother goes to an all-boys high school, and the things I hear make me sick. It really is disgustingly homophobic there. One of the teachers called a kid a faggot and nobody seemed to care.

I go to an all girls school. It's Catholic, so the administration is pretty homophobic, but the girls themselves really aren't. I can't speak for all one-sex high schools, but I would venture to guess that it's worse for the guys.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:48pm

While all the support that has come out of these tragic events is great, I wonder if constantly hearing about peers committing suicide could somehow end up increasing the number of suicides.

Like, the more it happens the more some kids might see it as an option.

A similar mentality to copy cat crimes.

I didn't express myself very well there, I hope that makes sense.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:57pm

No, taz, it makes sense.

In fact, the daily paper I used to work at had a fairly strict policy never to report suicides as part of the daily police/crime reports, and copycat potential was a part of that reason. The exceptions would be if it was a prominent figure (e.g., a mayor) or if it was done in a very public manner (e.g., kid walks on stage and shoots himself during a school assembly).

[StageManager2]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:58pm

I know what you mean, taz. I was thinking the same thing, too. It could be that some teens may see the national attention these suicides are getting and may want to have one last hurrah, too, so to speak. That's not to say they're not conflicted or disturbed, but it may be a factor.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 1:58pm

This is terribly sad.

Tazber, you explained yourself well and yes, it is a real concern. Having a "model" for suicide does increase likelihood.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 2:03pm

The copycat syndrome is oh so true. Five people have jumped in front of Acela trains in the Philadelphia/Princeton corridor in the past year.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 2:04pm

Tazber, I thought the same thing as well.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 2:07pm

PRS, I can only assume jennafan meant to convey something homophobic and repellent as in past posts.

Here's an interesting article from a year ago on the topic of copycat suicides
New Scientist

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 2:21pm

tazber, I think you expressed yourself clearly. I've thought about copycats as well.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/12/10 at 3:19pm

Obviously, jennafan is too cool for compassion. It's so Y2K. Ambivalence is way more trendy. It's in all the Forever 21s.