WHAAAT?!?
Kathleen McKinley, a columnist at the Houston Chronicle, has caused some controversy with a recent article titled: “Are Adults Also To Blame For Gay Teen Suicides? Yes”
The editorial blames supportive parents for the homophobic harassment their gay sons and daughters get at school.
McKinley (pictured above smiling with a gun) wrote:
“Am I mad at the hateful mean kids who bully and tease these teens? You bet I am. But I am just as mad at the idiotic adults who force our adult views on kids, and pull them into our adult world long before they are mature enough to handle it. The 13 year old that killed himself told his Mom he was gay. She said she already knew and hugged him. She said she just assumed that everyone else would be as accepting as she was.
“Really? Have you been around teenagers? They are cruel and mean. Why in the world would you give teenagers a REASON to tease you? Oh, yes, because the adults tell you to embrace who you are.”
Okay, so… it’s the parents that teach kindness — and NOT the parents that (like McKinely) that condone this homophobic behavior — that are at are at fault? How does that make any sense?
But hey, supportive parents and homophobes aren’t the only ones responsible for gay teen suicide! McKinley says “Glee make it WORSE for gays teens.” LOL!
Oh, yeah. We can not tell you how many times we’ve heard gay teens saying “I just HATE being represented on TV!” or “Seeing kids like me in the mainstream makes things worse for me!” Just ridiculous.
We’re not sure why she fancies herself an expert on gay teens. If Mckinley can prove she had EVER talked to a gay teen about Glee (or anything than shopping advice) before writing this article we’d buy her an all-inclusive trip to the shooting range.
Since publishing her provocative article Houston Chronicle writer, who is undoubtedly thrilled about all the attention this has gotten her, has posted a “clarification” that is anything but clear:
“First off, I am not telling a kid to ├óΓé¼┼ôstay in the closet.├óΓé¼┬¥ A 13 year old doesn├óΓé¼Γäót even know what the closet is! That is NOT saying they are not aware they are gay. That is saying they are not aware of the consequences of coming out or how they will handle it all themselves. Once again, this is adults projecting their world on kids. Secondly, I am not in any way blaming the parents. The parents were in uncharted waters and just did the best they could.”
So being gay is a choice? This “clarification” seems to contradict EVERYTHING she said in her original article.
Frankly, it’s people like McKinely that make it hard for gay teens to survive high school.
[image via kathleenmckinley.com]
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