On the recordMarch 10, 2011
I wish to tell you about a teenager whom I think you know about--Justin Aaberg--from our home State of Minnesota. Yesterday should have been Justin's 16th birthday. Justin was a kind young man, friendly and cheerful, a budding composer, but he was also the target for bullies at his high school, who targeted him because he was different--because he was gay. I never had the opportunity to meet Justin. His family lost him to suicide last summer. But you and I have been privileged to meet his mother Tammy. She is incredible. She has been speaking out to protect other kids. Because, unfortunately, there are a lot of other kids out there struggling to get through school as they suffer from bullying and harassment and discrimination at their public schools. Nine out of ten LGBT students are harassed or bullied or taunted in school. This harassment deprives them of an equal education. They are more likely to skip school, they are less likely to perform well academically, and they are more likely to drop out before they graduate from high school. In some tragic cases, such as Justin's, the harassment of LGBT students can even lead to suicide. More than a third--more than a third--of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth have made a suicide attempt.
