+
Heroes

Fewer kids are attempting suicide. We may have same-sex marriage to thank for it.

Legalizing same-sex marriage in the U.S. may have literally saved American lives.

In a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers at Harvard and John Hopkins universities examined the rate of youth suicide attempts in states before and after same-sex marriage laws. They found legalizing same-sex marriage was associated with a marked decrease in youth suicide attempts.

Before same-sex marriage was legalized, 8.6% of high school students in the study reported a suicide attempt. After, the overall rate dropped by 0.6 percentage point — a 7% decrease. The effect was even higher in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth, who saw a 14% decrease.


The researchers analyzed Centers for Disease Control & Prevention data from over 750,000 self-reported surveys covering a 16-year period between 1999 and 2015, when the Supreme Court legalized marriage in all 50 states. Whether an individual identified as trans was not included in this analysis.

The decrease in suicide attempts was concentrated around the time each state legalized same-sex marriage before the nationwide ruling.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in young people. LGBTQ youth are especially at risk.

It is the second-leading cause of death in people ages 10-24 years, according to the CDC.

Lesbian, gay, and bi youth are four times more likely to have a suicide attempt, according to the study. Trans youth may be at even greater risk.

As to why the numbers dropped, it's possible that legalization communicated to young people that they really are equal.

That's what study leader Julia Raifman told PBS NewsHour.

While the study wasn't designed to get into the nitty-gritty of individual psychologies, we know social stigma can play a big role in a person's mental health. Anti-marriage laws may have represented a kind of structural, state-sponsored stigma in young people's minds.

By legalizing same-sex marriage, the states may have effectively removed that stigma.

Today, though some advocates fear for LGBTQ rights under the new administration, same-sex marriage is the law of the land.

The Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all states back in 2015. President Trump has promised to uphold this ruling and other LBGTQ rights, but some advocates are still worried about what the new administration and a GOP-controlled Congress will mean.

Nevertheless, no matter what happens, the numbers are hard to argue with. It really does look like this saves lives. In fact, the authors estimated that same-sex marriage will mean 134,000 fewer suicide attempts per year.

“Regardless of political views, I think everyone can agree that reducing adolescent suicide attempts is a good thing,” Raifman said.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Google and Freepik

Google's new personal information removal submission page.

In the internet era, the idea of personal privacy is all but a myth. With a few keystrokes just about anyone can get your home address, phone number, email, age and the names of your family members. The fact that this information is readily available puts us all in the dangerous position of being the victim of fraud, stalking and violence.

What makes the situation even worse is that our information was put online without any of our consent.

The good news is that Google just made a big change that gives us all a little more control over our personal information. On April 27, the company announced it will allow anyone to request removals of their personal information from its Search feature.

“Open access to information is a key goal of Search, but so is empowering people with the tools they need to protect themselves and keep their sensitive, personally identifiable information private. That’s why we’re updating our policies to help people take more control of their online presence in Search,” Michelle Chang, Google’s Global Policy Lead for Search, announced on the company’s blog.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

Keep ReadingShow less

Becca Moore and Raul Torres having margaritas.

Becca Moore is a popular TikToker with over 800,000 followers who's known for her funny, laid-back takes on dating. Like any influencer-type she was at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, California recently. While she was at Coachella, she was robbed of her phone, rental car keys and wallet.

“I went to Coachella this weekend and I thought this guy was kinda hitting on me but then he just robbed me,” Becca says at the beginning of her three-minute TikTok video with over 3 million views. After the festival, she was left with no ride, money, or means to get in contact with friends and family. She was stranded in the desert.

Becca’s friend’s hotel called her an Uber so she could get to a local store to buy a new phone. The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

44 years ago he became her protector after a terrible act. Today, they've been reunited in love.

Betsy and Irv are finally getting the happy ending they deserve. Together.

It’s pretty safe to say that everyone loves a good love story.

There’s a whole genre of music and movies dedicated to the idea of someone being swept off of their feet after circumstances tried to keep them from their true love. Romance novels could single handedly keep public libraries and bookstores afloat. Everyone loves "love" and the story of Betsy and Irv just takes the cake. Betsy Sailor attended Penn State University as a business major, which was almost unheard of in 1978 and Irv Pankey attended the university while playing football. The pair’s paths never crossed, until an unfortunate incident bonded the two forever.

Keep ReadingShow less
@SopheAlice/TikTok

Best way to travel, really.

As they say, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”

This old adage was brought to life in a whole new way after two friends who thought they booked tickets to Budapest, Hungary, instead found themselves heading to Bucharest, Romania.

Just a minor 500-mile difference, but who’s counting?

TikToker @SophAlice posted a video of the pair realizing their mix-up, which went viral and set them off on an impromptu adventure based entirely on the comments they received.
Keep ReadingShow less