+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
upworthy

fox news

Identity

Legalizing gay marriage has caused a dramatic drop in LGBT suicide rates

A victory for America.

via Ted Eytan

In June 2015 The Supreme Court of the United States declared same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

The legalization of gay marriage granted over 1100 statutory provisions to same-sex couples, many of them granting rights and privileges previously only afforded to heterosexual couples.

After the decision, President Barack Obama said the ruling will "strengthen all of our communities" by offering dignity and equal status to all same-sex couples and their families.

He called it a "victory for America."


However, the law didn't just benefit same-sex couples who want to get married, it also had a dramatic affect on LGBT youth. Two years after the legalization of gay marriage, the suicide attempt rate among LGBT youth declined significantly according to the Associated Press.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for U.S. teens. LGBT teens are five times more likely to make an attempt than their straight peers.

The study was conducted with over 26,000 LGBT youth participants in the 32 states where gay marriage was legalized up through the 2015 Supreme Court decision. The study found that suicide attempt rates dropped 7% among all students and 14% among gay kids after same-sex marriage was legalized in each state.

Part of the drop in suicide attempts by kids who didn't publicly identify that they were gay could be because they were closeted or questioning.

assets.rebelmouse.io

There was no change in states where same-sex marriage wasn't legalized.

While the change in suicide attempts doesn't prove there's a direct connection, researchers believe that the law made LGBT kids feel "more hopeful for the future." They also believe the measures increased tolerance among their straight peers while reducing the stigmatization felt by gay kids.

assets.rebelmouse.io

A study out of Denmark and Sweden published in 2019 found similar results among married gay couples.

Same-sex marriage was made legal in 2009 in Sweden and 2012 in Denmark.

The study found that couples in same-sex unions saw a 46% decline in suicide suicide, compared to 28% of those in heterosexual unions.

"Although suicide rates in the general populations of Denmark and Sweden have been decreasing in recent decades, the rate for those living in same-sex marriage declined at a steeper pace, which has not been noted previously," researchers noted.

These studies show the power that societal recognition can have on stigmatized minority groups. When one is protected by the "law of the land" it means a lot more than what happens in a courtroom or at city hall.

It shows that you are accepted by the community and protected by those in power. For to love flourish — whether it's loving oneself or sharing it with a partner — first it must first be protected.


This article originally appeared on 01.24.20

From Your Site Articles
gay marriage suicide drop
Pop Culture

Fox News star invites liberal mom onto his show and gets a hilarious lecture on doing his job

Jesse Watters just experienced the most wholesome of mic drops.

Johnny Belisario/Wikimedia Commons

Hearing Watters be called "honeybun" is worth the watch alone.

There are some things in this world that are so universal they transcend the normally divisive topics like political leanings, religious affiliations, age, gender, language and even stance on whether pineapple belongs on pizza.

That special kind of embarrassment our parents can provide—filled with equal parts warmth and reprimand—is one of those things.

On July 17, Fox News host Jesse Watters made his debut in the primetime slot previously held by Tucker Carlson. And who should happen to call in to his first show but his Democrat mother, Anne Bailey Watters, ready to give her son some “suggestions” for the new gig.

But first, she congratulated her “honeybun,” saying how proud she is of his accomplishments. Cause a mom’s gotta mom.

And then, without missing a beat, she began her list of tips for “keeping the job,” an obvious nod to Carlson getting fired.

Sure, there were some political digs here and there, like warning him against “tumbling down conspiracy rabbit holes” and calling on him to stop “Biden-bashing,” but also plenty of solid motherly advice like “be kind and respectful" and "do no harm."

It’s basically what any of our mothers would tell us. Just, you know, live on the air in front of millions of viewers.

Watters also had fun with the interaction, smiling and laughing the entire time. Given that he has previously made a comedy bit out of reading his mom’s critical texts out loud, it feels safe to say that a sense of humor hasn’t been lost to political differences.

And, at the end of the conversation, there is still an exchange of “I love you”s and a reminder that dinner will be between 5:00 and 8:00. Seems that a sense of family hasn’t been lost either.

Watch the video below. It’s a testament to how love can exist alongside contrasting beliefs. And that parents are humbling, no matter how old you are, or who you vote for.

From Your Site Articles
news
Democracy

Two Fox News contributors share an open letter explaining why they quit the channel for good

via Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Tucker Carlson speaking with attendees at the 2020 Student Action Summit hosted by Turning Point USA.

Fox News recently debuted a three-part series on the capitol insurrection hosted by Tucker Carlson that pledged to tell the "true story behind" the January 6 attack. "Patriot Purge," which aired on Fox Nation, Fox News' subscription streaming service, claims the attack was a "false flag" operation instigated by left-wing activists and the government is using it to strip Trump supporters of their rights.

The special has been condemned for advancing conspiracy theories and many of its claims have been roundly debunked including an in-depth fact check by PolitiFact.

Carlson claims that the series is "rock-solid factually."

In the series, Carlson makes the ridiculous and dangerous claim that Trump supporters are the government's newest enemy.

"They've begun to fight a new enemy in a new war on terror," Carlson says over footage of terrorism and torture from the post-9/11 era. "Not, you should understand, a metaphorical war, but an actual war. Soldiers and paramilitary law enforcement, guided by the world's most powerful intelligence agencies, hunting down American citizens, purging them from society, and throwing some of them into solitary confinement."

All of this was a step too far for Fox contributors Stephen Hayes and Jonah Goldberg, who announced that they've quit the news channel for good after the special's release. The two announced their departure in an open letter published in "The Dispatch" entitled, "Why we are leaving Fox News."

Hayes and Goldberg started "The Dispatch" two years ago to "do right as we see it, by providing engaged citizens fact-based reporting and commentary on politics, policy and culture—informed by conservative principles."

The two made note that their problem was with Fox's opinion show hosts, not the actual reporting done by its news team.

"Fox News still does real reporting, and there are still responsible conservatives providing valuable opinion and analysis. But the voices of the responses are being drowned out by the irresponsible," Hayes and Goldberg wrote.

The pair called the "Patriot Purge" series "a collection of incoherent conspiracy-mongering, riddled with factual inaccuracies, half-truths, deceptive imagery, and damning omissions." They claim that this type of misinformation is the exact reason why the January 6 attack happened in the first place.

"Over the past five years, some of Fox's top opinion hosts amplified the false claims and bizarre narratives of Donald Trump or offered up their own in his service," Hayes and Goldberg wrote. "In this sense, the release of Patriot Purge wasn't an isolated incident, it was merely the most egregious example of a longstanding trend."

Eventually, the two could no longer contribute to Fox News because it stood in stark contrast to their goals at "The Dispatch."

"The tension between doing that work well and remaining loyal to Fox has tested us many times over the past few years," they wrote. "But with the release of Patriot Purge, we felt we could no longer 'do right as we see it' and remain at Fox News. So we resigned."

The decision by Hayes and Goldberg to distance themselves from the alternative world of conspiracies slowly enveloping mainstream conservatism is bold because it comes with real risk. Dozens of prominent conservatives have stood up against Trumpism over the past six years and for many, it's led to them being thrown to the sidelines of conservative media.

Carlson, who once called Trump the "most repulsive person on the planet" decided to take the other road and his opportunism comes at the expense of his own country.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
fox news
Videos

Fox News host Laura Ingraham's confusion over 'You' interview is unintentional comedy gold

Parker Molloy/Twitter

Laura Ingraham and Raymond Arroyo did a real-life "Who's on first?" bit.

Laura Ingraham isn't generally known for her comedy, but a viral clip from the November 15 episode of "The Ingraham Angle" has people rolling.

Ingraham was chatting with author Raymond Arroyo, a regular guest on her show, about the supposed popularity of "un-woke" television programming. Arroyo asserted, "There is a reason people are in love with 'Yellowstone,' Laura. It is an antidote to the politics and all those woke storylines in so many shows today."

Then he added, "I was watching an episode of 'You,' where measles came up…"

Ingraham interrupted him: "When did I mention measles?"

Arroyo was referring to the Netflix show 'You,' and he kept repeating the name of the show to clear up the confusion. But Ingraham kept thinking he was talking about her show.

"We have never done a measles and vaccine episode," she said. "Is this a joke? I don't know what you are talking about."

"It was on You," Arroyo repeated. "It was on You."

"Raymond, I have never had measles, what are you talking about?" she said. "This is stupid."

And it just kept going:

"It was an episode of a show, Laura."

"What's it called?"

"You! You! It's called You."

"I've never done a show on measles!"

"It is a show called 'You' on Netflix."

"There's a show called Laura Ingraham on Netflix … what are you talking about?"

Just watch:

Seriously, it's an SNL sketch.

Some people thought for sure that the whole thing was scripted, which is entirely possible.

The funniest thing about it, though, is that it's fairly emblematic of how conversations go on "The Ingraham Angle." A guest says something, Ingraham reacts, vapid debate ensues and Ingraham repeatedly doubles down on whatever she's wrong about. That part is hilarious.

Now people are torn between thinking it's real and thinking it's scripted and both options seem to make sense. If you weren't familiar with the show "You," you could easily believe that Ingraham was legitimately confused. Then again, the likelihood that someone in media would be unfamiliar with one of Netflix's top five shows seems low, but you never know.

Penn Badgley, the star of "You," even weighed in on the debate on Twitter, writing, "Definitely a bit. His delivery is great tho."

Either way, the clip was entertaining. If nothing else, it was a successful publicity stunt, as it got people of all stripes talking.

(However, if we're going to talk about Laura Ingraham's show and the Fox News Channel in general, let's remember to mention their significant contributions to the dismantling of America and destruction of civil society. No amount of comedy should distract us from that reality.)

Thanks for the laugh, though.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
culture
Trending Stories