Shades of Gay Author Releases Statement About Recent LGBTQ Suicides
Submitted by: Narrow Path Publishing
2010-10-01 00:02:24
Raleigh, NC (OPENPRESS) October 1, 2010 -- In the wake of the suicides of four boys who suffered from anti-LGBTQ bullying, author Stephanie Silberstein released a personal statement today. In the statement, she expressed sorrow over the boys' deaths and encouraged readers to reach out to LGBTQ youth in an effort to prevent more suicides.
"[I]t's easy to forget that words and statistics are not just words and statistics," Silberstein wrote. "I personally believe that it's possible for each of us to make things better...not necessarily for everyone, but at least for one person."
Silberstein encouraged fans to connect with one person, whether through social action, providing entertainment, writing or simply spreading the word about existing suicide prevention organizations.
She used her own work as an example, explaining that Shades of Gay was written in response to her best friend, cover artist D Gavi Chayim's struggle with suicide back in 2008. Chayim survived her suicidal period and is now living happily and openly as a Transgender woman.
"The thing we have to remember," Silberstein said earlier today, "is that these suicides are not an unusual trend. Everyone's thinking about them now because they're in the news. But how many more suicides go unreported every day?"
Silberstein hopes that people will continue to think about suicide prevention after the victims' names have faded from the national spotlight. In addition to releasing a statement, she reposted a suicide prevention video she made in 2009 to remind people of the importance of this issue. She also plans on donating 10 percent of profits from Shades of Gay to the Trevor Project, the first national LGBT-oriented suicide hotline in the United States once the book is published. She is pleased to see people posting links to the Trevor Project online and encourages them to keep doing so in her statement.
The entire statement is available online at http://meowingatthemoon.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/about-the-recent-suicides. For more information about Silberstein or Shades of Gay, please visit http://www.narrowpathpublishing.net.