Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America

A mental health crisis faces American teens right now-and it is one we can solve. Hundreds of thousands of gay teens face traumatic depression, fear, rejection, persecution, and isolation-usually alone. Studies show they are 190 percent more likely to used drugs or alcohol and four times more likely to attempt suicide. Homophobia and discrimination are at the heart of their pain. Love, support, and acceptance-all within our power to give-can save them. This book is for: clergy, parents, educators, and politicians who cause harm with their words and actions; parents of gay teens; teens navigating this difficult time; and fair-minded people who want to help end the harm. Here are revealing stories by forty diverse Americans, some well known and some not, plus insights from straight clergy and parents explaining their support of gay people as whole human beings guaranteed equal rights by our Constitution. ------------------- In 1989, Mitchell Gold and his business partner created a residential furniture manufacturing company called Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, in Taylorsville, North Carolina. Just nine years later, Inc. magazine positioned the company at number 57 on its list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies. Gold has a long history of supporting grassroots and national nonprofits including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, Leukemia Society, Human Rights Campaign, Empire State Pride Agenda, Design Industries Foundation for AIDS, Friend in Deed, and AIDS Leadership Foothills-Area Alliance. In April 2005, Inc. magazine named him one of the twenty-six "Entrepreneurs We Love." Today the company is a $100M home-furnishings brand known for comfort; it employs more than 750 people and features its own on-site education-based daycare center. Gold is also the founder of nonprofit group Faith in America.