Zeb, Suicide and 'If They Want To Kill Themselves Fine'

[This is part two in a series addressing egregious anti-gay statements made by Zeb Bell and others on his "Zeb at the Ranch" talk show.  Find part one here.]

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[I have] spiritual wounds. It makes me feel that I'm less human than everybody else and makes me wonder if I am a freak or not, and if I die will I go to hell? So many fears running through my head it's pitiful.

I would rather die than have to relive it …

I didn't want to die and basically thought if I got them into trouble they'd be even more mad and I'd be dead.

Those were said by kids—unnamed victims reacting to anti-gay harassment incidents endured at school as quoted in the Safe Schools Coalition report, They Don't Even Know Me: Understanding Anti-Gay Harassment and Violence in Schools.  The study was a five year project conducted in Washington state schools examining anti-gay harassment and violence among kindergarten through grade twelve from 1994 through 1998 and published in 1999.  It included heartbreaking personal accounts of incidents ranging from ongoing verbal attacks to physical violence, including gang rape, many leading to suicidal thoughts and attempts, some of which were successful.

Although conducted over a decade ago, this study contains valuable information for providing a safe environment for these vulnerable members of our society.  And they are vulnerable, not only to physical and emotional abuse from others, but to self-destructive behavior including suicide.  Rates of attempted suicide for gay youth are consistently higher than their straight counterparts and may be in the range of 20 to 42 percent, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association article "Sexual Orientation and Youth Suicide."

Regardless of one's beliefs, religious or otherwise, regarding sexual orientation and its cause, it's impossible not to be troubled by these staggering statistics.  It's not impossible to imagine why.  Given the prevalence of anti-gay sentiment being manifest in many forms including the physically violent to the seemingly innocuous off-hand joke and use of slurs, it's not impossible to imagine that during a time when all adolescents are struggling with identity and self-esteem, anti-gay harassment could be a contributing factor in these high numbers.

Another Safe Schools Coalition report, Eighty-Three Thousand Youth which examined eight studies conducted among middle and high school students across the country, concluded exactly that, saying among other things that, "sexual minority youth in general, as well as heterosexual youth who are harassed for being perceived to be gay, ... are significantly more likely than their heterosexual, non-harassed peers to engage in self-endangering behaviors such as ... thinking about, planning and attempting suicide" although the self-endangering behaviors were not limited to suicide or attempts. [emphasis mine]

Displays of anti-gay harassment vary in magnitude.  In the Washington state study incidents were organized into five categories of increasing violence with the first being, "One-Time, Climate Setting Incidents" the description of which reads in part:  "Some of these incidents may have seemed relatively trivial to onlookers. The respondents, however, found them disturbing. Some expressed concern that these less overtly violent incidents seem to serve as invitations to more intense harassment, especially when adults perpetrate them or fail to intervene."

Included in one such incident was this:

A high school student is sitting in class when the teacher comments that he wishes all gays would be placed on an island somewhere. Distressed, the student tells another teacher what happened. That teacher tells another, who is shocked and calls Safe Schools about it.

The account goes on to note what this reporting teacher thought ought to be the punishment for the incident but any punishment, if it existed, was not included in this incident report.

Which brings us finally to Zeb Bell, Idaho's very own radio shock jock, host of "Zeb at the Ranch" broadcast on 1230 AM, KBAR in Rupert.  If you'll recall, part one of this series included a clip containing four segments from Zeb's November 6 show.  Here again is the portion relevant to this part in the series:

Yes, that was a caller who, in a moment of what he considered restraint, said, "I think that every one of the gays should go out and find their own little island, create their own little government, do what they want to do and leave us the heck alone."  Sound a little familiar?  But even more egregiously, that was Zeb saying, "I don't care. ... If they want to actually kill themselves through that 'lifestyle' ... then fine."

Zeb, adamantly anti-choice and railing against abortion at every opportunity, just wished death upon human beings—human beings who are already vulnerable to thoughts of suicide.  How many young people heard Zeb's show that day?  Probably not many.  It was around 8:30 on a school morning, but that attitude and Zeb's influence carry far beyond those actually listening.  It permeates throughout the valley and you can bet that there are gay or questioning kids who've been touched either by that comment directly or through someone who heard Zeb say it and decided it was okay.

It's not okay.  Either we value life—all of it—or we don't.  It's not okay to suggest that society would be better off without some members, even if you don't particularly like them. It's especially not okay to create, perpetuate or tolerate a community atmosphere in which vulnerable kids don't feel safe, and silence is complicity.

To speak out, contact Zeb (find email and other info there) and his sponsors. Stay tuned; more information on other ways you can do that will be forthcoming.  For information on how you can help prevent suicide in youth who are struggling with their sexual orientation and gender identity, check out The Trevor Project.

Comments

[Sisyphus]

Zeb and his culture of life. Odious people without a mirror.

[MountainGoat]

True, hopefully enough of us are willing to be that mirror.

[Sara Anderson]

I think they key is that he says "kill themselves through that lifestyle." It's like the mythical post-abortion syndrome, where conservatives say that engaging in behavior of which they do not approve will lead to illness - mental or otherwise. No one has to harass gay teenagers, so being a gay teenager doesn't have to mean being vulnerable.

What an incredibly mean thing for him to say so close to the Day of Trans Rememberance.

[MountainGoat]

Good point Sara, there shouldn't be a stigma associated with one's sexual orientation, regardless of what that might be, and it's only the fact that there is that makes some kids, teens and even adults vulnerable to self-destructive behaviors as they figure themselves out.

[ericn1300]

It starts early, the ignorance and prejudice. So Sad.

A post adolescent story was on NPR today Retired Officers Seek To End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97409464

The military has had a major role in integration of both the races and the sexes with great success, maybe it's time to bring in rest of the Americans.

[Sisyphus]

"Vile society" indeed. "I know people who are gays, and they're decent people."

"They don't deserve the equal rights of a married couple"--I'm astonished. The caller discloses a knowledge of the issue, even listing specific rights that are denied and blatantly says gays don't deserve them. Then Zeb turns him and says they really aren't denied any rights in the first place after he listed them. Teh stupid, it burns me.