Victoria Diane Kirby is a dynamic young lady who is taking the world by storm. This year alone she has been featured on CNN, MSNBC’sToday Show, Fox and a number of other national and international media outlets. After being honored by receiving an invitation by First Lady Michelle Obama to the White House and President Obama’s first address to Congress, she was featured on hundreds of websites, blogs, and print news outlets such as The Washington Post.She served on the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Howard University, where she recently graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communication & Culture and a minor in Political Science. She is currently beginning the last year of her Master’s degree in Public Administration.
By Victoria Diane Kirby (Washington DC) OCT 11 | My heart is extremely heavy. Over the past several weeks there have been a large number of youth suicides. These are children from ages 10 through 18 who feel as though their life is not worth living or saving. Many of them are youth who either identify or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT).
Last week, the world was shocked to hear that a freshman Rutgers University student jumped from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate posted a video that he secured from a hidden web-cam, of the student and another young man having sex on Twitter and Facebook. One 13-year-old hung himself from a tree and another shot himself in the head. Someone asked me why they, he or she would kill themselves, himself or herself.
It's hard to describe the intense feeling of loneliness that someone feels when they are depressed, harassed or told that they are an abomination and less than human. When these people are, kicked out of their homes, kicked out of their churches, told that God does not love them and told that they are going to hell. I have heard children who have attempted suicide say after the failed attempt that they believed "If I'm going to hell I might as well get it over with now." They truly feel as though they have nothing for which to live.
I was once the bullied kid. I was told that I "talked white, was ugly, a nerd and a geek." For an insecure eight- year- old those words were sharp as a knife. God's love was the only thing that kept my feet on the ground instead of under it. It didn't matter what my family said to assure me otherwise; they were my family they were supposed to say that.
I look at these children who are called "faggots and dykes" and I see myself a little over ten years ago. Unfortunately, too many of the kids who are taking their own lives look like me and love like me. Even though Black LGBT youth only make up an estimated 1-3% of the population, they make up over 30% of the youth suicides. They also make up more than 30% of homeless youth. Many of the ones that make it out alive carry this pain into their adult lives and into their college campuses. This is why I believe all Historically Black Colleges should have a space for students to be able to speak freely about their concerns.
I do not care about your religious belief on homosexuality; what I do care about is your beliefs about the life of human beings. No child should EVER feel like they should jump off a bridge, shoot themselves or hang themselves. They have too much life to live. Get past your feelings about same gender relationships and focus on the people that are hurting.
There are students on this campus who have contemplated suicide because they were told they willwould never be anything in life if they arewere openly gay. There are children in our neighborhood who are living in homeless shelters at the age of 13 and see no future because their momma and pastor said they were an abomination. We need to stop demoralizing our children and lift them up. Let them know that they have a future. Let them know that God loves them even if they have been bullied so much that they do not even love themselves. Hatred and intolerance kill. Love empowers. Choose love and hopefully our children will choose life.
If you want to work on a campaign to stop youth suicide, particularly in the black community, please email ChooseLifeHU@gmail.com
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