16-Year Old Gay Teen Commits Suicide After Persecution In School

by Discreet Serpent

A grieving Colombian mother recently addressed the press about the details of her 16-year old son's suicide last month. The tragedy was allegedly brought about by the harassment and persecution of the Catholic school that he was going to.

image courtesy of guardianlv.com

The issue started last May when one of the teachers at Gimnasio Castillo Campestre School discovered an "illicit" photo in Sergio Urrego's phone. The photo was that of Sergio kissing his boyfriend. The phone was confiscated and both boys were sent to the school psychologist.

The school has since subjected Sergio to a series of psychological assessments, suspensions from classes, and accusations of sexual harassment. He was not given his academic results and was even prevented from moving to another school. The school's principal even called an assembly of teachers and students and announced that Sergio was an atheist, anarchist, and a homosexual.

He jumped from a shopping center last August 4 and died three hours later. Only a Facebook post gave any indication that he was planning on taking his life that day.

The parents of Sergio reportedly requested for meetings with the school as well as the district officials, but they refused. They claimed that the issues were home based, and resulting from parents who had issues with his sexual orientation.

image courtesy of planetminecraft.com

Rantings:

Where do I even begin?

First, the issue of "suicide" is a sensitive topic. We all know that it is wrong and it does not solve anything. The religious believe that taking your own life is a sin of the highest order and you will be doomed to hell for doing so. Society dictates that suicide is the exit point of the weak and is the course of action for those who have given up hope. Psychologists believe that certain mental conditions could lead to suicide if left unchecked. Whatever the case may be, the issue of suicide is not a topic that I am ready to rant about today.

Moving on to the topic of homophobia. There is a reason why a lot of gay guys remain in the closet or are afraid to expose themselves. There is a reason why families are torn apart because of gay related lies. There is a reason why some gay guys are petrified of being discovered. Hatred for homosexuality is deeply rooted in a person's upbringing and is reinforced by religion, the educational system, and one's social environment.

A teenager is at a difficult point of his life. He crosses over from being a child into full adulthood, and things around him change a lot. Most of the time it becomes too hard to handle on his own. He needs the proper guidance from his parents, teachers, and other role models. A gay teenager, in particular, is plagued with even more identity issues. Handle him the wrong way and he is doomed to make critical and even life-threatening mistakes.

It enrages me that this Colombian school handled Sergio's case with such insensitivity and bigotry. It is infuriating that they are justifying their actions with their religious beliefs. I am Catholic but I have never been taught to hate. I was raised to believe in love, forgiveness and acceptance. I have no doubt in my mind that these hypocrites are misguided in their beliefs. They are giving religion a bad name (maybe that's why more people are turning away from religion).



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