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October 25, 2010

Obama Responds to Surge in Gay Suicides
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President Obama has issued a video statement condemning the recent surge
in suicides by gay teenagers across the country. In the past six weeks,
at least seven gay and lesbian teenagers have committed suicide, in many
cases following incidents of bullying or public humiliation by
classmates.

President Obama: "Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the
deaths of several young people who were bullied and taunted for being
gay, and who ultimately took their own lives. As a parent of two
daughters, it breaks my heart. It’s something that just shouldn’t happen
in this country. And we’ve got to dispel this myth that bullying is just
a normal rite of passage, that it’s some inevitable part of growing up.
It’s not."



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