title:  Oklahoma GOP Bill Would Ban Suicidal LGBT Teens From Seeking Help From Pro-Gay Therapists
text: If Oklahoma Republicans have their way, the suicide rate among LGBT teens will skyrocket.LGBT teens are, by far, the most vulnerable group within the LGBT community because they are not considered adults yet and therefore are subject to the will of their parents, teachers, and school administrators. Many teens are scared to reveal their sexuality out of fear that they will be ostracized and discriminated against.And that appears to be exactly what Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kerns wants since she has introduced several anti-gay bills this year as part of her ongoing hate crusade against gay people.The most egregious bill of the three is HB 3044, which forbids school officials from referring gay students in crisis to councilors or therapists who would actually treat them like human beings.According to Slate,The bill states that no public school  counselor, therapist, social worker, administrator, teacher or other individual  can  refer a student under the age of eighteen  to any  individual, organization or entity  if the referral  pertain[s] to human sexuality.  In fact, public school counselors can t even  provide the contact information, business card, brochure or other informational materials  of a gay-friendly organization to students.The only way students would get to see gay friendly therapists is if they notify their parents, which would out them as being gay, thus making the situation worse and opening themselves up to further ridicule and bullying that could push them over the edge.But that s not the only bill Kerns is pushing to persecute gay people.HB 1598 would protect ex-gay conversion therapy, even though the American Psychiatric Association opposes it. And this bill works perfectly with HB 3044 because it would funnel gay teens to anti-gay therapists who would likely pressure their patients to enter such a program.And then there is SB 733, which would ban anyone with HIV or other  communicable or infectious diseases  from getting married.These bills are specifically designed to discriminate against gay people. And the laws are particularly cruel toward gay teens who need understanding and caring professionals to talk to instead of hateful people who will only make things worse. It s like Republicans are literally trying to make sure these kids commit suicide and that should make every parent sick despite how you might feel about homosexuality.Featured Image: Children s Advocate