Bullying unacceptable for any reason

Jennifer Bioche's Feb. 6 column chided attempts to promote acceptance of gay youths and instead advocated for acceptance of Christian youths.

We doubt many U.S. teens are afraid to tell parents and peers of their Christianity. We searched briefly and found no evidence. A similar search regarding LGBT teens revealed substantial evidence. LGBT youths are four times more likely to be homeless than peers, often being kicked out of their homes by their parents (www.safeschools

coalition.org).

Bioche stated that she needs no modeling in how to love her children. We, conversely, are constantly seeking parenting advice, and it appears many other parents could use some, too.

Bullying of any person for any reason is unacceptable. LGBT students are receiving more attention than others because they are bullied, drop out and commit suicide at a higher rate than peers. And unlike peers who are bullied, many LGBT youths feel they can't tell their parents about the bullying for fear of revealing the reason and risking being disowned and even kicked out by the people who should be most supportive.

Mary Kay and Doug Van Oort

Cedar Rapids