Tim Gunn: Gay Suicide Survivor

by Michael Jones · 2010-09-13 10:30:00 UTC
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Last week marked National Suicide Prevention Week. It's always a week that holds particular meaning for those in the LGBT community, given that suicide rates among the LGBT population, particularly LGBT youth, are sky high. From Massachusetts to Minnesota, from Ohio to Georgia, LGBT youth (or those perceived to be LGBT) have all taken their lives in the past few years, unable to feel safe due to copious amounts of bullying, rejection from families, or a toxic mix of both.

Tim Gunn, the lovable host of Lifetime's "Project Runway," has a little to say on the subject.  In an upcoming interview with People Magazine, Gunn notes that at the age of 17 (that would be 1970, for folks counting), he attempted to commit suicide by overdosing on pills. Why? Because he faced rejection, felt isolated and alone, and felt rejection from his parents over his sexual orientation.

"In my parents' home, the term 'gay' wasn't even in our vocabulary,” Gunn said. “If I tried to talk about anything remotely related they'd say 'We've never heard of this!'”

That was 1970. How sad it is that 40 years later, in 2010, too many young people hear the same mantra from their parents, teachers, and fellow students.

Gunn has a new book coming out, Gunn's Golden Rules, where he discusses growing up gay, and the rejection he faced as a result. There's specific discussion of the environment that culminated in his suicide attempt.

"When I was seventeen, I'd made a serious suicide attempt. I was at yet another boarding school – I must have cycled through a dozen. I had no friends. I was depressed. I wanted to end it all," Gunn says.

Gunn survived. But thousands upon thousands of other LGBT youth haven't over the past few decades. And that's a tragic statistic that we all hold a bit of responsibility for.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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