Homophobia is gay.

As some of you may know, I've been working on a "super secret project" since last week, and, while I'm not about to tell anyone what it is quite yet, I'm going to announce one of the major issues it confronts: homosexuality.

Or, more accurately, homophobia. Because homosexuality isn't an issue.

Why did I choose this theme? For one, I owe it to my friends and family, no matter their sexual orientation. Chances are that somebody in their life is gay, and what they face shouldn't be swept under the rug. Furthermore, it seems that many people remain willfully ignorant about homophobia and the effects it can have.

How many people are aware of the connection between self-mutilation, suicide, and sexual orientation? Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths are four times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peer. Why is this? There is of course confusion with themselves, but quite often it is due to the rejection of their families or the bullying and ridicule they face from their peers. In 2009, notably, there was a large number of LGBTQ suicides that made headlines throughout America. The problem hasn't disappeared.

On a related note, what of the violence against homosexuals? In some cultures, homosexuality is punishable by death. People from those cultures who emigrate elsewhere often take those values with them nonetheless; if someone in their family is outed as homosexual, they may take that punishment into their own hands. Sometimes it is a matter of family pride and shame. Others, and probably more often, the violence is perpetrated by outsiders - homophobic people threatened or horrified by the idea of homosexuality enough to assault, rape, or murder. Some women on the Project Unbreakable website report their rapists saying "Now you're not a lesbian" after the assault - they took it upon themselves to change them. Likewise, men can be raped as well, and women can be rapists. It goes both ways.

I know the concepts of rape, murder, and homophobic violence often make people uncomfortable. That's exactly why I write about them. You should be uncomfortable knowing these problems exist in the world. I write to tell a story, sure, but there are real problems at the heart of it all. I can only hope my readers see that and take it to heart - maybe they'll be the ones to come up with a solution.