When I think of needless public health tragedies, uppermost in my mind are smoking and the suicide of young gay men who feel there is no place for them in a homophobic world. Lutwaks short piece and accompanying references in The Impact of Not Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community in the American Journal of Public Health again identifies more evidence that the stigmatisation of gays, lesbians and transgender people leads to suicidal ideation and suicide. Equal right to marriage is an important public health initiative that can help redress this stigmatisation. I am grateful to my teenage sons for introducing me to Mackelmore, the rapper from Seattle and Same Love- the words and images in the music video are raw and honest and there is a touching story played out in a "short film" format. Send this Youtube clip to everyone you know, the more young (and old) people that see this the better the world will be. Here is a taste of the lyrics..
