Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has joined the list of celebrities expressing their support for gay teens who are victims of bullying, telling them to "hang in there and ask for help”.
In a video message that appeared on YouTube on Tuesday, Clinton said that she feels sad over recent incidents of suicide by teens who were harassed for being gay, or because others considered them to be gay.
"These most recent deaths are a reminder that all Americans have to work harder to overcome bigotry and hatred," Clinton said.
Anti-gay harassment has become a hot topic of debate recently after several teenagers committed suicides. The victims include 13-year old Asher Brown who killed himself with his father’s gun, and 18-year old Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student, who jumped off New York’s George Washington Bridge after his housemate secretly filmed him with his male lover and then uploaded the video on the internet.
"I have a message for all the young people out there who are being bullied, or who feel alone and find it hard to imagine a better future: First of all, hang in there and ask for help”, the Secretary of State said. "Your life is so important - to your family, your friends, and to your country. And there is so much waiting for you, both personally and professionally - there are so many opportunities for you to develop your talents and make your contributions."
She
also said that she is grateful for the work that gay, lesbian,
transgender and bisexual employees do every day at the US State
Department.
