To the editor:

I was disturbed by the insinuations made in Tuesday’s article about bullying. The article listed a number of insulting names that Dylan Theno had been called by classmates, including some derogatory terms for homosexual, and then stated that Dylan was not a homosexual. The clear implication is that if Dylan had been homosexual, these insults would have been permissible. Dylan’s sexual orientation has nothing to do with the fact that bullying him was wrong, yet the statement about his sexual orientation in the article suggests the opposite.

Statistically speaking, gay and lesbian teens suffer far more bullying than heterosexual teens. When compared to heterosexual students, gay and lesbian teens are more likely to report being bullied, threatened or injured, leading to them being more likely to skip school, drop out or even commit suicide.

Rain Quinlan,

Lawrence