Dave Navarro Pens Open Letter of Support to LGBT Teens; Comments on Suicide of Gay Rutgers Student

Dave Navarro posted an open letter on his official website  to teens who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered on September 29th.  The timing of the post coincided with the news that Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, 18, had committed suicide after he was secretly videoed by his roommate being intimate with another male, and that video was streamed online.

Navarro said that he posted the letter of support because "I was aware of the suicides that had been taking place among gay teens" and decided "it was time that somebody spoke up."  Navarro also admits that he considered suicide himself after his mother was murdered when he was 15, and while he struggled with his addictions to cocaine and heroin.

In his letter, Navarro writes, in part:

    "The hard cold reality is that once you have chosen suicide, that’s it. No going back. Sure, there is a public outcry and MAYBE the bullies feel remorse for a while, but it all dies down, life goes on, the bullies let the memory fade and get on with their lives. They learn to laugh, love, reach their goals and in many cases go on to have a full and productive life. Who loses? You do! Your family! Your friends! Other teens who need support in this area! Oh yeah...We all Lose!"

Navarro says news of Clement's suicide saddened him because, as he says, "there's so many different options and so many different resources available."  The Jane's Addiction guitarist, whose on-stage style has been known to be flamboyant, added that while he's never endured persecution because of his sexual orientation, over the years he's gotten negative backlash from fans "for wearing make-up and fingernail polish...if that's any indication as to what these kids are going through then my heart really goes out to them."

In other news, Navarro and former Jane's bassist Duff McKagan will be performing at a benefit concert on Saturday, October 2nd in Hollywood, California to help raise money for the Wonderland Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles.

Ellen DeGeneres also spoke out against bullying and brutality against the gay community. Hear what she had to say here.

                
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