Do they, though? Those queer youth still find their way to their truest selves. Sadly, all too often that means they find their truest selves in their most destructive impulse to end their lives. But, the very reason they end their lives is a testament to how innate their identity is and how nothing can erase their queerness.

So-called "religious conservatives" want the erasure of queerness. All they really achieve is the tragedy of the destruction of life and love – which, in the end, humanizes the queer in anyone and turns sympathy toward their suffering, growing compassion and empathy in the larger society.

Examples: As terrible as the AIDS crisis has been, it opened the larger society to the suffering and inspired compassion for the community which continues to evolve empathy toward the LGBTQ among the majority of people. Watching the tragedy of AIDS unfold under the barrage of anti-queer hate softened society's heart toward the LGBTQ. Seeing young lives tormented literally to death softens almost any heart toward those queer youth; most of humanity wants to do something to allieviate that torment and prevent those deaths. The heart of society as a whole is softened as we watch in real time the marginalization and oppression of the LGBTQ; we see it result in threatening children and families at storytimes just because drag qeens are reading to the kids; we are devastated over the murderous rampages this marginalization is inspiring against queer communities.

For all the hate and oppression the "conservatives" try to impose, they actually are driving a more empathetic and inclusive change of heart in society as a whole. That's why their screaming so loudly about it – they're failing to make their hate ours.