Southerners believe in family. At least, that’s what we tell each other.

For hundreds of years, Southern communities have been shaped by traditions that bring people together. A rich history of storytelling has allowed Southerners to explore their past, pass along values to younger generations, and bring change to their communities. Southern identity is also shaped by a fierce loyalty to the land. For generations, the South and its people have also shown perseverance through resistance.

At their core, Southerners are defined by a fierce loyalty to family. This bond is unwavering and — supposedly — unconditional. But time and again, sexual and gender identity tear Southern families apart.

Thousands of young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer are kicked out of the house every year by their families. LGBTQ youth make up an estimated 40 percent of the total homeless youth population.The consequences of family rejection and discrimination are often deadly.

Last year, the federal government’s biennial Youth Risk Behavior Study asked two new questions in its examination of over 100 health behaviors: How do students identify themselves sexually? And what is the sexual identity of those with whom they had sexual contact? This allowed the Centers for Disease Control, for the first time ever, to estimate the number of high-school-age students who are not heterosexual. (The study asks about sexual identity, but does not ask teenagers to discuss their gender identities.)

Says the study's summary: "Although the majority of the 16,067,000 students estimated to be attending public and private schools in grades 9–12 nationwide in 2015 are heterosexual, this report indicates that approximately 321,000 are gay or lesbian, 964,000 are bisexual, and 514,000 are not sure of their sexual identity." That means more than 11 percent of American high-school students — almost 1.8 million — are in the "sexual minority," to use the CDC's terminology. And the percentages remain constant, according to the CDC, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomics, and geography.