The Sad Correlation Between LGBT Status and Suicide

Hello folks! Today's post is basically why you should step into other people's shoes, specifically the shoes of LGBT teens and youth. The links for the sites that I took notes on are here, here, here and here.

• The average suicide rate for transgender people is 41%, while the average suicide rate for cisgender people is 4.6%
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth aged 10-24
• Compared to heterosexual youth, LGB youth are:
• 3 times as likely to seriously consider suicide
• Almost 5 times as likely to attempt suicide 
• Almost 5 times as likely as suicidal heterosexual youth to require medical treatment for suicide
• 4-6 times as likely to require treatment from a doctor or a nurse
• 40% of transgender adults report attempting suicide. Of these people, 92% report having attempted suicide before the age of 25. This totals to 36% of transgender adults who report having attempted suicide before the age of 25.
• LGB youth who come from rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to attempt suicide as LGB youth who come from accepting families
• About 1 in 6 high-schoolers report having attempted suicide in the past year.
• Every time an LGB person is harassed, the likelihood of self-harming behavior increases by about 2.5 times.
• 42% of LGBT youth say that the community in which they live is not LGBT-accepting
• LGBT youth are twice as likely as non-LGBT peers to report being physically assaulted.
• 26% of LGBT youth report that their biggest problems are non-accepting families, bullying, and fear of coming out or being out
• 73% of LGBT youth report being more honest about themselves online than in real life
• 91% of LGBT youth report being out to their friends, and 64% report being out to their classmates
• 75% of LGBT youth report that their peers are accepting of them
• 92% of LGBT youth report hearing negative messages about LGBT people, especially at school, on the Internet, and from their peers
• 68% of LGBT youth report hearing negative messages about LGBT from elected officials
• LGBT youth who are out to their families are more likely to be happy
• Of the 700,000 openly transgender people in the US (0.3% of adults):
• 19% report experiencing violence or abuse from family members
• 26% report having lost a job based on their gender identity
• 50% report harassment in the workplace based on their gender identity

So, it looks pretty bleak, doesn't it? We can try to lower suicide rates through therapy. We can improve medical services throughout the country. But the kids who really are intent on killing themselves will still manage to do so. The best action we can take against this is to make LGBT+ people feel welcome and accepted. I know that you've probably heard this from a lot of sources, so let me attempt to influence you with a personal anecdote.

Three of my best friends are LGBT+ and suicidal. They hurt themselves regularly in an attempt to make themselves feel better; they don't feel worthy of the life that they've been given. I worry about their well being, their survival, on a daily basis. Every day, I am terrified that I won't see them at school again tomorrow, that I'll lose them forever. I believe that no one should have to feel that way. Ever. Because it's scary to know that you might never see some of the most important people in your life again. It hurts to know that they don't believe that they're worthy of their life, their love. That they believe that they are just trash left on the side of the road. Nobody is; remember that there's someone who loves you and needs you and looks forward to seeing you everyday and couldn't fathom not having you. 

I hope that this will convince someone to notice when people, especially youth, are hurting, and to extend a hand to those in need. It probably seems crazy now, but wouldn't it be worth it if YOU were able to save a life? By eating lunch with the new kid? By smiling at that lonely girl who sits next to you in History? By saying "hi" to the guy who never seems to be happy? The tiniest thing you do could totally change someone's life, so get out there and do it!

Time to make a difference in this world.
Love, Heather.