In the last year, more than half of Black trans children have thought about suicide
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: A person spreads wings with the words “Black Trans Lives Matter” written on them during the Brooklyn Liberation’s Protect Trans Youth event at the Brooklyn Museum on June 13, 2021, in the Brooklyn borough in New York City. Brooklyn Liberation organized a march and rally as an emergency action response to legislation to restrict trans rights across 34 states. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there have been over 250 bills introduced in state legislatures aimed at the LGBTQ community in 2021. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
According to statistics released on Tuesday by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention organization, more than half of Black transgender and nonbinary young individuals reported having seriously considered suicide in the previous year, and over 20 % said they had attempted suicide.
According to a report released on Tuesday that examined questionnaire responses from more than 28,000 LGBTQ youth and young adults in the United States, Black LGBTQ young people experience higher rates of discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, and LGBTQ identities.
For instance, more than two-thirds of Black cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ) young people reported having experienced discrimination in the previous year in relation to their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. The same was reported by 83 percent of Black transgender, intersex, or questioning students.
In the previous year, more than 72 percent of Black trans children surveyed by The Trevor Project reported experiencing two or more forms of discrimination, and 58 percent did Black cisgender LGBQ responders.
According to Tuesday’s report, people who reported experiencing discrimination based on their gender identity or appearance in the previous year were about twice as likely to report a previous suicide attempt.
Although racial bias was not directly linked to suicide attempts, the effects of a variety of discriminations were linked with an increase in the risk of suicide over the previous year, especially among Black trans, nonbinary, and questioning young people.
The team’s findings were described as “sobering” by Derrick Matthews, director of research research at The Trevor Project, who also emphasized the significance of looking at mental health issues and suicide prevention from an integrative perspective.
In an emailed statement, Matthews stated that “being an LGBTQ+ young person comes with its own set of structural difficulties, but we must not limit efforts to address those difficulties among young people who hold multiple marginalized identities.” “In this work, it is essential to take into account the racial bias that Black LGBTQ+ youth experience.”
Surprisingly, more than half of Black LGBTQ young people who reported being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity told The Trevor Project that they had received help from friends, relatives, a mental health professional, or their romantic partner.
Prior research has demonstrated that strong support networks and identity-affirming environments can serve as important protective factors against sadness, anxiety, and depression among LGBTQ young people.
More than a third of transgender and intersex 13 to 24-year-olds who were surveyed by the Trevor Project last year reported that their homes were gender-affirming, and almost half of those respondents said their gender identity was confirmed at school. Suicide attempts were reported at lower rates among those who reported exposure to affirming locations, including online ones, than among people who did not.
In the same report, 45 percent of LGBTQ young folks expressed the desire for their loved ones to learn more about intersectionality and more than 50 % said it would be beneficial for the people in their lives to understand prejudice.
According to Matthews, “we urge mental health professionals, educators, and other youth-facing adults to better understand the varied and folded experiences that exist at the crossroads of race/ethnicity and sexual orientation or gender identity so they can play a role in dismantling oppression in all its forms.”
Resources are available to assist if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide. Individuals in need can get 24/7 free and confidential support from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You may contact Trans Lifeline, which is made for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, at (877) 565-8860. Call (866) 488-7386 to reach the Trevor Project’s 24-hour line for Transgender children. There are chat services offered at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or by texting START to 678-678.
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