LGBTQ youth are 40% less likely to attempt suicide if they have just one accepting adult in their lives, according to new survey data released by the Trevor Project.
This adult does not have to be a parent, although accepting parents were among the adults mentioned in the results. Other accepting adults could be a caregiver, family member, guidance counselor, teacher or health care provider.
“I definitely think that having a couple accepting adults in my life was really helpful for me,” said freshman cinema major Zoey Hornbeck. “Throughout school I had a lot of teachers who were supportive and I used them as a safe space. I definitely think these people helped me when I was in a dark place in my life.”
Hornbeck, who is transgender, also added that her mother’s support meant a lot to her.
“I experienced a lot of hate from everyone but her,” she said.
The Trevor Project’s website says many LGBTQ children and teenagers experience stress related to not feeling accepted, which can contribute to mental illnesses. Previous research by the group found a link between support from others and decreased suicide attempts in LGBTQ people.
Eric Berdis, a graduate assistant at the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs said there is now more support for LGBTQ youth than when he graduated high school in 2008.
“We didn’t have a gay-straight alliance at my school. The drama club did have a safe zone sign on it, saying that this was a safe teacher,” Berdis said. “Growing up, the signal was so hidden that you wouldn’t even notice it if you weren’t looking for it.
Berdis also said queer adult role models can help young LGBTQ people feel accepted and think about their own futures. When he was younger, he had a hard time thinking about his career and becoming an artist. Now, he’s a craft and material studies major.
“I’m grateful that there are things like Instagram and other social media to show me how queer adults are able to exist,” Berdis said. “[In high school] I had people who were supportive, but no one ever said ‘I’m gay, I’m fabulous and I’m here’ to me until I went to college.”
Read more on CommonWealthTimes.org.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.