Our community has a problem.
When I say "our community" I mean our town. I also mean the whole school, the whole church, the whole state, and the whole nation. That's right, this affects all of us.
People are killing themselves, a lot of people.
Did that sentence make you feel weird? I wouldn't blame you. It's kind of something we've generally assumed is a taboo subject. The thing is, we don't really have time to tip toe around suicide anymore.
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24. (source)
• Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual(LGB) youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth. (source)
• One out of six students nationwide (grades 9-12) seriously considered suicide in the past year. (source)
• LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection. (source)
• There is one death by suicide every 12 minutes. (source)
If you are still here, welcome. Thank you for not clicking off because you would rather read some "good news".
Let's take a look at some of those facts a little closer. One out of six high school students in this country seriously considered suicide in the past year. To put that into perspective just think about the size of your graduating class. There is one death by suicide every 12 minutes. I could be scrolling through Instagram for more than 12 minutes that's a strikingly short amount of time.
It's a shocking amount isn't it? On top of that, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are nearly five times more likely to attempt suicide than homosexual youth. Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average. (source)
Most importantly, all suicide deaths are 100% preventable.
It's our responsibility to fight this. It is our responsibility to promote a welcoming culture for everyone. Let me say that again for the closed ears in the back, EVERYONE. Especially, the people who are different from you. We are talking about human lives. It doesn't matter what color you are, what church you go to, who you voted for, where you grew up, you have the responsibility to show love to others.
Love means respect, acceptance, and presence. Be there. Reach out. Don't be afraid to ask if someone is okay because they might not be. All that may not even be enough but it's worth it, because they're worth it.
If you, or someone you know, are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk you can call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or visit TheTrevorProject.org.
