A new report from The Trevor Project has found that one quarter of Black transgender and nonbinary young people reported a suicide attempt in the past year.
That rate is more than twice as high as cisgender LGBQ Black youth.
The report said that Black trans and non-binary youth are more likely to experience victimization, attempts from others to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, and housing instability compared to their cisgender peers. They are also more likely to experience discrimination and threats of physical violence.
Finally, 34% of Black transgender and nonbinary young people reported ever experiencing homelessness, being kicked out, or running away from home compared to 24% of Black cisgender LGBQ young people. This on top of racial discrimination.
“The mental health of Black transgender and nonbinary young people is a public health crisis that deserves immediate attention from stakeholders across the board,” the report stated. ” Black transgender and nonbinary young people not only report higher rates of suicide attempts in the past year when compared to their Black cisgender LGBQ peers, but rates that are also significantly higher than their White transgender and nonbinary counterparts (16%).”
The Trevor Project called for prioritizing Black transgender and nonbinary well-being among youth-serving organizations, mental health professionals, and research endeavors.
The Trevor Project does have resources on supporting Black LGBTQ youth, being an ally to trans and non-binary youth, and approaching conversations about the intersection of race and LGBTQ.
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