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Queer History
Interview with My Friend: A Young Man’s Journey to His Transgender Self
Why acceptance is so important to mental health
Folks bring up the higher suicide risk of LGBTQ+ youth often, but what is often left out is the fact that the risk isn’t due to their identity. They’re placed at higher risk due to how they’re stigmatized by society. According to the 2024 National Survey conducted by The Trevor Project, 39 percent of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered suicide in the year prior to the survey — including almost half of transgender and non-binary young people. If you struggle with with such thoughts, click here for help around the clock.
Even before I knew I was a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I spent more time with members than I did with straight folks. They always felt more like family than anyone else. Sadly, this also means I have seen first hand what a struggle it is now and has always been for a lot of folks in this community — some more than others.
I met S a few months ago through my day job. We chuckle about it now, but I had him all wrong when we first met. Right alphabet, wrong letter. I thought he was a gay man. Oops. He died laughing when I finally told him and said, “Well, at least you thought I was a man!”