Suicide in the US is a huge problem. It’s the 2nd leading cause of death for youth. Within the LGBTQ+ community, suicide rates are through the roof. LGBT people go through a lot of hurdles just trying to live a life they enjoy. Identifying with the community often results in bullying. A big cause of that harassment is due to a lack of understanding. The goal of this paper is to better educate people on how harassment of LGBTQ+ youth and adults can drastically affect mental health.

Vocab is vital for a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. There’s a larger sexuality and gender spectrum than many realize. Here’s a list of many different identities, labels, and terms:

Sexualities
• Straight (heterosexual)- liking the opposite gender
• Gay (homosexual)- liking the same gender
• Lesbian- a gay female
• Bisexual- liking both men and women
• Pansexual- liking people regardless of gender
• Asexual- not feeling sexual attraction (can still feel romantic attraction)
• Aromantic- not feeling romantic attraction (can still feel sexual attraction)
• Demisexual- only feeling sexual attraction after a close bond has been formed
• Queer- part of the LGBTQ+ community (queer is vague and is sometimes used when a person knows they’re part of the community, but still questioning what they identify as specifically)
• Ally- supporting LGBTQ+ but not identifying as such
Genders
• Cisgender- identifying with the sex you’re assigned at birth
• Binary- male and female
• Gender non-binary- not identifying as male or female
• Transgender- born as one gender, mentally the other gender
• Transsexual- having been through gender-reassignment surgery
• Agender- no gender
• Genderfluid- consistently changing genders
• Demigender- identifying as one gender mostly but not fully (sometimes used as demigirl or demiboy)
• Gender Dysphoria- discomfort caused by obsessive thoughts that one’s body doesn’t align with their sex at birth

There are many more sexuality and gender identities that exist than what is listed. Some people argue that there are only two genders: male and female. Gender non-binary doesn’t need to be understood, it just needs to be accepted. If someone identifies as gender non-binary, it means that label makes them comfortable and happy. Even if others argue that gender non-binary isn’t real, it’s very real to that individual, otherwise they wouldn’t identify as gender-nonbinary. There’s no harm caused by using a label or different pronouns, so no one deserves to be harassed for the way they present themselves. Being gender non-binary or trans isn’t just a want. It’s usually caused by the feeling that the gender you’re associated with isn’t accurate. Most transgender and some gender non-binary people feel like they’ve been dumped in the wrong body, a.k.a., gender dysphoria. An example could be a trans female to male having a strong urge to bind their chest, because it doesn’t feel like it belongs. There are parts of their body that feel missing or out of place. The only way to relieve those feelings is to adjust their body to better match their gender identity. Some ways could be binding, growing out or cutting hair, wearing more masculine/feminine/gender neutral clothes, and going by a different name and pronouns. It’s all done to increase comfort. Gender dysphoria can be extremely uncomfortable and even affect someone’s everyday life by inhibiting focus and confidence.

Once you know what makes you comfortable, coming out and embracing yourself can be scary. You don’t always know how people will react. Often times, coming out results in bullying. That bullying sometimes results in self-harm and even suicide. Suicide in the community is very under looked, as shown by these statistics that more people should be aware of:

In 2015, 4 national and 2 state population-based surveys were combined. With those surveys, there was an estimate of 9 million Americans identifying at LGBTQ+. That’s not counting the many closeted individuals. Many people in the community are harassed, causing individuals to be 2.4 times more likely to self-harm for every act of bullying. Queer youth is three times more likely to contemplate suicide and five times more likely to actually attempt to end their life. In a national study, 40% of trans adults surveyed had attempted suicide at least once, 95% of those were before the age of 25. Teens from rejecting families are 8.5 times more likely to take their lives compared to those with accepting families.

Whether someone’s for or against the LGBTQ+ community, most would agree that no one deserves to feel so low about themselves, that they no longer want to exist. People don’t need to agree with someone in order to treat them like a human. If the entire community was looked at and treated like normal people, no one would have to live their life in fear. So many teens have to be careful who they’re open to, for fear of being hurt. It’s a very sad reality. Schools throughout the country are making GSA groups (Gay Straight Alliance) to give students a safe place to express themselves. For many teens, this is the only place they can be themselves without fear of judgement. Kids are sometimes disowned by their families. 7% of the American youth has been/is homeless. 40% of that is LGBTQ+ because of conflict at home or being kicked out. Family can’t be changed. It’s permanent, which is why it’s so terrifying for teens to come out to their parents. Many have no idea what kind of reaction they’ll get or if they’ll be rejected.

Transgenders face the most difficulty and harassment. They deal with gender dysphoria, bullying for using different bathrooms and pronouns, changing their name (in some occasions), buying different clothes that will fit their gender identity, possible rejection from family and friends, and so much more. Sexuality is a lot easier to hide than gender. No one has to know who you like, but gender deals with physical expressions along with mentality. Being transgender isn’t something a person can turn into either. It’s there throughout their entire life. The only thing that changes is the realization of what’s causing a disconnection to their body and/or gender.

Most who identify as trans point out the many parts of their childhood where they knew something was off, but as a child, they couldn’t figure out why. Often times, others argue that trans people are transitioning for attention. It’s easier to understand if you keep an open mind and try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Imagine life from their point of view. Imagine waking up and looking in the mirror and seeing someone you don’t recognize, someone who doesn’t look like you. Now imagine transitioning. Think about finally feeling whole, like a missing part of you has been returned. That’s what it’s like. Transitioning isn’t attention seeking; it’s seeking to be a person you feel happy as.

Many people don’t realize how much their actions and words can affect people who identify as LGBTQ+. It has dangerous results that aren’t talked about nearly as much as they should be. Too often, this is swept under the rug. If people are better educated on the dangerous effects of harassment and bullying based on sexuality and gender identity, the LGBTQ+ community will be treated with more respect. Respect is more important than agreeing. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or not. The biggest thing is just treating others as humans.

Works Cited
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"Facts About Suicide." Preventing Suicide, The Trevor Project, 2018v. Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.

Gates, Gary J. "How Many People are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender." The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, Apr. 2011, Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.

"LGBT Youth." Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health, CDC, 21 June 2017. Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.

"Our Issue." TrueColorsFund, 2018. Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.

"Sexuality." The PBHS Closet, Weebly. Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.