Trigger Warning: This story discusses suicide and mental health issues.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you are not alone.
Call the national suicide and crisis lifeline at 9-8-8 for free, confidential support.
The hotline is available 24 hours a day and there are multiple language options.
You can also call the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386.
With each political debate and bill that passes over transgender rights, parents and LGBTQ+ youth say they brace for the negative impact it may have on their mental health.
The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ teens and young adults between the ages 13 to 24 consider suicide each year.
Ray Loux and his mother Shavahn have followed growing LGBTQ+ legislation across the country.
The ACLU estimates there have been 420 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the US just in the 2023 legislative session. There have been 11 in Kentucky.
"It's really scary. It's scary that the government has the power to overstep to that level," said Shavahn.
For them, it's much bigger than just a bill.
"I'm terrified. We know that there's so much hatred for the whole LGBT community as it is, let alone trans people," said Shavahn.
As a mother, Shavahn fears for the mental health of the queer community and especially her transgender son. She says there was a time when he was first transitioning that he wouldn't use the restroom at school.
"He ended up getting bladder infections, he ended up dehydrated, he ended up with other health issues because he was too scared, worried to use the restroom at school and this is true all throughout for all of our kids. For all trans people in general," said Shavahn.
Ray says that at one point, it got really bad.
"I was suicidal. I don't know where it would be right now without the support of my community," said Ray.
Three years later, Ray is thriving and happy. Yet he still grieves for some of his friends and young people he fears are in the worst of it because of conversations happening and actions being taken that they cannot control.
"I'm not stupid enough to think that there's not going to be any suicides because of this bill," he said.
According to the non-profit The Trevor Project's polling in 2022, 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth nationwide said recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health.
Their survey of more than 700 youth found 59% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Kentucky seriously considered suicide in the past year, while 24% attempted suicide.
"It's hard to think about the pain that a child has to be in for that to be the outcome," said Rachelle Ketron, mental health care worker and mother of LGBTQ children.
It's a pain she personally thinks about a lot.
"As a suicide survivor, as a parent, you want to be like — what can I do, could've done better, and that's part of the rest of your life," said Ketron.
Her 15-year-old daughter Meryl took her own life two weeks after her birthday.
"She struggled a lot, like I said, with peers, the community being hateful, and sadly, you know, kind of became one of those human statistics," said Meryl.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 and LGBTQ_ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. Advocates say their feelings have only been more complicated by politics.
"I know like with Meryl for sure. You know, I could control the love that she had in this household and made sure that she knew every single day, like when she woke up — to bed that I loved her. And she had a very supportive family who loved her dearly. outside of these walls, parents don't have control. They're very limited in what they can do," said Ketron.
The community is encouraged by each other. Ketron's passion for youth mental health has only grown since her daughter's death.
"When Meryl passed away, I truly was, you know, we're gonna make this better. You know, it was a promise to her, like I'm gonna fight to make it better," she said.
Both mothers, Ketron and Shavahn, say the start of mental health care is support.
Ray says the support already shown has been overwhelming and affirms for him that the LGBTQ+ community is "immortal".
"Even if this bill gets passed, even if everything that goes wrong does, these people will still be here and will still care about each other and will still be strong and maybe even stronger than ever," said Ray.
LEX 18 also talked to two licensed professional mental health care professionals for this story.
Meet Tracy Springate
LPCC Clinical Counselor, Telehealth Therapist TICC OF LEXINGTON
Tell us about yourself and how long you've been in practice?
I'm a trans-female. She/her. I've found that I've always had an obsession with learning about why people are the way they are. Empathy, vulnerability, and courage are the only things that will save this world. It's an honor to be an instrument of that change. It's an honor for anyone to choose me as someone to listen to their story in a world that doesn't stop talking.
I became licensed during the pandemic in 2020 which was a unique and challenging time to experience life as a new therapist. Luckily, I've been fortunate enough to work with clients who have taught me more about my own life than anything I've ever read. Their stories and the relationship we share help me be a better therapist.
As a mental health professional, how might just knowing these bills are in the works impact someone's mental health?
I work closely with the trans community. I can tell you the trans population already feels invisible to begin with. If they are seen then they're villainized, ridiculed, sexualized, traumatized, or assaulted. They have felt hopeless to begin with. Emotions such as joy feel like a threat.
Is there any research we can look at to connect depression to this? Meaning are there any stats on how situations like this may impact depression?
Usually, I refer to the 2015 trans survey. The 2022 survey will be released sometime this year. Specific stats on Kentucky are here [transequality.org].
Let's observe something else. Kentucky is the 5th most depressed state in the country [worldpopulationreview.com] and the 4th highest in poverty [worldpopulationreview.com]. Healthcare quality [usnews.com] is also near the bottom. Without community, resources, employment, and healthcare, being depressed makes a lot of sense. The trans population already has difficulty with all of these things, and it's highly likely that life will become more hopeless for their future.
What self-care advice can you give to young people who will be impacted?
before you practice self-care - practice self-rage. Self-anguish. Self-sobbing on the shoulders of the people you trust. Become exhausted with being told how "brave" you are as if you had a choice but to be anything else. If your community does not have the courage to hold your pain, then be tender with yourself. Trust that your emotion seeks to help and protect you. Seek out people that say "I see you. I hear you. Thank you for letting me sit with you. Thank you for being you." Hold their face and feel the warmth they give for this feeling is why you persevere.
From now on, you must dream, and you must act. Focus more on the life you want. Be realistic. Your life isn't what you want it to be right now, sure, but build small steps towards the life you deserve. Every single action, thought, knowledge, connection, and practice should be honed toward that dream. You'll probably not achieve it in a week, a month, or a year. It might be ten or 15 years. You must learn how to suffer with grace. But you have to dream. They can take away your name, your body, your job, and your dignity. They cannot take your dream and you must act on it in small ways every day. Don't waste your time arguing with people committed to misunderstanding you. Your hope is never up for debate. Lastly, you cannot do it alone and you must make connections with people who love and help you. Do this, and one day you will be so shocked that you achieved your dream that you'll fall to the floor in tears. When you do, thank the younger you that struggled and survived to bring you to the places you deserve to be.
Meet Wanda McCants
LPCC-S
(she, her, hers)
Spill the Tea, LLC
Tell us about yourself and how long you've been in practice?
I am a mental health therapist in private practice. I've been a therapist for 9 years and in private practice for 4 years, Spill the Tea. I graduated with my Master's in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky.
As a mental health professional, how might just knowing these bills are in the works impact someone's mental health?
Simply knowing that bills like these exist can be detrimental to an LGBTQ+ person's mental health. As a population that already deals with higher rates of suicide and substance abuse as a means of coping with discrimination across all sectors (employment, housing, schools), loss of family's of origin, and not having access to resources, it's likely that suicide ideation can increase with the knowledge that our government officials would rather see us erased than promote a high quality of life afforded to cisgender and heterosexual people without question. LGBTQ+ folks may experience more discriminatory actions from peers, family members, and providers including medical and mental health who don't affirm their identities because it empowers those who already harbor anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs. The fear is very real - it increases overall stress levels, fosters isolation, and discourages people from seeking care when needed.
What self-care advice can you give to young people who will be impacted?
Self care looks different for everyone. Find what brings you joy. Try to channel your energy into activities that promote growth rather than stagnation - build things, learn a skill/trade, get creative with your hobbies. Those are things that can propel a person further in life because they can see light past the darkness. Life does get better given the right opportunities and access of resources. It may seem a lot easier for LGBTQ+ folks living in major cities who tend to have more access to resources, but for people living in rural areas I'd encourage anyone to think about the totality of their life beyond being an LGBTQ+ person - education and career goals, finding community online and/or in real life.
What unique challenges do you expect for black trans and non-binary and what is needed to address that?
For Black and Brown QTNB folks, the layers of discrimination get thicker. It reinforces the narrative that marginalized people of any kind aren't worthy of receiving necessary, life-saving medical care, employment, and safe places to exist. It reduces access to care and increases the potential for physical harm to a community that already has a well-documented history of both of these. There's already an invisibility that coincides with being a POC who identifies as LGBTQ+. Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation aims to increase that invisibility as far as eradication, which is not only upsetting, it's unconscionable.
Any advice for finding mental health help right now that is supportive. Many have said this has been a challenge for them.
It's understandable that people are finding it hard to find mental health help right now. As we think about our own intersecting identities, we want to connect with someone who looks like us or has similar life experiences. I'd encourage people to tailor their search to fit their needs and don't be afraid to ask direct questions about being an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist and/or working with POC during a consultation.
