CO nonprofit looks to reduce suicide by helping LGBTQ+ kids, their parents

Nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered suicide in the past year, according to a study conducted by the Trevor Project . That number is even higher for transgender and non-binary youth at 46%.

A Colorado nonprofit hopes to reduce the number of suicides by strengthening the relationship between LGBTQ+ kids and their parents.

Dr. Tara Jae, founder of Youth Seen , said protecting a child's mental health starts with giving them the room to share their story.

"I think the biggest thing that I often hear from the youth is give them space to talk," said Jae. "Kind of poke and ask those questions. But it really is up to them, and it is about having that safe space."

Jae said it's not just young people who are struggling.

"In most years, as much as we work with our youth in the community, we have been seeing [mental health concerns] in a lot of our young adults and adults in the community, and specifically around our Black community," said Jae.

Jae points to a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and difficulty accessing mental health support as possible causes. According to the Trevor Project, suicide risk among queer youth was strongly associated with what the organization called "anti-LGBTQ+ victimization," including politics and bullying.

"I had a child who was struggling with their mental health and struggling with the isolation and not being connected," said Gabrielle Williams, a parent who is a program director for Youth Seen. "So they didn't know. They didn't know there were other kids like them."

Williams helps parents learn to connect with their kids at Youth Seen's monthly TransParentSee meetings. Studies show that positive adult relationships reduce adolescent suicide risk.

"It's so important to be connected to community and through programs like ours because that isolation piece is what really gets to you," said Williams.

The TransParentSee meetings happen on the last Saturday of every month from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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