In the span of four days, YES Institute received multiple phone calls from parents seeking community support for their transgender child.
“I don’t know what to do anymore. He’s not in college, his friends left to study in other places, and he’s scared to live here.” – Parent
“She’s lonely and depressed and has stopped going to school. I’m worried she’s isolated herself from people, which she needs the most now – peers.” – Parent
“There are so many terms to learn and this ‘they’ pronoun is so confusing.” – Parent
Parents are sharing that they feel helpless and confused. Some parents call simply to understand what it is their child is going through. Others are seeking safe environments for their children to be the full expression of their authentic selves.
With September being Suicide Prevention Awareness month, YES Institute places gender and orientation at the crux of preventing youth suicide for those who are in the pride community. The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than 50%half of transgender and nonbinary youth. Youth who are called by their name and pronoun have a 65% decrease in attempted suicide.
YES Institute creates avenues for all families to better understand and learn about gender and orientation by providing educational courses, linkage to community resources, youth empowerment programming, medical and mental health referrals, and parental peer support.
Our Community Engagement Manager, Ayari, recently attended AQUA Foundation’s TransCon to share YES Institute’s resources and educational courses. While there, she held space for three different individuals who opened up about their personal experiences around suicide. An openly queer and non-binary young adult with a 12-year-old sister who attempted suicide merely days before TransCon was looking for resources for their sister. Ayari directed folks on where they can best receive support based on their experiences.
Thomas Murrell, Founder of 3T Fitness and YES Institute Board Member, spoke at TransCon and shared his experience as a Black Latino Transgender man. He speaks often on empowerment and resilience as he overcame addiction. Tommy’s way of being allows others to authentically express themselves. His words of encouragement gave attendees hope and inspiration.
“It doesn’t matter what others think of me if I love and respect myself. Now that I know I’m worthy, I can forgive everyone around me and most importantly, I can forgive myself. My life is a Blessing, not a curse.” – Thomas Murrell
Our team offers referrals to trusted medical and mental health providers, connects parents to one another, facilitates a Youth Advisory Leadership Council, and oftentimes we are a community space for families to know they are not alone. To learn more about our courses and resources please email us at [email protected].