A lunch-and-learn hosted by Bloomington-Normal's LGBTQ+ advocacy organization hopes to give community members tools to discuss suicide.
Prairie Pride Coalition is hosting the event, which features a new queer-focused curriculum from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Licensed therapist Bryan Hinman has been a board member with Prairie Pride Coalition since 2018. He said he's noticed an uptick in the number of LGBTQ people seeking more suicide prevention resources.
“The additional challenge with this population is that they often have a lot of disconfirming experiences when reaching out for help or seeking health care,” he said.
That's been especially true the last few years as the federal government has clawed back LGBTQ rights once thought to be guaranteed.
Hinman said Illinois is seeing an influx of new LGBTQ residents moving from less welcoming states.
“Even for me, one of my friends—I play a computer game and he’s in Florida. He’s already looking for resources [in Illinois] because he’s thinking his child is going to be needing those types of resources and is considering leaving Florida to move to Illinois,” he said.
And the nationwide 988 hotline, which once offered specialized support for queer people in crisis, has removed that option.
Hinman said that puts up barriers to accessing help that don't need to be there.
“If someone knows that that is someone in their community, they can be more likely, potentially, to seek help and to engage with that resource,” he said. “But I think the biggest thing for me is just knowledge.”
As with medical care, it's similar to the difference between seeing a general practitioner and a specialist, Hinman said. And that makes events like Tuesday's free lunch-and-learn at the Chestnut Family Health Center all the more needed.
Luma Bonilla-Webster is the programs manager for the Illinois chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP]. She said suicide risk factors are typically higher than the general population.
“Which are things like dealing with acceptance,” she said, “dealing with family rejection. All of these things, we know for a fact are things the LGBTQ+ community struggles with.”
Bonilla-Webster said the Illinois AFSP prioritizes areas of the state in need of support. That especially includes rural communities and counties with less inclusive policies and little access to resources.
Statistics aren't the whole story
Self-reported survey data indicates LGBTQ+ people are significantly more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.
“We know that trans folks also report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, even within the LGBT community,” Bonilla-Webster said.
But Bonilla-Webster and Hinman both caution against relying on statistics.
“I have to catch myself because I love throwing out numbers,” Hinman said. “But to be mindful of, if we say, oh, 75% of people this and that. Because what can happen, if I am someone in the community feeling down or suicidal and I hear ‘75% of gay males…’ I can think it is hopeless.
“There’s many people in the community that have experienced those ideations and did not go that way. But those stories aren’t always captured,” he said.
“There is a genuine problem with contagion,” said Bonilla-Webster. “We have to be really careful about how we talk about suicide—especially in a public format. Because if someone’s already struggling and they don’t have quick access to resources, that could lead to them taking their life.”
That’s distinctly different, Bonilla-Webster said, than having a direct conversation with someone who appears to be struggling. The Pride Pathways curriculum is designed to help give people tools to help start that conversation.
“We know through research that what ends up happening is the other person feels relieved that somebody cares,” she said. “That somebody’s paying attention to them. That they’re not alone. That they can find help. So, it’s really important for us be comfortable in asking the question.”
Pride Pathways: Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Communities and Allies takes place Tuesday, April 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Chestnut Family Health Center, 702 W. Chestnut St., Bloomington. The program is free, with lunch provided.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The Trevor Project's LGBTQ+ national suicide hotline is reachable at 888-843-4564.
