I know LGBTQ youth/young adult suicides aren't new. And I can't say with any certainty that these deaths in the news are a spike in the community. Something tells me they aren't. And while the encouraging attention our community receives these days is appreciated, I'm ready to breakdown and cry. I don't know how many more beautiful faces I can look into for the first and last time.
Last Saturday, we lost another beautiful soul by the name of Joseph Jefferson. Joseph wasn't a teenager, he was 26 and an activist in the Brooklyn community, working with GMAD (Gay Men of African Decent) and POCC (People of Color in Crisis). This shows us that even our leaders are vulnerable. Joseph not only had resources, he was a resource. And the fact that he could "no longer bear the burden of being a gay person of color in a world grown cold" scares me.
The National Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans Suicide Hotline:
1-866-4-U-TREVOR
No comments:
Post a Comment