second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 20. LGBTQ+ youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.
In addition, LGBTQ+ youth are almost five times more likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual and cisgender youth.There were many times I contemplated taking my own life.
I am an Arab-American with immigrant parents from Jordan. I lived my teenage years and young adult life in fear that I would be killed if I told anyone in my family I was gay.
I felt the shame I would bring to my family was unbearable, so in my mind, instead of letting them know I was gay it would be better that I take my own life.