Bad For Our Health

A recent report shows a dramatic increase in the  number of suicides among City Public School pupils this year.

Nearly all researchers--as well as teachers and school administrators--say that the vast majority of kids who commit suicide have been bullied.  And a large portion of them are LGBT, or seem to be.

Those who don't kill themselves carry the scars, physical as well as emotional, for years to come.

This infographic from the folks at Fenway Health illustrates the point:

 

The Current State Of Transgender Health Care

The folks at Fenway Health have given us a useful infographic that provides disturbing--though, sadly, not surprising--information about the state of transgender health care.

One of the most startling facts it presents is that a transgender person is more than four times as likely as anyone else to be HIV-infected, while a black trans person is more than six times as likely.

One of the facts that most resonated with me is this : 62 percent of trans people have experienced depression.  And, among the 41 percent who have attempted suicide are several trans people I know, including two who took their lives over their gender identity issues.

Finally, I am among the 25 percent who have been harassed by the police and 29 percent who have received disrespectful treatment in health care settings.

And I'm one of the lucky ones.