Trans HealthCare Survey
Trans Suicide Prevention
Trans-Friendly 
Transgender Suicide Prevention Initiative Launches November 3
In a first-of-its-kind coordinated effort to educate health care
providers and the community at large about the high risk of suicide
among the transgender community, and to expand current services to
this at-risk population, MDPH Commissioner John Auerbach will unveil
the state’s pioneering Transgender Suicide Prevention brochures on
November 3rd in a public forum at the Department of Public Health,
located at 250 Washington Street in Boston.
The Transgender Suicide Prevention Working Group, which was formed
last year, is launching this effort, making Massachusetts the first in
the nation to create brochures specifically focusing on suicide among
the transgender community. The working group is a collaboration of the
DPH, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), Fenway
Health, Samaritans, and the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide
Prevention and was formed to address this public health and community
issue by working to make communities safer for transgender people.
“Transgender people and others whose gender does not conform to rigid
stereotypes are at greater risk for self-harm and suicide as a result
of harassment, discrimination, and violence. Day to day experiences of
social disapproval, combined with experiences of being incorrectly
identified for who one is, may lead to feelings of fear, anger and
invisibility. These oppressive experiences lead to a disintegration
of self-image and self-worth, often resulting in depression and social
isolation.” Said Gunner Scott, Executive Director of MTPC.
Nearly a third of transgender adult residents in Massachusetts have
considered suicide, according to a new survey by the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health. The study compares the health of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents to heterosexual and
non-transgender residents. It found that about 31 percent of
transgender respondents said they have considered attempting suicide
in the past year, compared to just 2 percent for heterosexual
residents, 4 percent for gay and lesbian residents and 7 percent for
bisexual residents. Nearly 35 percent of transgender residents also
say they’ve been threatened with physical violence during their
lifetime by a partner, compared to 14 percent for non-transgender
residents.
There are two types of Transgender Suicide Prevention brochures, one
aimed at providers and one designed for the transgender community.
These brochures may be obtained by contacting Alison Brill of MDPH at
Alison.Brill@state.ma.us or downloaded from the MTPC website at
http://www.masstpc.org. MDPH Report on The Health of Lesbian, Gay and
Transgender Persons in Massachusetts can found at
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/commissioner/lgbt_health_report.pdf
DATE AND LOCATION
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
9:30 am – 11:30 am
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street in Boston
Public Health Council Room, 2nd Floor
Please RSVP to jesseb@masstpc.org
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
• MDPH Commissioner John Auerbach, welcome
• Alison Brill (DPH) and Joanna Wisch (Fenway Health), opening
remarks and introductions
• Ron White (Samaritans, Inc.), overview of the Transgender
Suicide Prevention Working Group
• Gunner Scott (Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition)
and Ruben Hopwood (Fenway Health), overview of transgender suicide
facts and statistics
• Thomas Lewis (MTPC), presentation of new and ground-breaking materials
About MTPC:
The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is dedicated
to ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender
expression. We envision a world where persons of all genders are
treated with respect and fully participate in all areas of society,
free from fear of prohibition, harassment or violence based on their
gender identity and/or expression.
