A text, chat line for LGBTQ youth contemplating suicide gets a boost in Colorado

The Trevor Project connected with 1,500 Colorado teens last year, and that’s not nearly enough, the nonprofit says

In Colorado, where the leading cause of death for young people is suicide, a related statistic reveals one more layer in a complex issue.

One in five Colorado teens who identify as gay or transgender has attempted suicide, according to the latest Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. That’s almost three times the rate of Colorado teens in general.

Aimee Resnick, a sophomore at Cherry Creek High School, credits the Trevor Project with saving her life. She chatted with a Trevor counselor just before she planned to kill herself. The counselor called police. (Jennifer Brown, The Colorado Sun)

Add that to this finding from the state Attorney General’s Office: many gay and trans youth avoid seeking help from the traditional places — church, school counselors, parents or the state’s mental health crisis line — because they worry it won’t come judgment-free.

By Jennifer Brown @jenbrowncolo