Trans Lifeline: Suicide Prevention for the Transgender Community

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Trans Lifeline: Suicide Prevention for the Transgender Community

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Support Trans Lifeline for National Suicide Prevention Month!

Trans Lifeline is a non-profit organization dedicated to suicide prevention for the transgender community. We are a diverse group of people working together to prevent suicide and empower transgender people through education, advocacy, and direct service. We operate the only national crisis hotline for and by transgender people, and run many other programs designed to improve the overall well-being of transgender people everywhere.

The Problem

Transgender people face an exceptionally high risk of suicide. 41% of the transgender population tries to commit suicide at some point in their lives versus 4.6% of the general public and 10-20% of the gay, lesbian, or bisexual community. Even though the estimated population of transgender people living in the United States doubled last year, we are living in a new era where unprecedented attacks on transgender rights occur on a daily basis. Many of us are still struggling to acquire the most basic necessities of human life due to the unique barriers we face and it only gets much harder when factors such as race, neurodivergence, and other intersecting marginalized identities come into play. It’s no wonder why we suffer an infamous suicide attempt rate at nearly half of our population and 10 times higher than the general public.

The Solution

Trans Lifeline is a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to improve the overall well-being of the transgender population. Over 3 years, we have grown our small crisis hotline into a powerful force effecting positive change within individual lives, families, communities, state legislatures, and even society itself. Some of our accomplishments in the last year include:

Hiring more staff operators and watch our hotline's staffed hours nearly triple, supporting more and more people in crisis during late night hours and holidays when we're needed most. To date, we've logged over 1 year of talk time supporting trans people in crisis on our hotline.
Merging with Trans Assistance Project to provide financial assistance and help trans people navigate the complex landscape of changing legal documents. We are now able to provide material support as well as emotional support to work directly with our callers and other trans people to overcome some of the most difficult barriers to a life of dignity and justice which trans people face.
Partnering with the National LGBTQ Task Force to conduct the first national transgender mental health survey and advocate for better mental health services for trans people where and when they are needed most. Studies and statistics like this were cited when advocating for trans people in recent legislative battles and even helped to defeat notorious "bathroom bills".
Traveling across the country to conferences and cities advocating for better trans mental health and meeting with community leaders to better understand the challenges specific to their communities to develop real support networks nationwide.

Trans Lifeline uses all its resources to help save lives, strengthen the movement for trans rights, and inspire hope in all of us. Trans Lifeline is working to give every single trans person a life of dignity, justice, and joy.