AMERICA’S FIRST TRANSGENDER SUICIDE HOTLINE IS LIVE by Jesse Mechanic

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Orthodoxy in Dialogue is republishing this article from Huffington Post as part of our commitment to the well-being of transgender people. You may wish to refer to our “‘Transgenderism’ Isn’t a Thing” and “Intersex vs. Transgender” for background.

Please share this article as widely as possible. There are more transgender Orthodox and other Christians than we realize. By showing our love for them with this simple gesture we may be blessed to save even a single life known only to God.

transhotline

Image courtesy of Trans Lifeline ~ Facebook
 
These numbers are catastrophically high; the disparity is simply devastating. While we certainly need to do everything we can to become a more accepting society, we also need more resources for the trans community right now. Thankfully, the transgender community has its own suicide hotline courtesy of Trans Lifeline. 

US: (877) 565-8860 CANADA: (877) 330-6366
 
The line is staffed by transgender people and is entirely dedicated to the trans community.
 

It’s open every day for 18 hours:

Pacific time: 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Mountain time: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Central time: 10 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Eastern time: 11 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Resources like these are vital.

While society has certainly evolved in terms of how we treat the LGBTQ+ community overall, the transgender community is still stigmatized and demonized all over the country and the world. This is why, as the aforementioned stats bear out, being publicly trans or gender non-conforming can be even more isolating than hiding. Imagine identifying with a gender that doesn’t align with your physical form, imagine reckoning with that realization in a society that can be judgmental, crude, hateful and helplessly stitched to binary ideas of gender. And then imagine somehow, in spite of it all, summoning the bravery to be yourself. This is something we should celebrate, not castigate.

Unfortunately, pleas for empathy and acceptance will not shift society overnight, so the trans community needs organizations like Trans Lifeline. Hopefully, this is one in the first in a new wave of resources aimed at helping trans folks.

Correction: It was originally reported that Trans Lifeline is a new service, but they have been in operation since 2014.

Previously published on The Overgrown.

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Published by Huffington Post on December 22, 2017 and updated on December 27, 2017.

REPUBLISHED IN HONOUR AND MEMORY OF ERIC J. ILIFF AND ALL OTHER LGBTQ VICTIMS OF SUICIDE
MAY THEIR MEMORY BE ETERNAL