Stop LGBTQ Suicide through Parent Education

We wanted to give you a very realistic update on our mission to make a real impact in the lives of LGBTQ children facing the tough challenges of suicidal ideation and self-harm. We know these struggles can be incredibly daunting, and we're committed to providing the support and resources needed to make a difference. Especially in the current political climate where LGBTQ+ youth are more vulnerable than ever before. 

In the last year, Mama Dragons has changed how we work. Upon reflection, we realized that Mama Dragons has grown beyond the capacity of holding our membership in private Facebook groups. Our members and their families' safety and security have always been a North Star for the organization.  Creating rich learning environments where we could educate across the diverse experiences of our membership has been another primary goal. Sustaining the peer-to-peer support that destigmatizes asking for assistance and encourages parents to feel comfortable attending a training opportunity has been a priority for us.  But over 11,000 members sharing information created a challenge in ensuring every parent could find and access the information about all of our classes easily. 

On January 1st, we began moving our membership to a private, secure network where we now have the 30+ Facebook groups all under one umbrella - while holding each unique group in a dedicated space.  This move increases our capacity for delivering more opportunities to parents as we can do more with shared calendars that enable more people to access the classes and benefit from the information.  

In this moment, we are seeing an uptick in parents who are deeply concerned about their children's well-being and mental health. We have built out a network to support them.  We have classes that will guide parents through the QPR Suicide Prevention training. We can organically reach out to our members in a more efficient way. We are beginning a national outreach program to offer the wisdom and support that is at the heart of what Mama Dragons does so well. 

Your generous donations have already made a significant impact, and we're so grateful for your ongoing support. Together, we're building a program that will make a real difference in the lives of LGBTQ children and their families. Thank you for being a crucial part of this journey – we couldn't do it without you!

We hope that you feel compelled to help us in the current climate we are working in.  This work has never felt so important and relevant to our families. 

Links:

• Mama Dragons has so much to offer parents of LGBTQ+ children.

We can't thank you enough for all of your support! 

In times like this, the support we receive from people like you feels a little different.  When our parents are worrying about their LGBTQ+ children returning to school and facing any bullying or being fearful of showing who their really are, it's good to know that there are people out there supporting them in tangible ways.

Accurate knowledge is preventative. This month we published the 'Community of Care" resources on our website for easy access by the Mama Dragons community - and anyone else who may need fully vetted, accurate and timely resources to help navigate critical information about who LGBTQ+ people are and the services that they may need.

We are also focusing on our vital mission throughout our 2024 "LUV Without Limits Parent Education Conference being held at the Salt Lake City Marriott (Downtown - City Creek location on October 18-19, 2024.  We will have speakers focusing on critical issues that affect our families and our chilren - health and wellness concerns, legal issues, mental health and happiness, but also working with our parents on how to bring themselves into healthy sustainable ways of advocating for their children in all the places that decisions are being made. 

https://www.luvwithoutlimits.org/ 

 

The most difficult event a parent can experience is outliving their child. More than 40% of youth who identify as LGBTQ seriously consider suicide, and/or chronically self-harm. As the Trevor Project continues to find in their annual surveys, “LGBTQ young people are four times more likely to attempt suicide, and suicide remains the second leading cause of death among all young people in the U.S.”

 

Having one affirming parent reduces these numbers by more than 40%. 

 

Teaching parents how to recognize signs of suicidal ideation; how to reduce access to lethal means; how to help their children cope and develop problem-solving skills; and when, where, and how to find lifesaving professional support, can all help to reduce the number of future tragedies.

 

Together, we’re making a difference. Please help us continue our mission to stop LGBTQ Suicide through Parent Education.

Links:

• Community of Care for LGBTQ+ Families
• Join us at the LUV Without Limits Conference in Salt Lake City.