Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Vets Face Suicide Risks
Suicide ranked fi fth among top causes of death for lesbian, gay, bisexual vets
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
A new report published
on JAMA Network Open
found that lesbian, gay,
and bisexual (LGB) veterans
are at greater risk of suicide
than the general population.
Data from more than 96,000
LGB veterans revealed that suicide
accounted for 3.8 percent of deaths
among LGB veterans in 2017
alone, while suicide accounted for
1.7 percent of deaths in the general
US population.
Moreover, suicide was ranked
fi fth on the list of top causes of
death among LGB vets in 2017,
while it ranked 10th among the
general population.
Between 2000 to 2017, 436
LGB veterans had died of suicide,
with men accounting for at least
346 deaths compared with 90
women.
Research suggests stigma is a
possible factor. Experts pointed
to a report published in the New
England Journal of Medicine in
2010, “Health Hazards of ‘Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell,” which showed
that the policy excluding queer
service members caused them to
hide their sexual history from clinicians.
This was detrimental to
their sexual health, and because
of this, sexually transmitted infections
and STDs went undiagnosed,
service members and their partners
went untreated, and lesbian,
gay, and bisexual patients lacked
information about HIV and STD
prevention.
“Compounding effects of minority
stress may contribute to excess
death by suicide among LGB veterans,”
wrote researchers. “However,
to our knowledge, no studies have
examined suicide mortality among
veterans based on LGB status.”
According to researchers, LGB
populations often experience
chronically high levels of stress
including depression, poor health,
abusive childhoods, homelessness
and sexual violence.
While the data largely covered
suicides among older, white, queer
men, LGB women of color were
More than 400 lesbian, gay, or bisexual veterans died of suicide between 2000 and 2017.
also disproportionately impacted
by suicide. The report noted that
LGB women who died by suicide
were more likely to be young and
Black.
One of the study’s limitations is
that researchers did not include
transgender veterans. However, the
report does note existing research
showing that from 2000 to 2009,
LGB veterans who used Veterans
Health Administration (VHA) services
had similar suicide rates to
trans service members. LGB veterans
also experience more suicide
attempts.
A lengthy history of homophobic
military policies is tied to this issue.
In 1994, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,”
went into effect and only allowed
queer people to serve in the military
if they did not disclose their
sexual orientation.
“In the records of the thousands
of discharges that occurred, service
members conveyed how a
heightened culture of fear and secrecy
emerged around them from
the suspicion of LGB status because
of the use of LGB allegations
to punish service persons,”
the report states.
While that ban ended in 2011,
the military is still discriminatory.
Along with the ban on transgender
military members, the VHA does
not cover gender-affi rming surgeries.
Studies have shown that providing
this care is life-saving for
trans, non-binary and gender-nonconforming
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
people. Plus, it leads to
long term mental health benefi ts
including reduced psychological
treatment.
An army veteran with 26 years of
experience who spoke to Gay City
MILITARY
News on December 30 explained
that years of isolation, discrimination
from VHA doctors, and the
threat of bad papers based on a
person’s sexual or gender identity
are contributing to these suicide
statistics.
To complement the data on LGB
veterans, researchers used data
from 8 million US veterans enrolled
in the Veterans Health Administration
from October 1999 to
September 2017. Offi cials parsed
data detailing sexual orientation
from clinical notes. Experts calculated
the suicide mortality rate
using sexual minority data along
with statistics from the National
Death Index, a database tracking
the deaths of participants from scientifi
c studies.
Ultimately, experts concluded
that more research is needed on
how suicide prevention efforts are
reaching LGB veterans.
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