If the idea is truly to protect trans kids, then activists and leaders in that community should not be driving the language towards catastrophizing reactions. Not only is it emotional bullying that will numb their opponents to their suffering, it may drive hopelessness and fixations on death and violence in the very groups they claim to protect..@ZoAndBehold's "blood on your hands" comment is not only scientifically false, it is also profoundly irresponsible. It puts the very teens Zephyr claims to be concerned about at higher risk for self-harm--a fact acknowledged by major LGBT advocacy and suicide-prevention orgs.
In 2017, @GLSEN,@TrevorProject. @HRC, @glaad, @TransLawCenter, @LGBTQTaskForce, @PFLAG, @sageusa, @amprog, @afspnational, @JohnsonFamFound, @lgbtmap, released a guidebook called "Talking About Suicide & LGBT Populations."
From the guidebook:
"DON'T attribute a suicide death to a single factor (such as bullying or discrimination) or say that a specific anti-LGBT law or policy will 'cause' suicide. Suicide deaths are almost always the result of multiple overlapping causes, including mental health issues that might not have been recognized or treated. Linking suicide directly to external factors like bullying, discrimination or anti-LGBT laws can normalize suicide by suggesting that it is a natural reaction to such experiences or laws. It can also increase suicide risk by leading at-risk individuals to identify with the experiences of those who have died by suicide."
and if you don't believe me:
