The United States lacks data on how many gay and transgender people die by suicide each year. This information vacuum makes it challenging to tailor suicide prevention efforts to meet the needs of the people most at risk, and to measure how well the programs work. The absence of data is especially unfortunate now when assumptions about suicide rates among L.G.B.T.Q. groups are frequently thrust into high-stakes political debates. The truth is, no one knows how many people die by suicide each year in the United States because most death investigators do not collect data on sexuality or gender identity. However, Utah, which has a high rate of suicide mortality, has been at the forefront of efforts to collect such data since 2017, when its State Legislature passed a law mandating detailed investigations of suicides. Many states have also imposed restrictions on many aspects of life for gay and transgender people, making it more urgent to collect data on suicide among these groups. L.G.B.T.Q. advocates push for more data to prevent lawmakers from dismissing the high suicide rates among the L.G.B.T.Q. community.
