The massive LGBTQ community is struggling with anxiety and hotline calls are spiking after the presidential election
The results of the 2024 presidential election have sparked a wave of anxiety among the LGBTQ community in Massachusetts and across the country.
The Bay State is known for its strong, robust legal protections for the LGBTQ community.
Local advocacy groups told Boston 25 News that this does not calm many people’s nerves about the future as Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office.
The Boston Alliance for LGBTQ Youth, also known as BAGLY, has put all hands on deck for community members in need across the state through the LGBTQ Youth Network of Massachusetts.
‘They’re scared. They are afraid. They listen to the rhetoric. They hear the worst-case scenarios,” said Grace Sterling Stowell, executive director of BAGLY. “We do our best to provide support resources, either what they need immediately or to prepare for a longer-term reality.”
The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth, said overall crisis outreach increased nearly 700% on Nov. 6 compared to previous weeks.
“November 6 marks the largest increase in daily contact volume since our services became available 24/7 in 2019,” said Jackson Budinger of The Trevor Project. “It’s a very clear indication of what LGBTQ youth are feeling.”
Budinger said call volume has remained high since then from people across the country seeking reassurance and guidance about the future of LGBTQ rights in America.
Other LGBTQ organizations said they were prepared for a spike in calls, but nothing like what they’ve seen.
The Rainbow Youth Project, a national LGBTQ advocacy group, said about 19% of callers typically screen positive for suicidal ideation.
That’s a whopping 31.6% of callers screening for an acute mental health crisis with specific notations of suicidal ideation.
The LGBT National Hotline, another crisis center, told Boston 25 News that it is receiving five times as many calls as normal and expects calls to skyrocket on Inauguration Day.
Organizations across the country and Massachusetts are emphasizing to people that they have a support system they can count on.
“You are not alone, so please reach out,” Sterling Stowell added. “Here in Massachusetts, we are very fortunate to have had the advocacy of so many over decades.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News App for the latest news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Tweet. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
