Green MP Kevin Hague says it is “mystifying and troubling” that the Government’s latest suicide action plan has no initiatives for the GLBT community, and in fact makes no mention of it. The over-arching 2006-2016 Suicide Prevention Strategy recommends recognising the increased risks by GLB young people and to devise policies addressed to meet the needs of this group. However the Government’s new action plan for 2013-1016 makes no mention of gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans or intersex people. It's described as building on the 2008-2012 plan, which specifically mentioned GLBTI people, but offered no initiatives targeted particularly at our communities. Hague says while the plan provides significant steps forward and largely does sensible things, one area in which it has clearly gone backwards is in specifying our communities as particularly at risk, and mounting programmes in partnership with us. “It's mystifying and very troubling,” he says. Research has shown gay, lesbian and bisexual people of all ages are at high risk for suicide and suicide attempts. Firm figures on the issue came from the Youth'07 report which revealed that more than a third of gay or bisexual secondary school pupils had seriously considered suicide in the past year. It found a fifth of gay and bisexual youths had attempted suicide and about half had have harmed themselves. Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne is yet to respond to GayNZ.com Daily News questions on the new plan.If you need to talk, please call OUTLine on 0800 OUTLINE or Lifeline on 0800 543 354.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 30th May 2013 - 12:22pm