Deaf LGBTQ youths, further on the margins, likelier to feel depressed or suicidal than their hearing peers

• Deaf LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to seriously consider suicide.
• Being Deaf and LGBT worsens the marginalization felt by many kids.
• "They're constantly on the outside looking in," one LGBT advocate says.

Recent years have not been easy for Tonya and her family. Four years ago, her 14-year-old son began losing his hearing; he is now profoundly deaf. Then, two years ago, he came out as transgender.

“In the last four years, he has dealt with COVID, transitioning and losing his hearing almost completely,” said Tonya, who did not want her last name used to protect her son’s privacy. “Depression has very much been part of his life.”