September is Suicide Prevention Month & Celebrating Latine/x/a/o Heritage Month  

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In Oregon, 43% of gender-expansive students and 33% of students with marginalized sexual orientations reported seriously considering suicide in 2020. So while suicide crisis intervention and postvention services are vital to supporting students in need, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan urges school districts to prioritize suicide, violence, and bullying prevention efforts for LGBTQ2SIA+ students. Studies show that suicide ideation reduces when LGBTQ2SIA+ youth have access to safer and more affirming spaces, policies, practices, educator training and resources, peer and family support, inclusive curricula, and instructional practices.

While we spend this month holding space for the challenges facing students this year, we encourage districts and schools to connect LGBTQ2SIA+ youth to sources of joy such as LGBTQ2SIA+ student clubs, all-gender restrooms, accepting and affirming friends, athletics and exercise, supportive teachers, art, music, and more. Below, please find a few resources below to support you during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month:

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• Preventing Suicide Guide, The Trevor Project, July 2021  

• Facts About LGBTQ Youth Suicide, The Trevor Project, December 2021  

• Oregon LGBTQ2SIA+ Crisis Lines, Oregon LGBTQ Youth and Family Resources & Family Acceptance Project (web page) 

• Mental Health and Well-being, Oregon Department of Education 

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Oregon Health Authority 

• Oregon Raises Awareness of Hope During National Suicide Prevention Month, Oregon Health Authority (OHA), September 2022 

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From September 15-October 15 we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. The terms Hispanic and Latine/x/a/o encompass a diverse and wide range of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities. While these terms should not be conflated, there are ways to honor the individual background of each historic event or figure in your classroom discussions to ensure specificity and respect, leaning on self-identification language of living figures and authors when available.

Districts and schools are encouraged to consider the below resources as you celebrate with Latine/x/a/o and LGBTQ2SIA+ students this month:

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Resources

• Hispanic Heritage Month Resources (google doc), Oregon Historical Society (OHS) 

• Latinx Heritage Month Resources (website), Teach for America

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• Latinx LGBTQ+ Fact Sheet to Promote More Inclusive Educational Practices and Policies (fact sheet), UnidosUS, 2021 

• Latinx (website with resources for families), PFLAG 

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