“We Have to Survive for the Future of our Community”: Reasons for Living among Queer, Transgender, and Nonbinary People

Queer, transgender, and nonbinary (QTNB) populations are at disproportionately high risk for suicide. While research continues to identify factors that increase risk for suicide among QTNB communities, the existing body of research focuses on deficits rather than resilient capacities of QTNB communities. Previous scholars have introduced the concept of reasons for living (RFL) to articulate the life and value-congruent beliefs that can protect and reduce risk of completing suicide in the general population. Additional research is needed to understand the specific RFL among QTNB populations to tailor prevention and health promotion initiatives. Using a sample of 555 QTNB people, we examined participants’ responses to three open-ended questions regarding RFL. We found six broad thematic categories: (a) Cultivating Hope and Resilience, (b) Fear, (c) Religion and Spirituality, (d) Seeking Medical and Psychological Resources, (e) Social and Community Supports, and (f) Creating a Healing Future for Others. Our findings have strong implications for expanding previous conceptualizations of RFL to affirm the experiences of QTNB communities. Prevention and health promotion initiatives can facilitate individual and collective factors that aid in promoting RFL among QTNB people.