“I’ve never known so many young people dying by suicide in my professional life,” said Lisa Gunterman, director of the University of Louisville LGBT Center.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentuckiana Pride Festival kicks off this weekend, with many groups ready to share messages of love and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community.
The University of Louisville LGBT Center hopes to raise awareness about mental health by participating in Saturday’s parade, and the center’s director, Lisa Gunterman, will be wearing four bracelets with the names of four deceased community members.
“All of the deaths were LGBTQ young people,” Gunterman said. “Two died last month, and the other two died in the past two years.”
One of them was Henry Berg Brussaux, a transgender rights activist who committed suicide in December 2022.
“This climate of hate and bigotry is killing our youth,” Gunterman said, “so again, regardless of how we feel about other people, each of us can do something to make the world a better place. And we have to make sure they know that the world they’re in is a better world.”
WHAS11 asked Berg Brousseau’s mother, Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, what she thought about the group’s efforts to honor her son.
“The fight continues,” Berg said. “The work continues. The work of making this world a better place. That’s what my work is all about. That’s what Henry’s work is all about. To leave this world a little better than when I found it. And that strength, that power, that determination will never be forgotten.”
Berg still gets emotional and tears wells up when talking about his son’s activism, saying that since his son came out as a teenager, he has always thought of others before himself.
“On Friday afternoons, they would literally go and cook and then serve food to the homeless camps near where my dad lives,” Berg said, “and people would say that not only did he serve food, he really got to know them. My son really cared about other people’s feelings.”
Berg-Brousseau raised awareness for the community through his work with the Human Rights Campaign, and after his death, President Joe Biden recognized Berg-Brousseau for his work in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
The last thing he did was send out a press release warning that transgender rights were under attack across the country.
Since her son’s death, Berg has opposed bills that would restrict health care for transgender youth, such as Senate Bill 150 of 2023, which was vetoed by Gov. Andy Beshear but ultimately overturned by lawmakers.
During a protest in Frankfort in March 2023, Berg spoke to transgender youth in the state capital with a message for her generation, telling those in the community to not give up hope and not let this bill hurt themselves or others.
“Fighting … I don’t know if it’s fighting or praying,” Berg said. “So, at this point, unless they repeal SB 150, our only recourse is to wait for the courts.”
One pattern Gunterman and the center have been noticing is suicides among young people who identify as transgender.
“For the first time in my professional life, I’ve seen so many young people die by suicide,” Gunterman said.
The group’s call to action is to improve mental health in the community while remembering Henry and others at Saturday’s Pride parade.
If you are experiencing mental health problems and are thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline on 988.
It’s easier to stay up to date on stories like this — download the WHAS11 News App now. apple or Android user.
Have a news tip? Email email address,our company’s Facebook page or Twitter Feed.
