Most death researchers don't collect data on sexuality or gender identity. No one knows how many gays and transsexuals die by suicide each year in the United States.
Utah has been at the forefront of efforts to collect that data since 2017. The data can be used to help understand the complex set of factors that contribute to people deciding to end their lives, a state official says. The lack of data is especially unfortunate now, they said, when assumptions about suicide rates among LGBTQ groups are frequently the subject of heated political debate.