Source: Ömer Akpınar, “LGBT Activist Committed Suicide in Azerbaijan,” kaosGL.org, 23 January 2014, http://kaosgl.org/page.php?id=15670
İsa Şahmarlı, 20-year-old LGBT activist in Azerbaijan, hanged himself yesterday with a rainbow flag.
The president of the Azad LGBT group was found dead by his friends in the office where he worked.
“You are all responsible of my death”
Before committing suicide, Sahmarli shared a note from his Facebook account: “I am going. This country, this world is not for me… I am going to become happy… Tell mom that I love her much. You are all responsible of my death. This world is not strong enough to bear my colors. Farewell.”
“Rainbow Flags Will Be in Baku Sky”
Şahmarlı once said in an interview: “I hope and I will see one day that LGBT flags will be in Baku sky. What I really want to see is a gay couple walking freely in Baku.” He also emphasized in another interview that family pressure drives many LGBT teens to suicide.
İsa’s friends and those against homophobia will attend his funeral today. There will be a press release on Sunday in Ankara by Anka LGBT, as well.
Having suicidal thoughts? Please, please stop long enough to read this. It will only take about five minutes: http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/
To the best of our knowledge, the online and IRL resources below will provide you with a safe and non-judgmental space.
Table of Contents
IRC / Chatlines
- The Trevor Project Chatline, available 7 days a week (3pm-9pm ET / 12pm-6pm PT).
- Freenode.net chatroom/channels: #transspace
- National Suicide Prevention Chatline, 24/7.
- GLBT National Chatline, available 6 days a week (monday-friday 1pm-9pm PT / 4pm-midnight ET; saturday 9am-2pm PT / noon-5pm ET).
- Lifeline Crisis Chat, available 7 days a week (2pm-2am ET).
- RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, 24/7.
Communities / Forums / Safe Spaces
Hotlines
- FAQs about crisis hotlines – via Reddit
- The Trevor Project, USA, 24/7: 1-866-488-7386
- Trans Lifeline, Canada: 1-877-330-6366; USA: 1-877-565-8860 (schedule)
- List / index of crisis centers around the world: via Reddit; via International Association for Suicide Prevention; via Befrienders Worldwide
- The Trevor Project, USA, Fridays (4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT): Text the word “Trevor” to 1-202-304-1200. Standard text messaging rates apply.
Sexual Assault Resources
If you know of any other suicide resources where you live or work, please do let us know so that we can add them to our website. To contact us, email us at , or see https://lgbtinewsturkey.com/about/.
https://lgbtinewsturkey.com/2015/03/04/suicide-resources/