In a recent video, I discussed a difficult and uncomfortable subject: the comparison between suicide rates in the United States and the Philippines, with a particular focus on transgender youth. Some critics accused me of being dishonest or of using culture war tactics. But the numbers speak for themselves, and when the stakes are this high—lives on the line—we owe it to the truth to dig deeper.
This article is a direct response to those critiques. It's not a political stunt, nor is it an attempt to devalue anyone’s lived experience. It’s a call for honesty, nuance, and a serious look at what’s driving suicide—not just in transgender youth, but across modern, so-called “progressive” societies.
Let’s walk through the points clearly and without spin.
watch this video response to the critique at youtube: https://youtu.be/r_GF_F0Pgq0
The Suicide Rate Gap: USA vs. Philippines
Let’s start with hard numbers. According to the World Bank (2019), the suicide death rate in the United States is 14.1 per 100,000. In the Philippines, it’s 3.2 per 100,000. That’s over four times higher in the U.S.
These aren’t estimates of suicidal ideation or attempts. These are actual deaths.
In my time living in Cebu City and throughout the province—more than 14 months total—I have not seen a single pride flag, a pride parade, or any kind of public LGBTQ+ affirmation campaign. There are no rainbow stickers on storefronts, no government agencies flying flags, no “Pride Month” banners lining the streets.
In contrast, the U.S. is saturated with what I call “affirmation culture.” Corporations light up their logos in rainbow colors every June. Government buildings and public schools often fly pride flags alongside or even instead of national symbols. There’s no shortage of visibility or institutional support for LGBTQ+ identities.
So here’s the unavoidable question: If affirmation saves lives, why is the suicide rate in the U.S. so much higher—especially among transgender youth?
What the Critics Say—and Get Wrong
Critics argue I’m cherry-picking data. They say the suicide rates in the Philippines are underreported due to stigma or cultural suppression. Maybe. But is that enough to explain a 440% difference?
Dr. Alison Clayton, a psychiatrist with both professional and personal experience in suicide prevention, addressed this exact topic in her in-depth lecture:
“What’s the evidence? Suicidality and Suicide Risk”
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGwSpqfRZho
She makes several important points that rarely make it into mainstream discussions:
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Suicidality in transgender youth is real and concerning—but it mirrors patterns seen in other high-risk mental health groups, like those with autism, trauma histories, and serious psychiatric conditions.
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There is no high-quality evidence that gender-affirming treatment reduces suicide death rates.
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Much of the “evidence” cited in support of these treatments relies on poor-quality, uncontrolled, or misrepresented studies.
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Messaging that tells parents, “Affirm your child or they’ll kill themselves,” is emotionally coercive and not backed by solid data.
This aligns with what I’ve said: We are oversimplifying a deeply complex issue, and in doing so, we may actually be causing harm.
Suicide Scripts and Social Contagion
One powerful concept Dr. Clayton discusses is “suicide scripts.” This idea suggests that when suicide becomes embedded into a cultural or identity narrative, it normalizes and reinforces suicidal behavior—especially in youth.
In many Western societies, transgender identity is now often accompanied by a social script that includes trauma, alienation, and suicidal ideation. This script is constantly reinforced by media, online communities, and even clinicians. When suicide becomes part of the “expected story,” it becomes more likely—not less.
This is also known as the Werther effect: the phenomenon of suicide spreading through social modeling, especially after media attention. This isn't speculation. It's backed by decades of psychiatric literature.
The Philippines, by contrast, doesn’t script transgender identity in the same way. That doesn't mean life is perfect for trans-identifying individuals there—but it does mean the cultural narrative around identity and mental health is less fatalistic.
Affirmation Isn’t a Cure-All
Here’s the part that makes people uncomfortable: affirmation alone isn’t enough.
In fact, when used as a blanket prescription for mental health struggles, affirmation can become a distraction from deeper root causes.
The documentary “Identity Crisis: Defying the Transgender Lobby to Save His Son” explores this in personal, heartbreaking detail. A father navigates his son’s rapid-onset gender dysphoria, only to realize that clinicians were ignoring the underlying mental health issues in favor of fast-tracking medical affirmation.
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk6GxP1jR-E
Many children and teens who present with gender dysphoria also have:
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Autism spectrum disorder
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Bipolar disorder
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Schizophrenia
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OCD
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PTSD or early trauma
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Depression and anxiety
In many of these cases, gender dysphoria is a symptom, not the root. But in the U.S., the system is increasingly set up to interpret every form of distress as confirmation of trans identity—and to treat it with affirmation, hormones, and sometimes surgery.
Underlying Mental Health vs. Gender Identity
Here’s a major difference between how suicide is discussed in the U.S. versus in other countries:
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In the U.S., transgender identity is treated as the primary explanation for suicidality.
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In places like the Philippines, mental health issues are viewed as multi-faceted, with community, faith, and family still central to the conversation.
Back home, we talk about affirmation. Over there, they talk about connection.
Religion isn’t a magic shield. But community is. Family is. Stability is. People showing up for each other is. And that may be what the U.S. is missing the most.
Conclusion: What Are We Missing?
I’m not dismissing transgender suicide. I’m asking why the “solutions” offered by modern Western culture—like constant affirmation, flags, parades, and pronoun campaigns—aren’t fixing the problem.
If the most affirming culture on earth has the highest suicide rates, then something’s wrong with our narrative.
We need to stop weaponizing suicide stats to push ideology. We need to stop telling parents that their only two options are affirmation or death. We need to focus on mental health in all its complexity, not as a single-issue story.
The Philippines isn’t perfect, but it shows something important: A society doesn’t need rainbow flags or affirmation campaigns to keep people alive. Connection might matter more than affirmation.
We’ve tried affirmation-only. It’s time to rethink the entire framework.
📚 Cited Sources
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World Bank Suicide Rate Data (2019)
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.P5 -
“What’s the evidence? Suicidality and Suicide Risk” by Dr. Alison Clayton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGwSpqfRZho -
“Identity Crisis: Defying the Transgender Lobby to Save His Son” (Documentary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk6GxP1jR-E -
CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), Transgender Youth Suicidality
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm -
WHO Media Guidelines for Suicide Reporting
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240026629
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