Trolls on the far-right messaging board 4chan have been strongly condemned for attempting to clog-up a suicide hotline for LGBT+ youth.
On Tuesday, members of 4chan allegedly plotted to clog-up The Trevor Project’s 24 hour hotline for young LGBT+ people considering harming themselves or suicide, social media posts suggested.
Chats seen by Alex Kaplan, a senior researcher for the Media Matters for America watchdog, showed users on the 4chan website sharing contact information for The Trevor Project in order to “f*** up the queue”.
One user wrote in a since deleted post that others should “f*** up the queue” so LGBT+ youth “commit suicide due to being unable to receive assistance”.
The same 4chan user, who declared “war” on the LGBT+ charity, also called on other trolls to “demoralise” counsellors on the The Trevor Project hotline and to “waste as much of their resources as possible”.
Another 4chan user followed by saying: “I have been waiting like 10 minutes. Waiting times are amazing. If this causes a single *** to kill themselves, I will be pleased. Total Aryan victory”.
In a statement to The Independent on Wednesday, The Trevor Project called the actions of 4chan users “egregious” and “harrowing” in light of figures showing that LGBT+ youth are at higher risk of self harm and suicide.
“The act of attacking a crisis services line intended to prevent suicide among young people is egregious,” said the nonprofit. “Our crisis counselors work around the clock to be there for LGBTQ youth who feel like they have nowhere to turn, and it’s harrowing that anybody would attempt to compromise our lifeline or encourage suicide”.
The charity said it has seen more attacks and “mischaracterisation” as awareness about its work grows however, while adding that the “maliciously planned” attack by 4chan users was “exactly the kind of mistreatment and abuse that contributes to heightened suicide risk.”
“LGBTQ youth are at significantly increased risk for suicide — not because of anything inherent about their identities, but because of the stigma, bullying, violence, and discrimination that they face,” The Trevor Project said.
According to the charity, young LGBT+ people aged 13 to 24 are four times more likely to attempt suicide then their peers and 45 per cent have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, according to a national youth survey on mental health.
In fact, an LGBT+ youth seriously considers committing suicide about every 45 seconds in the US, making the alleged attack by far right trolls even more alarming, according to the organisation.
“Every second counts when you work in suicide prevention, and we strongly condemn this intent to obstruct our lines and create even more barriers for LGBTQ people who rely on our help,” The Trevor Project said. “We are working diligently in the face of this disruption to protect our counselors and those youth who need us.”
The Independent has approached 4chan for comment.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
