Philly Sheriff's LGBTQ Liaison Dies by Suicide

The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office's LGBTQ liaison has died by suicide.

Deputy Sheriff Dante Austin, 27, was found dead in his office Friday morning, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The cause was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said a statement released by the Sheriff's Office, adding that this information was pending confirmation from the medical examiner.

Austin was Philadelphia's first openly gay deputy sheriff when he was hired in 2013 after having achieved the highest score on the deputy exam. He became the office's first LGBTQ liaison in 2017.

"This is a tragedy for the Sheriff's Office, Deputy Austin's family, and the local LGBTQ community," Sheriff Jewell Williams told the Inquirer. "Dante was a person who believed in and cared about everybody." He was scheduled for promotion to sergeant on July 1.

The Mayor's Commission on LGBT Affairs released a statement as well, saying, "Dante worked tirelessly, always, to lift up the most marginalized among us, to secure safety and protection for the most vulnerable, and to serve his community with unparalleled dedication and a warmth and generosity that moved so many of us."

The Sheriff's Office closed at noon and was arranging grief counseling for employees. The Commission on LGBT Affairs said the Pride flag at City Hall would be lowered to half-staff.

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Last year Austin and his partner, assistant city solicitor Robert "Tito" Valdez, served as a grand marshal couple for the Philly Pride Parade. This year's parade will be held Sunday. "We'll aim to have a Pride Weekend that is worthy of his legacy, but it will be difficult," Chris Bartlett, executive director of the William Way LGBT Community Center, said at a vigil for Burke held at the center Friday afternoon, according to the Inquirer.

"Dante's passing is a sad reminder that LGBTQ people have higher rates of suicide attempts and suicide ideation," Reginald T. Shuford, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Pennsylvania affiliate, told the paper. "It's a symptom of a society that, while improving, mistreats members of the LGBTQ community in unfair and dehumanizing ways. It's imperative that we care for ourselves and for each other."

State Rep. Brian Sims, Pennsylvania's first openly gay state legislator, told the Inquirer that Austin's death is a great loss, but he should be remembered for all he accomplished. "Dante is an advocate that worked with virtually every LGBT organization and LGBT activist that I know in the city," Sims said. "He's pushed for better training in the Sheriff's Office and was a champion of LGBT equality. He was one of those people who lifted up every room he ever stepped foot in. This is one of those losses that's going to be felt for a very long time."

If you are a trans or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, Trans Lifeline can be reached at (877) 565-8860. LGBTQ youth (ages 24 and younger) can reach the Trevor Project Lifeline at (866) 488-7386. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 can also be reached 24 hours a day by people of all ages and identities.