By, Meghan Taylor, LCSW

June is recognized as Pride month for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies. Pride commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riot that sparked the LGBTQIA+ rights movement and subsequently inspired the celebratory events that you see today. Pride is a time to come together in solidarity to celebrate the freedom to be oneself! With all eyes on the community, Pride month is also an excellent time to advocate for LGBTQIA+ people and solutions to barriers that they face in all aspects of their lives.

Discrimination and Trauma

Unfortunately, discrimination surrounding LGBTQIA + communities still exists, leading to increased rates of bullying, harassment, and homelessness among this population.These rates disproportionate affect LGBTQIA+ identifying youth at much higher rates. Not all members of the LGBTQIA+ community will have the same experiences, however, discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment,and family rejection are consistently experienced trauma among individuals identifying outside of the hetero-norm. In fact, according to a 2017 poll by NPR, 57% of LGBTQIA+-identifying Americans have personally been subjected to derogatory slurs regarding their sexual orientation and/or their gender identity. In this same report, it was found that greater than 50% of this population has experienced violence for being LGBTQIA+. Individual discrimination is not the only trauma this population has to endure.Discrimination also comes in the form of policies, affecting LBTQIA+ access to employment and education, and their interactions with police and the courts.

Mental Health

Discrimination and trauma experienced among this population often triggers and/or exacerbates mental health conditions, leaving many to suffer in silence.In fact, the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that LGBTQ+ adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition. It was also concluded that LGBTQ+ people are higher than the general population for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, while high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are almost five times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers. Not to mention, 48% of all transgender adults reported that they have considered suicide in the past 12 months, compared to 4% of the overall US population.

Accessibility of Resources

Because the LGBTQ community experiences such greater rates of trauma due to discrimination, mental health care is also needed at greater rates. However, the stigma they face often interferes with their ability to access the care and treatment that they need. Many individuals in this population also learn that not all mental health providers understand their experiences. For example, Mental Health America found that 50% of their study participants reported that they had personally experienced healthcare providers denying care, using harsh language, or citing the patient’s sexual identity or gender orientation as the cause of their illness. These negative interactions with providers can mean individuals are less likely to seek help when they need it most. So, during this time of celebration, it is also important for us all to take the time to actively and continually educate ourselves to be better advocates and allies for this population. Below are some links to resources from the National Alliance on Mental Illness in order to do just that!

Resources & Organizations

•The American Psychological Association(APA)provides countless educational and support resources on a range of LGBTQ topics

•The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling delivers educational and support resources for LGBTQ individuals, as well as promoting competency on LGBTQ issues for counseling professionals

•The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists offers numerous resources for LGBT individuals experiencing mental health conditions and psychiatric professionals with LGBT clients

•The National Center for Transgender Equality offers resources for transgender individuals, including information on the right to access health care

•The Trevor Project is a support network for LGBTQ youth providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention, including a 24-hour text line (Text “START” to 678678)

•The LGBT National Help Center offers confidential peer support connections for LGBT youth, adults and seniors including phone, text and online chat

•The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's Provider Directory is a search tool that can locate a LGBTQ-inclusive health care provider

•Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index provides the national LGBTQ benchmarking tool, which evaluates healthcare facilities’ policies and practices related to LGBTQ patients, visitors, and employees.

•GLMA Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality works to ensure equality in healthcare for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and healthcare providers. They offer a directory for patients to connect with LGBT welcoming providers.

•It Gets Better Project: The It Gets Better Project is a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe.Their website offers education, stories, and directory of local resources to help get the support your loved one needs.

•Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children: a report that provides information about sexual orientation and gender identity to help friends, family, and other adults support LGBT children and adolescents.

•A Practitioner’s Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children: a resource guide that offers information and resources to help practitioners throughout health and social service systems implement best practices in engaging and helping families and caregivers to support their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children.

•Reducing LGBTQ+ Teen Suicidal Behavior: Care for Your Mind article written by Susan Weinstein.