June is Pride Month, a month to celebrate gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and asexual people, plus all other sexual orientations and genders.
Why is Pride Celebrated in June?
We celebrate Pride in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, that took place at the end of June in 1969 in Greenwich Village. Historically, the Stonewall riots are considered the tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in America.
The Significance of Celebrating Pride in 2019
Along with Pride being a way for Americans to come together and celebrate the LGBT community, it is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the issues facing the community.
At Elemental Mental Health (EMH), we particularly want to raise awareness about mental health issues and concerns facing the LGBT community.
Being LGBT is NOT a Mental Disorder
First things first, let’s set the record straight. All professional mental health organizations have affirmed that homosexuality is NOT a mental disorder. Nor is being transgender or gender variant. Being LGBT in NO WAY implies that a person has impairment in judgement, stability, reliability, or general, social and/or vocational capabilities.
People within the LGBT community, as with any marginalized community, can be disproportionally at greater risk for suffering from mental health disorders.
LGBT Facts and Figures Regarding Mental Health
Below are a few facts and figures from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) regarding mental health related issues:
- Lesbian, Gay, and Bi-sexual adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition
- LGBTQ people are at a higher risk than the general population for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
- High school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are almost five times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers
- Forty-eight percent of all transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the past 12 months, compared to just four percent of the overall U.S. population
Members of the LGBT Community Need to Prioritize Mental Health
If you live with a mental health condition and identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning (LGBTQ), it’s important to prioritize your mental health. Not all members of the LGBTQ community will have the same experiences. However, discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment and family rejection are still tragically common for people with these identities.
Seek Help for Mental Health Concerns from a LGBTQ-Inclusive Therapist
Early intervention, comprehensive treatment and family support are key to helping LGBTQ people live well with a mental health condition. But many people in this community struggle in silence—and face worse health outcomes as a result. Confronting these challenges and mental health symptoms with an LGBTQ-inclusive therapist can lead to better outcomes, and even recovery.
If you would like to speak with a LGBTQ-Inclusive Licensed Professional Counselor, please reach out to Dr. Alyx MacTernan via the website contact form.