Honoring Mental Health this Pride Month

A 19-year-old felt indescribable peace and comfort as he lay down on his bed wearing lipstick. The chaos outside mirrored the barrage of thoughts in his head. Every once in a while, the shoutings of his family members would jolt him back to reality.

LGBTQ+ Rights are Human Rights

With the harsh obstacles society leaves for us, LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) community finds it very difficult to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity because of the overwhelming fear.
Research suggests that the LGBTQIA+ community is more likely to have mental health problems. However, their sexual orientation or gender identity has no relation to the causes of these problems.
A study by Stonewall revealed – Half of them have experienced depression, and 3 in 5 experienced anxiety.
One in eight aged 18-24 attempted to end their lives, and almost half thought about taking their lives.

HATE CRIMES

Crimes committed against people because of their race, sexuality, religion, gender identity, or disability.

Research suggests that people identifying as LGBTQ are at greater risk of experiencing hate crimes. Certain groups, including gay men, young people, and those hailing from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority groups, are at particular risk.

ACCESSING HEALTHCARE

Despite the Equality Act of 2010, which put healthcare providers under a legal duty to treat LGBTQ+ people fairly, marginalization is typical.

One in eight people identifying as LGBTQ+ have experienced unequal treatment, and most of them tend to avoid treatment for fear of discrimination.

Approximately 8% of LGBTQ+ individuals and nearly 27% of transgender individuals report being denied needed health care outright.

In mental health care, stigma, lack of cultural sensitivity, and unconscious and conscious reluctance to address sexuality may hamper the effectiveness of care.

SOCIETAL ISSUES AND STIGMA

Individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons has been associated with higher psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide rates. Persona, family, and social acceptance affect mental health and personal safety.

Most of them report that they or a friend or family member have been threatened, harassed, and experienced violence, slurs, and insensitive and offensive comments because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

All these statistics and factual data point toward the challenges that people who identify with LGBTQ+ face daily, leading to its immediate effects on their physical and mental, and emotional well-being.

It’s about time we as people learn acceptance and destabilize the taboos associated with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Mind Vriksha is queer-friendly and inclusive; we wish to extend our support to the community.