Hello everyone! As you know part of the Tia’s Racket platform is to boost and spread the voices of others. Today I wanted to write about the topic of mental health in the lgbtq+ community. I interviewed some wonderful individuals to get their different point of views on how lgbt mental health is handled in different aspects of life.
How do you think lgbtq mental health is handled in schools?
I think that depending where you are, lgbtq mental health is handled fairly okay or it's just not handled at all. A lot of more progressive places will offer counseling for everyone, but most counselors who aren't lgbtq won't know how to handle certain issues. It leaves a lot of younger people feeling less comfortable to even seek counseling.
How do you think lgbtq mental health is handled by professionals?
Mental health professionals can vary in quality, and the issues they specialize in. Lgbtq mental health issues are only handled better by actual lgbtq professionals/proper ally professionals. Other types of professionals can try to handle these issues, but the care won't feel as genuine or understood.
How do you think lgbtq mental health has been handled in your life?
I actually haven't sought out mental health care for most of my life, solely because I didn't know how, and I didn't have health insurance period. I feel like adequate mental healthcare is largely inaccessible to lgbtq youth due to costs and location. If I had more resources when I was younger, I feel like maybe I would have been a healthier person today.
What changes do you think should be made?
Changes would need to be drastic in a way that I dont think our current government/legislation has the courage to push through. We're talking stuff like complete universal healthcare access for everyone, regardless of income or background. Centers focused on mental health should be funded more and given more resources to improve lgbtq lives. There needs to be changes in the media showing lgbtq people, and until more minds begin to change, the progress will be stagnant, if there's any at all.
- Vic (they/him)
How do you think lgbtq mental health is handled in schools?
I honestly think mental health in school isn’t really handled well even when LGBTQ people aren’t involved, but it is especially worse in our case. I know so many who have been scared to seek help because they’re worried that seeking that help from the school will put them to their parents and compromise their safety.
How do you think lgbtq mental health is handled by professionals?
I think it is handled a little bit better, because there is often the option to search for mental health professionals who are LGBTQ friendly. HIPPA agreements definitely help as well.
How do you think lgbtq mental health has been handled in your life?
Most of my mental health issues have not been related to my LGBTQ identity, so I’m not really sure I can speak on that.
What changes do you think should be made?
I really think school staff need more training on working with LGBTQ students and policies to keep queer kids protected and keep their privacy protected need to be enacted ASAP.
- Tabby (she/her)
How do you think LGBT mental health is handled in schools?
I think LGBT mental health is handled differently in every school. In a University that I attended my freshman year of college (one which I no longer attend) I noticed that the school did not have a large focus on just LGBT mental health but all mental health in general. This has its pros and cons. Pros being that there is a sense of unity in the fact that all students’ mental health matters and there are resources for everyone, however, the con is that LGBT mental health is different from those who are not part of the LGBT community. There are a lot more things that those who are part of this community deal with on an everyday basis that most people are unaware of. For example, people get misgendered, use the wrong pronouns without caring, and just are uniquely different from those around them. I believe that there should be more effort in understanding the LGBT community in schools as new things arise and things change over time. My University that I attend now shines a very bright light on addressing the resources to talk to someone or groups who can share their stories about what they deal with. There is a Center for Transgender and Queer Advocacy here at my new school that has provided a very long list of events and resources that those part of the LGBT community can use. The people who run this center are a part of the community as well, sharing their experience and always being open to listening to those who attend.
How do you think LGBT mental health has been handled in your life?
In my life, my mental health has been handled quite well. I have many resources that I know I can reach out to and are reliable. My parents and family have always been very supportive of me and take the time to ask questions and understand certain things that may be new to them or the subjects they have never heard of! I think I have truly found better resources at my new school as well as finding the right group of people who are not only my close friends also part of the LGBT community but they can relate to some of my own stories. Over the years there have been many opportunities for me to see everyone in the world become more familiar and accepting of those parts of this community and truthfully, it is beautiful. I have found much support in those around me whether I know them personally or not. I continue to grow day by day into the person I am meant to be and find my true self.
What changes do you think should be made?
There are so many changes that could be made but few that will actually happen. All we can do is hope for the best and hope that people put in the effort to want to see change; maybe even take matters into their own hands. A big thing I hope to see a lot of change over the years is understanding pronouns. I use she/they/theirs pronouns while most people are used to hearing she/her/hers or he/him/his. Because I present female to most people, they assume to use she/her/hers pronouns without asking. Although I give them the benefit of the doubt if I know I won’t have an encounter with them again (i.e. grocery store workers, people you run into on the street, or most store employees). Another thing I hope to actually see happening would be the education of the LGBT community in schools. Growing up I never learned about how normal it is for people to like the same gender or have different sexualities. I always was taught that it was only right and normal to like the opposite gender and knew nothing about sexualities. It is also important to learn things about the LGBT community in sex-education classes. I have even met some people who never took a sex-education course in high school which amazes me because it is so important to learn these things and be put into the world knowing the dangers and safety aspects of sex. Like I said earlier, there are so many changes that I believe could happen and we may even find new ones every day, but that is the beauty of the world. As the world changes, we must change with it.
- Carly (she/they)
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