Information and Links Regarding LGBTQIA+ Life in the United States

(This is follow up info to this article:  https://cptsdfoundation.org/2022/07/07/many-lgbtqia-people-may-have-cptsd-symptoms-and-dont-even-know/) 

Regarding Mental Health/Illness in the Queer Community

From The Trevor Project’s website at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/

 

LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather placed at higher risk because of how we are mistreated and stigmatized in society. 

 

The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022) found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.  Nearly one in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide and LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates than their white peers.

 

From the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute’s at https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/suicide-prevention-media-alert/

 

Research shows that anti-LGBT discrimination and victimization contribute to an increase in the risk of suicidality and that LGBT people are at disproportionate risk of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law is providing a summary of current data on suicidality among LGBT people…

 

Research has shown a high prevalence of suicidal behavior among LGB people.  A 2016 review of research found 17% of LGB adults had attempted suicide during their lifetime, compared to 2.4% of the general U.S. population.

Alcohol Use and Reasons

From Alcohol Rehab Guide’s website at https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/lgbtq-alcoholism/

 

Alcoholism is a very serious problem in the LGBTQ community. Up to 25% of the general LGBTQ community has moderate alcohol dependency, compared to 5-10% of the general population. 

 

Reasons For LGBTQ Alcoholism

The LGBTQ community is strongly impacted by alcoholism for a number of reasons. One of the most important is the intense bigotry that the LGBTQ community faces on a daily basis. This is especially true for older LGBTQ individuals or those who reside in less tolerant regions. This bigotry often results in intense emotional distress, including anxiety, fear, and feelings of low self-esteem. Many turn to alcohol as a way to self-medicate, at least temporarily. As time goes on, this “self-medication” actually makes these symptoms worse, leading to more drinking, and a downward spiral has begun.”

 

“Additionally, alcohol use has become deeply ingrained in LGBTQ society as a result of history. For many decades, the only places that LGBTQ individuals, in particular gay men, could be open about their sexuality with other LGBTQ individuals and feel safe were in gay bars. Drinking became one of the primary social interactions in the community. In fact, many of the most important moments in LGBTQ history, such as the Stonewall Riots which led to the creation of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, were closely connected to gay bars. As a result, alcohol abuse, even heavy alcohol abuse, has become more normalized in the LGBTQ community than society at large.

 

Drug Use and Reasons

From American Addiction Centers’ website last updated Oct 26, 2021, at https://americanaddictioncenters.org/lgbtqiapk-addiction/why-substance-abuse-is-higher-within-the-lgbtq-community

 

Statistics show that LGBTQ adults are more than twice as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to use illicit drugs and almost twice as likely to suffer from a substance abuse disorder. (Ref. 1)

 

What makes substance abuse in the LGBTQ community so prevalent? There are many contributing factors, and below are some of the most common triggering issues that LGBTQ people face.

Discrimination and Social Stigma

Despite growing acceptance in the United States, almost all LGBTQ individuals face some level of homophobia and discrimination. This may come from strangers, acquaintances, and even friends and family. They also face the constant threat of workplace harassment, bullying, and even hate crimes.

Lack of Support for LGBTQ People

Many members of the LGBTQ community choose to remain “in the closet,” keeping their sexual identity a secret to avoid discrimination. Living this type of double life can create feelings of loneliness and anxiety.

 

Those who do choose to come out often face rejection from family and friends, and as a result often turn to substance abuse to help dull the pain.

Internalized Homophobia

Whether or not their families and friends provide acceptance, many members of the LGBTQ community suffer from internalized homophobia. This happens when they self-identify with anti-gay stigmas. The result is often self-loathing and an inability to feel comfortable in one’s own skin.

For those suffering from internalized homophobia, alcohol and drugs serve as an effective mechanism for silencing negative thoughts. When drunk or high, LGBTQ individuals can temporarily enjoy living as their true selves.

 

References:

1.               Medley, G., Lipari, R.N., Bose, J., Cribb, D.S., Kroutil, L.A., &McHenry, G.. (2016). Sexual Orientation and Estimates of Adult Substance Use and Mental Health: Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Recent Incidents and Statistics about Queer Life in the US

Friends or family struggles, rejection and alienation

From the website “Stomp Out Bullying” at https://www.stompoutbullying.org/lgbtq-bullying

 

Gay teens are 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide and 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection.  (I, Roger, would add that even in families that are accepting, queer teens still have a higher depression rate and higher rate of suicide attempts and completions.)

 School Bullying

From the United States Government’s official website “Stop Bullying” at https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/lgbtq

 

Results from the CDC’s “2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)” (https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/2019/su6901-H.pdf) show that, nationwide, more U.S. high school students who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) report having been bullied on school property (32%) and cyberbullied (26.6%) in the past year than their straight peers (17.1% and 14.1%, respectively). The study also showed that more LGB students (13.5%) than straight students (7.5%) reported not going to school because of safety concerns.

 At Work

From NBC's Sept 2021 article at https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/half-lgbtq-workers-faced-job-discrimination-report-finds-rcna1935

 

Nearly 1 in 10 LGBTQ people in the United States experienced workplace discrimination in the last year, and almost half faced employment bias at some point in their careers, according to a new survey.

Queer law enforcement officers harassed by co-workers

From the Metro Weekly’s Feb 23, 2022 article at https://www.metroweekly.com/2022/02/gay-san-francisco-police-officer-awarded-225000-in-harassment-lawsuit/

 

A gay San Francisco police officer will receive a $225,000 settlement in his lawsuit against the department, in which he alleged he was routinely discriminated against and harassed by his colleagues while superiors looked the other way.

 Queer firefighters harassed by co-workers

From Spectrum News NY1’s April 4, 2022 article at https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/04/04/ny1-exclusive--gay-firefighter-sues-fdny--alleging-discrimination-based-on-his-sexual-orientation

 

Boykins said he faced discrimination for being gay and was subjected to slurs from his very first day at the FDNY.

The firefighter detailed in a Brooklyn Supreme Court complaint how he sought help from the department’s then-chief diversity and inclusion officer, but was instead told that he should sleep with both men and women and that others had been “cured” of their homosexuality.

Conversion therapy

Conversion therapy: any attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

From Movement Advancement Project’s website at https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy

 

Conversion "therapy" laws prohibit licensed mental health practitioners from subjecting LGBTQ minors to harmful conversion "therapy" practices that attempt to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

 

Only 20 states plus DC have state laws banning conversion therapy for minors.

 From GLADD’s website at https://www.glaad.org/conversiontherapy

 

698,000 LGBTQ adults (ages 18-59) in the U.S. have received conversion therapy, including about 350,000 LGBTQ adults who received treatment as adolescents.

Renting and housing loan discrimination and higher interests rates

From NOLO’s website at https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tenant-rights-sexual-orientation-discrimination-29843.html  

 

Federal law does not protect gays, lesbians, or transgender people from discrimination by landlords.

 From ABC’s April 18, 2019 article at https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/same-sex-borrowers-73-percent-more-likely-be-denied-mortgage-n996016

 

Despite being “less risky overall,” same-sex borrowers are 73 percent more likely to be denied when applying for a mortgage loan, according to the report. When they are approved, the study found they have mortgage interest rates that are 0.02 to 0.2 percent higher on average — potentially adding tens of thousands of dollars to their repayments over the lifetime of the loan.

 Law enforcement officers hostile towards Queers

From Lambda Legal’s website at https://www.lambdalegal.org/node/30531

 

In 2012, Lambda Legal—a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBT people and people living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work—conducted a national study exploring the issue of government misconduct by the police, courts, prisons and school security against LGBT people as well as people living with HIV in the United States.

 

A total of 2,376 people completed the individual survey

 

Many respondents reported that police officers’ attitudes toward them had been hostile. Among the 1682 respondents who reported having face-to-face contact with police in the past five years, the percentages who reported hostile attitudes from officers included:

·   21% of all relevant survey respondents

·   31% of respondents age 30 and under

·   32% of respondents of color (including 26% of Native American, 27% of African American and 40% of Latina/o respondents)

·   32% of TGNC respondents (30% of transgender)

·   35% of low-income respondents

·   38% of respondents of color under 30

 Active Threats and Conspiracy to Riot by Conservative Militant Groups against the Queer Community

From the June 12, 2022, NPR article, https://www.npr.org/2022/06/11/1104405804/patriot-front-white-supremacist-arrested-near-idaho-pride :

 

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Law enforcement arrested 31 members of a white nationalist organization known as the Patriot Front near a Pride event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Saturday, on a charge of conspiracy to riot. The men were packed into a U-Haul truck and detained a short distance away from the gathering, which was being held at public park.

 

The men, who traveled from at least 10 outside states, are expected to be arraigned Monday on the misdemeanor count.

 

“It is clear to us based on the gear that the individuals had with them, the stuff they had in their possession and in the U-Haul with them, along with paperwork that was seized from them, that they came to riot downtown," said Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White.

 Hate crimes: verbal harassment, sexual harassment, physical harassment, and murder.

From a June 28, 2019, USA Today article https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/06/28/anti-gay-hate-crimes-rise-fbi-says-and-they-likely-undercount/1582614001/

 

A better gauge [than FBI] of hate crime trends in the U.S. may be the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a household-based survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau.  This self-reported data suggests that Americans experience closer to 200,000 hate crimes each year—a far cry from the FBI’s estimate of approximately 7,500.

From a movie based on the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in Oct 1998 titled “The Matthew Shepard Story.” 

 

The opening scene is a very graphic, yet somewhat tolerable to watch, still not easy, a recreation of the beating.  And, something Queer people know could happen to them at any time.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1LXz8CmmBU


From the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) website at https://www.hrc.org/resources/fatal-violence-against-the-transgender-and-gender-non-conforming-community-in-2021

 

Sadly, 2021 has already seen at least 57 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means.  We say at least because too often these stories go unreported—or misreported.  In previous years, the majority of these people were Black or Latinx transgender women.

 

In 2020, HRC tracked a record number of violent fatal incidents against transgender and gender non-conforming people. A total of 44 fatalities were tracked by HRC, marking 2020 as the most violent year on record since HRC began tracking these crimes in 2013.


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