October is LGBTQIA+ History Month! One of the big questions people have in response to this is how is it different from Pride Month in June? There are some key differences we’ll discuss in this blog post, along with how LGBTQIA+ History Month started and what its purpose is. The hope is that with more understanding of things involving the LGBTQIA+ community, we can foster more understanding for their mental health needs, as well!
So, What IS LGBTQIA+ History Month?
Simply, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a month dedicated to the history of the LGBTQIA+ community, focusing on key figures that have contributed to the forwarding of their civil rights. It also is meant to educate people about the community at large.
Every October, the GLAAD and LGBTQ History Month websites have a write up on important historical (and current) members of the community. The LGBTQ History Month website dedicates one day of the month to a figure and it’s possible to go back into the archives to see the past years’ icons.
It was started by a high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, in 1994 in Missouri. He was the first publicly out educator in that state and he felt it was important to have a month that would help educate people more about the gay community and the need right gay rights, in a way that was approachable and focused on the icons and important people that had made strides to make things better.
He chose October because October 11th (today!) is National Coming Out Day in the USA. October also marks the anniversaries of some of the first marches in LGBTQIA+ history in the 70’s and 80’s.
Okay, but isn’t that just Pride Month?
Well, no, not exactly. Pride Month is focused heavily on the history of political activism in the community, along with an emphasis on proudly being out and living an authentic life, without hiding. It can seem very similar on the outside, but the key differences are really on the focus of the months. LGBTQIA+ History Month is more aligned with general education about the community, with a focus on key iconic figures throughout time that have contributed to the movement of education and civil rights.
Pride Month is more well known because of its heavy emphasis on, well, pride and being proud of oneself despite the cisheteronormative expectations of society telling the community that they are too different. It’s a celebration as much as it is a call to action. LGBTQIA+ History Month is educational.
So, Why Does It Matter?
It matters because history is important. Many of these icons are not well known, especially to the younger generations of LGBTQIA+ individuals. What these figures did in their lives and how they contributed to the community is something that can help continue to foster not only understanding but to empower LGBTQIA+ youth to live their lives in ways that can change the world, as well.
Representation is important for everyone and in a world where we still see widespread prejudice and misunderstanding about this community, the more education we can have around these topics, the better!
It’s all just an effort to continue to make the world a kinder, more understanding place for people from all kinds of different backgrounds.
LGBTQIA+ Mental Health
We’ve discussed in a previous post about how being part of this community can contribute to poorer mental health outcomes. This is primarily because of the prejudices that exist and the fears many individuals have around their safety and if people will accept them. These things can take a very real toll on the mental health of anyone, especially someone who will have to encounter these considerations often when having to decide how much of their lives and selves to share with others.
There is nothing inherently about being LGBTQIA+ that contributes to poorer mental health and it is almost entirely connected to how society responds to individuals who are different from them. The more education we can put out, the more we can hope for a day when those statistics will change.
With June being Pride Month, there are many things to celebrate. However, it is also important to consider the importance of LGBTQIA+ affirming care, not only in our actual work but also in how we interact with people daily. Our previous post was a quick primer on identities and terms common in the LGBTQIA+ community. This post felt like a natural progression from the previous one.
While there are many good things about being part of a community as rich and diverse as the LGBTQIA+ community, we also cannot ignore the statistics that are available that show the impact of prejudice, bias, and bigotry on the lives of many people. This is why affirming care for these individuals is so important. It is important to remember that there is no inherent link between being LGBTQIA+ and having a mental illness but that it is the way that the world treats individuals in this community that contributes to mental illness. This is where the importance of LGBTQIA+ affirming care comes in.
Statistics
According to a 2022 survey by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association), LGBTQIA+ adults are more likely to use substances, experience mental health disorders, and experience serious thoughts of suicide.
The Trevor Project Shows us Why LGBTQIA+ Affirming Care is Needed
The Trevor Project also releases a survey every year that asks thousands of LGBTQIA+ youth about their experiences. It covers many topics, including experiences with mental health, abuse and bias, and what their home and school (or work) lives are like. Their most recent 2023 survey is an incredibly detailed look into what it is like to experience the world in the United States as an LGBTQIA+ youth. According to the Trevor Project:
41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
56% of LGBTQ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.
At least some of those 56% of LGTBQ young people stated that one of the reasons they could not access care was because of a lack of LGBTQIA+ affirming care providers.
Transgender and nonbinary young people who reported that all of the people they live with respect their pronouns reported lower rates of attempting suicide, however fewer than 40% of LGBTQ young people found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming.
Roughly half of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide, however a majority of LGBTQ young people reported being verbally harassed at school because people thought they were LGBTQ.
Nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation.
Nearly 2 in 3 LGBTQ young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ people at school made their mental health a lot worse.
NAMI
NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) gives some insight to some of these statistics. According to them there are a variety of reasons that individuals in this community are more likely to experience mental illness. These include:
Coming out – This is an experience that can be either positive or negative for people. If coming out was voluntary, it is more likely to be positive, however it can still come with some negative ramifications depending on how those around them react. If someone is outed (having their identity told to others without their consent), it can often be a negative and traumatizing experience.
Rejection – Many LGBTQIA+ plus, especially youth and young adults, experience rejection from loved ones upon coming out (or being outed). They can also be rejected by peers and are more likely to experience bias and prejudice at work or in school.
Trauma – Unfortunately, due to the way many in our society still treat those who are LGBTQIA+, many individuals end up experiencing trauma throughout their lives, especially as adolescents.
Extra Risks for LGBTQIA+ Individuals
They also discuss some risks that LGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to experience as a result of their identities, such as:
Homelessness – LGBTQIA+ youth have an estimated 120% higher risk of experiencing homelessness in comparison to their non-LGBTQIA+ peers. This is especially high for Black and Indigenous youth.
Suicide – As we saw from the Trevor Project’s survey, 41% of LGBTQIA+ youth have had serious thoughts of suicide. Suicide completion is also high in this group as a result of their experiences.
Inadequate mental health care – the Trevor Project noted that 56% of LGBTQIA+ youth who wanted mental health care could not access it due to a variety of factors. However, it is also important to note that not all mental health practitioners are informed in this type of work and may accidentally contribute to some of the distress their clients may face or end up providing substandard care (either due to ignorance or to their own biases).
While many of the statistics available focus on youth, we have to remember that adults, especially older adults, also face difficulties. According to SAGE, 53% of older adults who identify as LGBTQIA+ experience loneliness and they are twice as likely to live alone in comparison to non-LGBTQIA+ peers. We know that loneliness can contribute to mental illness, especially depression.
What We Can Do
These statistics are distressing, but what can we do about them? As people, just showing kindness and understanding can go a long way to changing someone’s day or even life. When we keep in mind our language and how we talk about different groups of people, we take into consideration the impact we have on other people every day. But what about as clinicians?
Don’t assume someone’s gender or sexual orientation. If you’re able to have your own intake forms, look into making sure they are as inclusive as possible. If you work for a group practice that has the same forms for everyone, advocate for the LGBTQOA+ community by approaching whoever is in charge of the forms and suggesting more inclusive language and changes to them. It can be the best way to set up a safe environment almost immediately before a client even meets with you. Also remember to include a third gender option of your forms, if you ask for a client’s gender.
Provide a space for them that makes them feel safe. There are many ways you can do this both during intake and going forward. It’s not appropriate to ask about medical transitioning unless the individual brings it up first as medical transition can be an especially sensitive topic for many people. You wouldn’t ask a cisgender person details about their genitals and you shouldn’t ask a transgender individual about this, either.
Make sure to use their pronouns; a good way to know them is to have this included on your intake form or to make a point of asking every client during the first appointment what their pronouns are. It’s important to ask all clients because there is no way to know just by looking at someone what their gender or pronouns are.
Don’t use their deadname if it is still their legal name; giving an option for a chosen name on your intake form alongside the legal name can help you know how best to refer to your clients.
Learn how they want to refer to their partners. Understand the most up to date terms to avoid using outdated, now offensive words to describe identities.
Be prepared with resources that are tailored for LGBTQIA+ individuals. For example:
There are many more than these, however! Look for ones local to you, as well, as sometimes having local communities can be more helpful than online ones.
The way we come prepared to handle the needs of clients who may be different than us can make a world of difference for how much they’re able to get out of the care they come to us for. Focusing on LGBTQIA+ affirming care can make a world of difference for individuals in this community and can greatly improve their quality of life.
It’s officially June and June 1 was the beginning of Pride Month (which is different from LGBTQIA+ history month)! Pride Month is a celebration during June worldwide for the LGBTQIA+ community. More specifically, June 28th is the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots. This sparked a change in how the queer community advocated for their rights and why we celebrate Pride month today. While many Pride events focus on the celebration, it is important to remember that Pride has a rich history of political activism. The riots at the Stonewall Inn are the most famous and were monumental for the queer community they were not the beginning of queer activism in the US, which has a history going back to at least 1926.
Pride Month: Before and After Stonewall
1926 was when the Society for Human Rights was founded by Henry Gerber. He was an US army soldier who had been inspired by the queer community and organizations advocating for their rights in Germany. He wanted to bring something like that to the US and push for rights and advocacy here. Its focus was on bringing awareness to the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In the 1950s, the Mattachine Society was founded with the aim of advocating for gay rights and for the repealing of anti-gay laws. There was concern that they were demanding too much and not gaining enough so they changed tactics. They appealed to the community to adapt as much as possible to mainstream society and ideals. The hope was that they would appeal to the heterosexual community and be more accepted. The message they wanted to send to the heterosexual population was that they were “normal” and “just like them”.
Also in the 1950s, the Daughters of Bilitis were founded. This was an organization similar to the Mattachine Society but was aimed at the lesbian community. At first, they were primarily concerned with having safe places where lesbians could meet and spend time together. Over time, they also started working towards supporting married lesbians and mothers and giving educational talks to the heterosexual community. They worked to spread awareness and understanding of lesbian causes and concerns and became more focused on lesbian feminism and politics as time went on. This organization no longer exists, however.
In 1966, in San Francisco, there was a riot in a restaurant called the Compton Cafeteria. When a police officer attempted to arrest a drag queen (as it was illegal at the time to wear gender non-conforming clothing), she fought back and this sparked the other queer patrons in the restaurant to fight back against the police, as well. Much like the Mattachine Society, this organization no longer exists.
We also have organizations that started in the wake of the Stonewall Inn riots. In the 1970s, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were founded. This organization started with drag queens who used nun’s habits in their performances. Eventually, it evolved into a drag organization that brings attention to queer issues while wearing drag versions of nun’s clothing. They bring awareness to issues such as discrimination and oppression of queer people, especially when linked to religious hypocrisy. They also focus on safe sex education and about the dangers of drug use. The group also raises money for AIDs organizations and other important causes within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Also in the 1970s we saw the beginning of STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries). It was founded by Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two people who are famous in the queer community today, who took part in the Stonewall Inn riots. While the organization only lasted 3 years, it was organized to provide housing and support to homeless queer youth. It made a huge difference in the lives of many homeless LGBTQIA+ youth in New York City for the brief time it was running.
The Stonewall Inn Riots
It is important to remember that the Stonewall Inn riots are rightly famous. They marked a significant turning point in how queer advocacy organizations approached queer causes and the many needs of the LGBTQIA+ community and other overlapping causes.
In the 1960’s there were still laws that targeted the LGBTQIA+ community, especially gay men and gender non-conforming individuals. These laws affected many different areas of people’s lives. One law was that it was illegal to serve alcohol to those who were part of the queer community. This meant that many bars and clubs were not an option for most people. There were few places to meet other LGBTQIA+ individuals that were safe.
While there were bars and clubs that specifically catered to gay men and lesbians and allowed gender non-conforming folks to attend, as well, depending on the venue, these establishments were often owned by the Mafia. Police would do frequent raids on known or suspected gay bars and arrest anyone who didn’t have ID or were wearing clothing that didn’t align with their gender assigned at birth. These bars being owned by the Mafia did often provide some protection as they often paid police off to reduce the frequency of raids or for tips when a raid was incoming.
The Stonewall Inn was a well-known bar run by a Mafia family that catered exclusively to the queer community. On June 28th, 1969, there was an unexpected police raid on the Stonewall Inn that the Mafia had not been tipped off about. During this raid, the police were being overly forceful and were seen to hit patrons with their clubs. A crowd had begun to accumulate around the bar made up of patrons, neighborhood residents, and customers from nearby clubs and bars.
As a woman was being forced into a police vehicle for arrest, she called out to the crowd asking why they weren’t doing anything to help (most say Stormé DeLarverie was the woman in question). This pushed the crowd into action who started throwing things at police and fighting back, rioting against the unfair treatment they had been forced to endure for years. The rioting continued for five more nights in the neighborhood as the queer community demanded equal rights and the ability to live authentically as themselves.
On June 28th, 1970, on the one year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first Pride parade was held to commemorate the ongoing struggle for equal rights for queer folk. However, many of these early Pride events and the organizations that came up after Stonewall did not include people of color or transpeople in their organizing, despite the pivotal role they had played in much of the fight for equal rights.
Pride Month Today and Tomorrow
Today, Pride is celebrated all throughout the month of June and is celebrated globally. All over the world, one can find a Pride event to attend during June to celebrate the queer community. There are concerns for many in the queer community about the large sponsorship and presence of corporations during these events. They are concerned with the commodification of Pride. This could be taking attention away from not only the political roots of Pride. And also from the continuing work that still needs to be done advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community. There is also concern about the heavy police presence at many of the larger Pride events. Because of continued oppression and marginalization of queer individuals, especially individuals of color, this has been questioned.
Celebrating and acknowledging the strides made for equality is important and very much needed. But there is also still a lot of work to be done. The queer community is rich with political activism and celebration. Stonewall may not have been the first instance of LGBTQIA+ resistance and activism. But it was the first to be covered globally and sparked an international movement for LGBTQIA+ rights and equality.
