The history behind mental health and LGBTQ persons is not a very happy one because being LGBTQ was considered a mental illness. Conversion therapy happened a lot in mental health facilities because it was thought to “cure the disease”. LGBTQ people haven’t had a great track record with getting mental health help so it’s something that needs to be a safe and available thing. So when you see the most recent statistics of 40% of teenagers who have committed suicide and are a part of the LGBTQ community, you must understand that something needs to be done to prevent any more tragedies. 

 When you learn about the statistics today and how LGBTQ teens’ mental health has been plummeting due to the coronavirus it makes you think about how their home life affects how they’re feeling mentally. Due to COVID-19 and having to stay quarantined teens, that cannot yet live on their own, have to stay with their parents who may or may not be supportive of what their identity is. That can be incredibly hard on the teens whose brains are still developing and it pushes difficult and harmful views about themselves leading to different mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. The pandemic has heightened mental health issues all over the spectrum but specifically in group minorities.

Also, this past year has been very politically charged and important to peoples human rights, an example of that being people in the LGBTQ community so being in the community myself makes this incredibly important to me. Even though it’s become slightly more normalized LGBTQ teenagers are constantly nervous to be themselves because of the world around them whether it’s being worried about coming out or just going about their normal day. It definitely ties into mental health because if you don’t have a supportive household it could be very detrimental to a teenager’s mental health.

 Overall, this topic is incredibly important to me due to falling under both categories. This type of stuff is all around us now so I think we need to show support. Someone you know could be a part of the LGBTQ community and could struggle with mental health without you even knowing it that is why it’s a good reason to #staysupportive and be understanding because you never know what people are going through. 

One big organization that specializes in helping lgbtq teens with their mental health is The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a resource where LGBTQ youth can find allies and just a place to talk if they ever need it. There are tons of other things that they help with, some of those things are coming out, being a good ally, and if you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts. This organization helps so many and there are so many ways you can help and educate yourself. The link I provided is their main page which is where you can find all the resources I talked about. The most important thing about this website is you are able to volunteer and donate to the cause. With donations, it goes toward the website being able to have 24/7 helplines and training volunteers. You can set up to donate once or you can set up monthly donations. This is a great way to help and The Trevor Project is an amazing organization that should be spread around.
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ 

Some other great organizations that you can donate either money or time to is The Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia, they strive to create a community and help center for LGBTQ youth. The GLMA-Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, their mission is to ensure equality in health care for LGBTQ people. And finally, National Alliance on Mental Illness is another organization like The Trevor Project that helps people in the LGBTQ community with mental health.

https://www.atticyouthcenter.org/
http://www.glma.org/
https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/LGBTQI