June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month! Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and work towards equality.
The History of Pride Month
June was chosen as LGBTQ Pride Month to honor the Stonewall riots that took place in June of 1969. In New York City, a gay bar known as the Stonewall Inn was raided by police. An uprising followed, which sparked a larger and wider-reaching gay rights movement.
In 1970, the year after the Stonewall riots, activists began the first Gay Pride parades. This spread to other cities around the U.S. and eventually other countries. Pride parades celebrate identity, inclusivity, and freedom of expression, identity, and presentation.
Still a Long Way to Go
Though the LGBTQ+ movement has made many accomplishments since 1969, LGBTQ+ individuals still face challenges today. Discrimination is widely experienced in the LGBTQ+ community. Over half of LGBTQ+ individuals report that they or someone they know has experienced harassment due to their sexuality or gender identity. Discrimination and lack of acceptance can negatively affect mental health.
LGBTQ+ individuals experience higher rates of mental illness than the general population of U.S. adults. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 44.1% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults live with a mental illness. This is significantly higher than the overall rate of 20.6% of all U.S. adults. Only half of LGBTQ+ individuals with a mental illness typically get treatment.
The transgender community faces similar difficulties. Transgender adults are around 12 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population of U.S. adults. 22% of transgender adults reported avoiding healthcare for fear of discrimination.
We still have a long way to go to ensure that all people, across different identities, have an equal chance at access to mental and physical health care.
Pride Month is a Celebration
Pride Month, and the events that come along with it, encourage LGBTQ+ individuals to embrace who they are and others to accept them with open arms.
Supporting LGBTQ+ people in their identity helps their mental health and wellbeing. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s important to work towards ending discrimination and inequality.
Where to Find LGBTQ+-Friendly Mental Health Resources
For individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, finding mental health resources that affirm your identity is important. Check out these resources:
- Mental Health America has an article on how to find LGBTQ+-friendly therapy.
- Check out these mental health resources for BIPOC individuals who are LGBTQ from the Human Rights Campaign.
- Search for an LGBTQ therapist in Minnesota from the Minnesota LGBTQ+ Mental Health Providers Professional Network.
In need of services? At Guild, we welcome individuals of all identities in the LGBTQ+ community. Contact our Community Access team at (651) 925-8490 to learn more about our services.
Sources:
What Happened at the Stonewall Riots? A Timeline of the 1969 Uprising, The History Channel.
Gay Pride Calendar, The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association.
What is Pride Month and the History of Pride?, Them.us.
LGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health, Mental Health America.
LGTQI, National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Mental Health by the Numbers, National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Mental Health and the LGBTQ Community, Suicide Prevention Lifeline.