Lgbtq stigmas
- Myth 1: Homosexuality is a choice.
Reality: Sexual orientation is caused by factors such as genetics and the biology of brain development.
Parenting, peer pressure, and religious struggles are not causes of homosexuality or heterosexuality.
Homosexuality is no more a choice or decision than entity straight. Asking a gay person, “When did you choose to be gay?” is similar to asking a heterosexual person, “When did you decide to be attracted to people of the opposite sex?”
Scientific statistics indicate that sexual orientation (homosexuality or heterosexuality, i.e. same-sex attracted or straight) is biologically based.1 While there is more to learn, studies advise that what leads to a person being gay or straight lies within our genetics (i.e. DNA), epigenetics (i.e. how factors influence our genes), and what occurs in the developing head before birth.2
- Myth 2: Homosexuality can be “cured.”
Reality: Therapy cannot change sexual orientation, and “reparative” therapy can be harmful.
Therapies that claim to change lesbian, male lover, and bisexual persons into heterosexuals (e.g. “conversion” and “reparative” therapy) have been discredited. A task force within the American Psychological Associat
Three Ways to Combat Mental Health Stigma in LGBTQ Communities
Post submitted by former HRC Digital Media Manager Helen Parshall
As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a complete , we must reaffirm our commitment to have unlock, honest discussions about the impact of mental health disparities on the LGBTQ community.
LGBTQ people are nearly three times as likely as others to life a mental health condition such as anxiety or a mood disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
And for bisexual and transgender people, as well as those living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities, those numbers are even higher.
Breaking the silence about these issues is a key step to reducing stigma and empowering each other to seek facilitate and support when needed.
Here are three ways you can help:
1. Provide a shoulder for someone to lean on.
Many LGBTQ people experience family rejection, bullying and harassment, or sense unsafe in their communities for simply being who they are, all of which can be added risk factors for anxiety and mood disorders. It can feel incredibly isolating not knowing whether there’s someone in your corner willing to
LGBTQ Southerners Face Stigma, Yet Still Find the Positive
New survey finds that despite consistent reports of stigmatization, LGBTQ Southerners view their LGBTQ identity in a positive light
By Lacie Blankenship
Don’t say gay? Why not? Amid a recent and historic wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation (primarily concentrated in the American South), 2023 Pride Month honored a growing and vibrant movement for a society that remains resilient after generations of struggle and discrimination. And while it’s not breaking news that some of the legislation coming out of the South presents an anti-LGBTQ agenda, a new study study found that despite consistent stigmatization in everyday life, LGBTQ Southerners view their LGBTQ identity in a positive light.
The study’s authors, Gabrielle Lopiano (Vanderbilt University), Giacomo Negro and Melissa J. Williams (both Emory University), Ashlei R. Petion (Nova Southeastern University), and Ryan M. Roemerman (LGBTQ Institute, National Center for Civil and Human Rights), shed light on LGBTQ Southerners’ life experiences through a survey with a uniquely large sample size (1,326 respondents).
What is stigmatizat
Mental health findings for LGBTQ+ Australians
Lifetime and 12-month mental disorder, by gender experience, 2020–2022[["Trans","Cis","","Trans","Cis","","Trans","Cis","","Trans","Cis"],[[43.899999999999999],[42.899999999999999],[null],[33.100000000000001],[21.300000000000001],[null],[70.599999999999994],[48.100000000000001],[null],[58.799999999999997],[31.100000000000001]],[[36.299999999999997,51.5],[41.799999999999997,44],[null],[25.5,40.799999999999997],[20.5,22.100000000000001],[null],[61.5,79.700000000000003],[46.200000000000003,50.100000000000001],[null],[45.600000000000001,72],[29.399999999999999,32.799999999999997]]][{"value":"16-85 years","annote_text":null,"x_value":"2","y_value":"96","x_axis":"0","y_axis":"0","x_offset":"0","y_offset":"-16","cell_row":null,"cell_column":null},{"value":"16-34 years","annote_text":null,"x_value":"8","y_value&The Impact of Stigma and Discrimination Against LGBT People in Michigan
- The 2017 Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that LGB students were more likely to report that they possess seriously considered suicide (53.4% v. 17.2%), have made a plan about how to commit suicide (44.7% v. 13.6%), and hold injured themselves in a suicide attempt requiring medical care (7.7% v. 1.8%) in the year prior to the survey than heterosexual students. LGB students in Michigan were also more likely than heterosexual students to report smoking cigarettes (27.0% v. 8.2%), drinking (40.0% v. 28.8%), and using marijuana (44.5% v. 21.5%) in the month prior to the survey.
Economic Impacts of Stigma and Discrimination
Discrimination against LGBT people in employment and other settings has economic consequences for employers and the state government.
- Productivity. Unsupportive work environments can denote that LGBT employees are less likely to be open about their sexual orientation or gender individuality at work, and more likely to be distracted, disengaged, or absent, and to be less generative. These outcomes could direct to economic losses for state and local governments, as employers, as successfully as priva