Join us in celebrating Pride Month and taking whatever steps we can to support our LGBTQ+ community.
“Members of the LGBTQ+ community with mental health conditions may find themselves fighting a double stigma, based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as the stigma associated with mental health conditions,” says Elizabeth Stephens, NAMI WLA’s Operations and Outreach Coordinator. “The impacts of this stigma and resulting discrimination are felt starting at a young age and have lasting, negative mental health impacts. LGBTQ+ youth are almost five times as likely to attempt suicide compared to heterosexual youth (source: The Trevor Project). Pride is a space where people in the LGBTQ+ community can connect to celebrate who we are, who we love, and how we identify. The power of this strong community increases visibility and makes us feel like we belong. It’s similar to the experience we feel when engaging in broader conversations about mental health; when we share our lived experience and engage vulnerably in safe spaces, it helps us feel like we are not alone.”
You can hear more from Elizabeth from a panel discussion she participated in for the 320 Festival; her panel starts at 4:33 into the video.