Showing Your Support To LGBT Virtually

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A straight man like me who advocates for the rights of the members of the LGBT community is not unheard of. I have seen a lot of manly guys rescue a gay colleague from bullies, and their relationships are incredibly platonic. Some men take in the festivities during Pride Month. It’s not because they want to make fun the people who stand under the rainbow flag. Instead, it’s because they believe that being able to reveal one’s identity is a cause for celebration.

Now, the reality is that there are not many individuals who bully LGBT members out in public. Some restaurants may still not let crossdressers in while other public bathrooms don’t have a sign for a third sex, but they are getting lesser and lesser. What increases, though, is the number of people who show their aversion to queers online.

How Can Haters Do That?

The internet is comparable to a double-edged sword. On one side, it is extremely helpful. You can use it to conduct quick research or connect with your loved ones. On the other hand, it gives low-life individuals a chance to hate on others anonymously. After all, you can create multiple accounts on social media as long as you make different email addresses beforehand. They can then be used for the sole purpose of spreading meanness on gay people’s pages.

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How Can You Show Support To Your LGBT Friends Online?

It hurts for me to see homophobic posts coming from strangers or even the folks I know, even if they don’t pertain to me. In case you still haven’t caught on, it is a transparent form of cyberbullying. Reports reveal that the people who get bullied online have a higher likelihood of self-harming or, worse, committing suicide. So, if you want to save your LGBT friends from even thinking of doing so, you should do the following and more.

Dislike Bullying Comments

One reason why bullies do not stop posting hateful comments about gay people is that nobody stands up against them. Some get angry and curse them under their breath; others may run in private group chats or front of their friends and family members. However, it is sporadic to find someone who dislikes their actions in public.

What are you afraid of, if I may ask? You may say that you don’t want to pick a fight, but you are enabling the bullies by not doing anything at all. Considering you want to bring them back to the ground, you should not be scared of disagreeing with them on a public page.

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Spread Positive Information About The Community

From time to time, it is not wrong to share images, videos, or texts that show your support to the LGBT community. For instance, if you found an article about a gay man who does charity work everywhere, you should post that in your social media account. In case you witnessed the union of two of your lesbian friends, you should upload some photos from the wedding. As little as these activities may be, it becomes apparent to everyone that you are against homophobia.

Final Thoughts

Staying mum even when your friends get bullied online does not make you a supportive friend. It merely entails that you are saving yourself from potential bashers. If you genuinely want people to stop hating on the members of the LGBT community, you should advocate for them in public actively.

Cheers!

Same-Sex Couples On Adoption In New York And New Jersey

Same-sex marriage has already been legalized by all fifty states in America. It is one of the greatest triumphs of the LGBT community in New York so far, and it signals toward realizing a society that is free from irrational discrimination and hate. Indeed, in no time we can achieve a utopia where each one of us is treated equally and given the same opportunity to build our own homes, where same-sex couples can establish parenting identities like any other individual. They can express their compassion and unconditional love towards the person they love regardless of sexual orientation, and build a family with them.

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Stress And Depression In The LGBT Community

Being part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, collectively referred to as the LGBT community, can be a proud and empowering fact. Around 91 percent of LGBT members are not ashamed to be part of this community.

However, being part of the LGBT community can be very difficult at times due to the intense societal discrimination that they sometimes face. These difficulties can have an adverse impact on their mental well-being, and indeed they are more prone to psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. This article seeks to quantify the incidence of stress and depression in the LGBT community, identifies factors that contribute to this phenomenon, and suggests ways to counteract it.

Manifestations Of Stress And Depression

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The incidence of stress and depression can be very high for the LGBT, with an incidence rate of around 30 to 60 percent that is 1.5 to 2.5 higher than that of non-LGBT members. The amount of stress that they receive can be enormous, and they are exposed to it whether they go. “overwhelm might manifest as an intense emotion, such as anxiety, anger or irritability; maladaptive thought process, such as worry, doubt or helplessness; and behavior, such as crying, lashing out or experiencing a panic attack.” That is according to Marla W. Deibler, PsyD. 

Around 37% of LGBT feel unsafe at school due to their gender expression, 55% have experienced verbal harassment, and 11% became the target of the physical assault. Meanwhile, LGBT members are frequently also targeted even by family members. There are severe cases that their own family kicked them out of the house. Evidence of this is the fact that around 40$ of homeless youth identify as part of the LGBT community.

“Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is now on the world stage.”  Michael Friedman Ph.D. emphasizes. Around 70% of the LGBT experience feelings of worthlessness, while approximately 95% have sleep problems due to stress. This report is can also be read on a website like whattoexpect.com. The amount of pressure they receive can damage their mental health, making them prone to more disorders. They have a higher incidence of drug use, risky behavior such as drunk driving, and suicide. As will be shown later, several factors contribute to the vulnerability of LGBT members to mental health disorders such as stress and depression.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Stressors For The LGBT

We all live in a heteronormative world. Most people still treat homosexuality as deviance from normal behavior instead of just a regular occurrence. Hence, many LGBT members feel that they are not normal or that there is something wrong with them. Also, many of them are still afraid to embrace their gender expression or sexual orientation.

They may also be afraid of how others would react if they come out. These fears are not unjustified given that the incidence of LGBT-targeted violence and isolation is common. In summary, they are experiencing confusion between expressing themselves and protecting themselves from the world. This mental tension can cause their mental health to suffer.

Providing Adequate Mental Healthcare

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“historically, the mental health and health field has been a huge place of discrimination for queer folks. And, sadly, that’s still the case,” Rena McDaniel, licensed clinical counselor said. However, all is not lost in ensuring that LGBT members receive adequate mental health care. LGBT members can be protected from mental health disorders. This is especially true if they have a good support system. They need a loving family and caring friends that will accept them fully and without judgment. They can also be provided a safe space to protect them from mentally damaging discrimination.

Social interaction with LGBT members can help forge their sense of identity and increase their confidence, knowing that they are with kindred souls. Finally, enabling easy access to professional mental health care providers can help them seek out therapy and counseling when they need it the most.