It is undeniable that identifying as LGBTQ+ impacts our mental health in many ways. There have been studies upon studies linking poor mental health to queer identities and it is even more unfortunate that for many, the services in the UK for specific LGBTQ+ mental health help aren’t as widely available as they should be.
On the other hand, many queer people have found solace and safety for their mental health in the LGBTQ+ spaces they occupy.
Through community resources and affirmations, as queer people we can find comfort for our mental health problems through sharing stories and getting help from those in the same situations as us.
Those quoted below give a wide spectrum of answers on how being queer helped their mental health.
“When LGBTQ+ people have a group of exclusively LGBTQ+ friends and are open about our sexuality with said friends, it can really encourage an openness about other aspects of our lives. I’ve found that this can lead to openness and understanding surrounding mental – and physical – health, which in turn means we are better at communicating when things aren’t okay, communicating boundaries, and offering support to our pals.” – Rosie.
“Oddly enough after I came out – after hiding it in school for some years – I immediately felt more accepted. Years of being called ‘gay’ and ‘faggot’ suddenly stopped, and I was able to turn the tables and call others it in an ironic way. Since coming out six years ago, I have felt more confident in myself each year knowing I am not hiding who I am and have felt confident enough to express myself. With time I also learnt not to worry about needing to be accepted by everyone, and focus on those who were nonchalant about my sexuality.” – Ewan.
“When I was younger I felt a lot of shame around my sexuality and my identity. I struggled with my mental health for a long time and part of this was related to not having a sense of myself, not knowing how to have healthy relationships or interact with others and assert myself. Realising my identity as a queer, fat, mixed race woman has been life changing. Acknowledging and embracing the fact that I am part of the LGBTQ+ community has given me a sense of belonging, identity, solidarity and of being normal.
Interacting with other queer people from so many different intersections, and understanding that mental health is a spectrum on which we all move back and forth, has helped me to understand not only that it’s ok to be struggling with your mental health, but that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to have experiencing MH difficulties and therefore may be more open-minded, more accepting and more understanding. Maybe it’s something to do with marginalised people coming together.
I also work for an LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity where all of my colleagues are either LGBTQ+ or allies, our wellbeing is prioritised and we are made to feel valued. I believe this is because we are working with vulnerable young people and higher management realise that many of us were once those young people ourselves!” – Lara.
“LGBTQ+ people are generally more open when it comes to talking about mental health because poor mental health often arises as a result of the trauma or negativity experienced as an LGBTQ+ person existing in a of homophobic, transphobic, cis-het world – one of the most special things about the community is the willingness and eagerness to support one another. I think we are more willing to de-stigmatise societally taboo subjects such as mental health. This has meant that throughout my life when searching for content creators or friends in real life to confide in/relate to regarding my mental health, they are more often than not also part of the LGBTQ+ community.
I also find that there is a section of cis-het people that will preach against stigma when it comes to mental health, but then laugh at trans folk/gender non conforming people/be abusive towards queer people. I think it can be more comforting to find refuge in my community. My mental health has improved and I have learnt so much just through queer content creators on Instagram and TikTok etc and I’m very thankful for those who spend the time sharing and educating!” – Molly.
“My mental health has definitely been positively affected by me living freely as a lesbian compared to me feeling shameful about being attracted to women when I was younger. It has allowed me the opportunity to be in the most fantastic relationship of my life, and to be the most reliable I’ve probably ever been for the important people in my life. My sexuality is such a valuable, important part of who I am as a person and it has directly impacted how much more I appreciate myself and the world around me.” – Mikhaila.
“When I was younger I think the fact there were safe spaces like specific nights of the week at venues, reps/support at college was helpful. And as a parent there are some fantastic online communities that helped me through rough times and I’m now still interacting with. As I’ve got older though, I feel it’s definitely a contributing factor to worse mental health as it can feel quite isolating. Working in a mostly cis female hetero dominated work force can be tricky as the socialising and conversational side of relationships with colleagues gets ‘inapplicable’ if that makes sense.” – Naomi.
