Happy Pride Month!
Each year, the month of June celebrates Pride Month in honor of the Stonewall Uprising, which took place in Manhattan in 1969.
Acronym
You might have heard the various acronyms of "LGBT," "LGBTQ," "LGBTQIA," "LGBTQIA+" and/or others. These letters correspond to the different terms within the community that represent members' sexual identity or gender orientation: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and other variations or terms that fall under different umbrellas.
Read more in Learning Resources.
History
June 28, 1969 marked the day of the Stonewall Uprising. A police raid was conducted at an LGBTQIA+ friendly bar in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. These raids were common around LGBTQIA+ areas with the police arresting and harassing the community. On this particular day, the patrons responded with outrage, as did bystanders and area neighbors who eventually joined the patrons in resisting. Several consecutive nights of protests ensued.
Read more in Learning Resources.
Current Political Climate
Around 238 bills have been been proposed in the year 2022 to limit the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, including the House Bill 1557, otherwise known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which restricts instruction of gender and sexuality in schools.
How does this affect mental health? The LGBTQIA+ community is one of the social groups in most need of mental health services. Members of this community are more than twice as likely to have a mental disorder during their lives (most commonly anxiety, depression, and substance misuse) due in part to the oppressive social factors that play a role in how they live their lives. Restrictions on people's rights have contributed to an increase need for mental health services, and will continue to do so.
Read more in Learning Resources.
What Can You Do?
As a member of the community or as an ally, you can become involved by participating in rallies, advocate for the community, vote against restricting laws, share useful information, and/or donate to local groups. If you have a group you'd like to promote, please do so in the comments.
Learning Resources
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