People are unaware of the challenges, problems, and risks the LGBTQ+ community goes through. They need to fight almost their entire life just to live normally and without problems. They face discrimination wherever they go, and there are numerous physical and mental health risks for LGBT members.
Here, we will go through the risk and dangers of being an LGBTQ+ member, why it is such a problem, and why it is essential to address these issues as soon as possible.
Bullying
Bullying is among the most common problems that the LGBTQ+ community faces. It is no secret that violence is a huge issue among teens, but lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have it even worse. It is not rare for LGBTQ youth to experience bullying from their heterosexual peers — often with lethal consequences. But people don’t like thinking about it.
Humans are social beings. We all want to be accepted, and once you take that away from people, it can cause numerous problems. In movies (and unfortunately in real life), we see how widespread bullying is in schools. However, it doesn’t stop there.
High school can be hell for so many children. It often seems that everything will be over once they graduate. But bullying isn’t only restricted to schools. It is just where it all starts. Schools, principals, teachers, parents, and everyone else need to educate their children and teach people that being different is not a big deal. Once we start to cut the problem before it starts, we can hope to have healthier people around us and a better world for everyone.
Stigma and Discrimination of LGBT Communities
While things are a lot better than they used to be, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing else to improve. Things are far from perfect, and even today, there is a lot of stigma and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Homophobia can negatively impact the lives of gay and bisexual people and affect the whole community.
It is not rare to see LGBT youth being afraid to get “out of the closet” and admit that they are anything other than what society deems normal. The first type of discrimination and rejection often comes from family members who refuse to be reasonable. They need to understand that being part of the sexual minority is no big deal. Furthermore, their number one priority should be their child’s well-being, and they need to accept it.
But the trouble doesn’t end here. LGBTQ+ members can experience discrimination everywhere. It can affect their jobs, income, whether they can get health insurance (and health care), and the list goes on.
And the only way for them to lead normal lives is for others to start minding their own business. Once people stop worrying about what other people do with their genitals, the entire world will become a better place.
Physical and Mental Health Risks
Having trouble every step of your life can cause so many problems. And there are so many people unaware of it. They either turn a blind eye or pretend that the entire world lives in harmony. That is ridiculous.
LGBTQ+ members are eight times more likely to have tried to take their own life, six times more likely to suffer from depression, and three times more likely to experiment with illegal substances. And before anyone starts blaming gay people for using drugs, maybe you should ask yourself what kind of society pushes them in that direction.
Bullying, discrimination, inability to get (and keep) a job, lower incomes, and having a terrible life can make people do things they usually wouldn’t do. Using drugs is just a defense mechanism and a way to cope with reality. Yes, some people love using drugs because their lives are so awesome. But that isn’t always the case. It rarely is.
Furthermore, besides depression, suicide, and all other problems we mentioned, LGBTQ+ members are more likely to have risky sex. As a result, there is also a danger of STDs, which is just another health problem on the list.
Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious problem that affects millions of people in the U.S. It is a preventable public health problem that can happen to both same-sex and heterosexual couples. Moreover, IPV doesn’t require sexual intimacy, and it can vary from physical violence to stalking and psychological harm. Read more about IPV here.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lesbian and bisexual women are 1.8 times more likely to experience IPV than heterosexual women. Also, it is 2.6 times more likely for lesbians to experience sexual violence.
Similarly, almost thirty percent of gay men have experienced intimate partner violence, and 12.1% have experienced it in the past year (the study was in 2013). We can see that IPV is more present in the LGBTQ+ community. It is just another sign of discrimination and violence against them.
Finally, 43.8% of lesbian and 61.1% of bisexual women experienced physical violence, stalking, or rape in their lifetime. And 37.3% of bisexual men have experienced the same. It is high time for the violence, stigma, and discrimination of LGBT people to end. It is the only way for people to have normal lives and stop living in fear.