As a sexual minority in America, the struggles queer people face are often overlooked. Especially in the case of queer youth, they run a higher risk of mental health problems than their straight counterparts because of various causes relating to emotional and physical stability and safety. All of which can build towards one disparity; queer youth are at higher risk of self-harm and suicidal actions and ideations.
Jordyn, age 18, is someone I have known for about seven years, and the whole time we have been friends, suicide and self-harm have been framed as “solutions” in their life. From an early age, Jordyn had been a subject of bullying. Their middle school years were haunted by harassment directly from our peers. As Jordyn was exploring their sexuality, changing the label they identified with was something that they tended to do pretty frequently, which helped our classmates find them an easy target for hateful comments. When people found out that they labeled themselves as pansexual, things started to go downhill. The bullying heavily increased, and their sexuality made them feel “severely isolated by the majority of the people in the building.”
By that point, they had been struggling with being made fun of for their weight for a couple of years, but being made fun of for how they identified themselves broke another threshold. People were asking if they would have sex with actual dishware and pans. Girls said they felt uncomfortable when Jordyn was around, and they were constantly teased for their self-discovery. Jordyn felt there was no real way to escape this, as the people who were verbally attacking them were people they had to see every day. This is where Jordyn started their journey with self-harm. Despite their parents being more accepting of their identity change, the harshness from school would come home with them in the form of berating images or thoughts, which is when they would resort to self-harm.
This type of behavior from others would continue into Jordyn’s high school years. In an attempt to find a fresh start, they joined a new school with new teachers, students, and a new environment, but this did not help their situation much. Jordyn’s high school years were riddled with the same issues, but in a much greater form, as Jordyn started identifying as a lesbian. They would have men approach them in real life and on dating apps, saying they could “convert” them, some even forcing themselves onto Jordyn to show them that they were “wrong” for identifying as a lesbian. These actions affected their perception of men even further, and made them doubt their sexuality and who they were. To this day, they claim they have moments where they believe “maybe straight cisgender men are not that bad,” where they “put [themself] into this cycle of getting hurt by people that [they] do not even want to be with,” an example of how they feel the heterosexual pressure to conform even after many years of being a lesbian. The harassment they received did not stop even as they graduated, as it led to the increased internalized homophobia that they still feel years later.
Additionally, Jordyn noted that transferring schools did nothing for the support they received from teachers and staff. “Even transferring schools twice, the immediate things are, when I say things like my pronouns, my sexuality, everyone completely disregards them.” They said, noting how teachers, students, and other staff in the building participated in this ignorance. This would act in addition to the way they were treated for their size, “if [they] decided to wear a crop top to class, because of how [they are] built, it would be a problem,” they noted, “but then [they] would see a girl wearing the same shirt a few days later, and she… would not get in trouble because she is skinny.” At this point, not only were teachers and staff not recognizing the issue, but they were also wholly disregarding the problem; the adults who were supposed to make Jordyn’s school a safe place were making them feel invalid. The bullying on their body was getting worse, and they were stuck in a loop of not feeling good enough; they were made to feel like they had no community, which made them feel completely alone. This was when the suicidal thoughts started to stir. Constantly feeling like they were not good enough, like their peers hated them, and they could not find a way to escape this mindset. Today, Jordyn has a semi-colon tattoo to show that they are a suicide attempt survivor.
Just like Jordyn, many people who identify as LGBQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer) struggle with bullying every day. In many cases, bullying like this leads to suicide and self-harm for fear of not being accepted. Especially between the ages of 13 and 20, children struggling with sexual identity are at risk of suicidal ideation and even suicidal acts compared to their straight counterparts.
Recently, this issue has been even more prevalent since the popularization of media to children, teens, and young adults. It is estimated that in America, “LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their [straight] peers” (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). Suicidal ideation starts at a young age; when children/teens are younger, it may feel like there is no escape from the harassment that can occur in schools or at home. The lack of support from people around them can drive people into seemingly inescapable holes, because most times the victims cannot support themselves on their own, constantly feeling like there will be no end to the things happening around them. According to a study done in Boston, Massachusetts in a population of people between 13 and 19 years old where more than half of the responses belonged to females and 10% identified as LGBT they discovered “LGBT youth scored significantly higher on the scale for depressive symptomatology” than the other respondents (Hafeez H, Zeshan M, Tahir MA, Jahan N, Naveed S, 2017).
Furthermore, in a 2019 survey done by The Trevor Project (an organization for the cause of helping LGBTQ+ people and their mental and physical health), they found that “more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth (13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the US — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 second,” which means not only are they more likely to attempt suicide, but they are also “more likely than heterosexual and non-transgendered youth to report suicidal ideations (30% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001) and self-harm behaviors (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001)” (Hafeez H, Zeshan M, Tahir MA, Jahan N, Naveed S, 2017).
The two leading causes for this increased danger are internalized homophobia and homophobic actions inflicted by others, which have the opportunity to branch off. Homophobia inflicted by others is typically seen post-coming out, compared to the usual pre-coming out internalized homophobia, which still lives in those who are out of the closet. However, it can manifest more in those who are not. This homophobia can lead to bullying (both verbally and physically) from peers, classmates, coworkers, and even parents. Some consequences are disownment, being kicked out of their homes, both sexual and physical harassment, facing conversion therapy, physical assault, and sexual assault. While this does not include the plethora of “punishments” that queer people experience just for living their lives, it introduces the topic of suicide and self-harm as a very complex one. Recognizing that people with seemingly “good lives” can decide to act against their well-being because of struggles like depression or other mental illnesses. It is essential to take this information with respect because of the daily battle Queer people deal with.
Internalized homophobia can stem from homophobic actions inflicted by others, either towards the queer person or other people in the presence of the queer person, or it can also stem from the individual practicing homophobia themselves. The branches within internalized homophobia can come from religion (denying one’s sexual identity because their religion, or their parent’s religion, is not accepting), essential adults in one’s life talking bad about or even threatening gay people, friends or classmates being outwardly homophobic creating an unsafe space for one at school, a heteronormative society or the fear of being kicked out of one’s home because of who they are. All of which are crucial to the topic of self-harm and suicide rates within LGBQ+ youth because they can hinder a person’s confidence in themselves and make them feel displaced, which can create a distance between the person and everyone around them, making them afraid to come out and damaging their perception of themselves. Some even describe this as making them feel disgusted with themselves, which not only impacts the person at the moment but can also stem into their adulthood because of the impact it had on the youth brain.
Religion plays a huge part in acceptance, especially in Christianity and practices with the bible. The most common argument brought up against queer persons is that being gay is against Christianity, the nation’s most predominant religion, with about 63% of Americans identifying as such (PRC, 2021). This is introduced to excuse hatred toward those identifying as queer, both publicly and privately.
According to J. Gibbs from NIH Medicine, “the majority of Americans (57%) identify religious belief (belief in God) as a requisite for moral judgment (Kohut, Wike, & Horowitz, 2007). Due to these factors, LGBT persons who mature in a religious community context report experiencing increased discrimination and internalized homophobia (i.e., negative attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and stereotypes about LGBT people that are directed inward by someone with same-sex attraction or feelings of discontent with one’s biological gender)” (Gibbs, 2016).
Especially for people who have grown up in communities with negative opinions of gay people, having a family member talk badly about queer people can make a person feel inadequate for feeling the way they do. In some church communities, many may feel uncomfortable if these values are spread, primarily if the church used to be a safe place for minorities. It can be expected that when important adults in a child’s life (like parents or priests) talk badly about gay people, specifically how God would never accept them for being who they are, it can accumulate negatively in a child’s mind. As Christianity has a focus on showing love towards others, no matter their background, to “love thy neighbor” no matter what, this does not hold the case unanimously, but many get this message confused because of the hateful rhetoric sometimes preached in churches.
Similarly, as shown in religion as well, a big contender of a cause of internalized homophobia is important figures in one’s life talking negatively about or even threatening gay people, especially recently with the “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed in certain states. In some instances, teachers mocked LGBT youth or joined the bullying, as reported by Lynette G., the mother of a young girl with a gay father in South Dakota (HRW, 2016). She recalled that when her daughter was eight, “she ran home because they were teasing her, like, ‘Oh, your dad is a c*cksucker, a f*gg*t, he sucks d*ck,” a feeling only made worse when she saw a teacher laughing also (HRW, 2016). Impacts like these on small children or just children, in general, can subconsciously start building these false ideations about gay people, which can accumulate severely in adulthood, where self-harm and suicide come in. Being raised to hate queer people and identifying queer thoughts themselves can become a never-ending cycle of feeling guilty and acting out because of it. In a study done at the University of Rochester, they discovered that “[p]eople in denial about their sexual orientation may lash out because gay targets threaten and bring this internal conflict to the forefront,” actions which were also predominantly shown from people who grew up in authoritative households where one (or both) parents were outwardly homophobic (Weinstein, 2012). Actions make people unsafe in their environments and in their heads, which can lead to the development of anxiety and depression.
As seen with Jordyn, coming out at a young age can lead to bullying and harassment, especially in school and internet settings. Young children’s minds are still forming; therefore, their treatment in schools can affect who they become. According to the 2015 YRBS, “LGB students were 140% (12% v. 5%) more likely to not go to school at least one day during the 30 days prior to the survey because of safety concerns, compared with heterosexual students.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019) This data portrays a disparity between queer people and violence in the classroom, which can make queer people, especially queer youth, feel very isolated from their peers. Bullying is the leading cause of self-inflicted harm and suicide rates among young people, with evidence to show that queer people are 140% more likely to get threatened because of their sexuality, which is not surprising.
Furthermore, bullying is not only prevalent in schools, but with the popularization of the internet, e-bullying has become a lot more common. In 2019, “28% [of queer youth] were bullied electronically” after they had come out (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019); a number only predicted to grow as time progresses and more people participate in online communities. Similarly, “more US high school students who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) report having been bullied on school property (32%) and cyberbullied (26.6%) in the past year than their straight peers (17.1% and 14.1%, respectively),” which gives about a 2:1 ratio for bullying on school property and a 13:7 ratio for cyberbullying (SB, 2021). With queer youth continuing to be at risk, being exposed to it can lead the queer student to not come out because of the response they believe they will get, one example being physical assault.
According to an article by the CDC about queer youth, “10% [of queer youth] were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). This statistic adds weight to the situation, as young people can fear for their lives because others have decided they are not as worthy of feeling safe as heterosexuals. In a paper published by the National Library of Medicine, “sexual minority adolescents were consistently more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to report physical and sexual violence” (Caputi, 2020). In many instances, these youths will be put in situations where their identity is used against them, in situations where they feel like they will never belong. Times like these are what contribute to the suicidality and self-harm tendencies of young queer individuals. Feeling unsafe and trapped in their own lives makes them feel like they will take extreme measures to feel free.
Queer youth are also at more risk of homelessness than their straight counterparts. It is not uncommon for people in the community to be afraid to support themselves after coming out due to difficulties erupting at home. However, not only is it uncommon for it to be feared, but “14% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had slept away from parents or caregivers because they were kicked out or abandoned, with 40% reporting that they were kicked out or abandoned due to their LGBTQ identity” (The Trevor Project, 2022). Not only this, but “28% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives — and those who did had two to four times the odds of reporting depression, anxiety, self-harm, considering suicide, and attempting suicide compared to those with stable housing” (The Trevor Project, 2022). This data shows that queer people are more likely to be at risk of homelessness because of their identity, which is associated with the rates of suicide and self-harm, as well as rates of depression. With food and housing, insecurity comes high levels of stress and depressive thoughts, leading to acts of self-harm and suicidal thoughts/actions. Especially with no support systems to help these people develop plans and jobs. It is hard to start over when rock bottom is already hit.
Although there have been fewer reported cases in the United States, conversion therapy still lives: 21 states and four territories have yet to ban conversion therapy. A common misconception about conversion therapy is that only older individuals have gone to conversion centers; however, “13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy, with 83% reporting it occurred when they were under age 18.” (Trevor Project, 2021). Furthermore, “over 350,000 youth in America have reported getting sent to conversion centers,” which means this continues to be a threat, even in 2021 (UCLA Institute of Law, 2019). Furthermore, “LGBTQ youth who were subjected to conversion therapy reported more than twice the rate of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who were not” (Trevor Project, 2021). These conversion centers mostly rely on “psychotherapy (talk therapy), medical, and faith-based methods that can be emotional or physical.” In extreme cases, “practices may be violent or torturous,” with many still afraid that coming out would put them in direct danger from centers like these (Sreenivas, 2021).
In 2007, a task force of the American Psychological Association (APA) undertook a thorough review of the existing research on the efficacy of conversion therapy. Their report noted that there was very little methodologically sound research on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCEs) and that the “results of scientifically valid research indicate that it is unlikely that individuals will be able to reduce same-sex attractions or increase other-sex sexual attractions through SOCE.” In addition, the task force found that “there are no methodologically sound studies of recent SOCE that would enable the task force to make a definitive statement about whether or not recent SOCE is safe or harmful and for whom” (Human Rights Campaign 2022).
However, despite APA’s refusal to take a clear stance on the safety of SOCE in 2007, the study that they commissioned found that youth that were sent to these SOCEs were “more than eight times as likely to commit suicide, nearly six times as likely to report high levels of depression, more than three times as likely to use illegal drugs, [and] more than three times more likely to report STD’s like HIV” (Human Rights Campaign, 2022). Since then, the resolution that APA has come out in 2021, is that “sexual minority youth and adults who have undergone SOCE are significantly more likely to experience suicidality and depression than those who have not undergone SOCE’s” (APA, 2022). These efforts of conversion also do not report harassment from people on a personal level trying to “convert” individuals, which are less likely to be reported due to a variety of reasons, like shame or fear of danger. It has been proven many times that “converting” someone either to be queer or not to be queer is not possible; it only creates further issues for the individual down the line and further into their adulthood, like self-inflicted harm and higher rates of suicide. Homophobia is leading queer youth to death.
After coming out, queer people can fear others trying to disprove their sexuality, especially with lesbian-identifying individuals like Jordyn. Women in the community experience a higher rate of reported sexual violence both with and without an intimate partner. When comparing statistics of bisexual women and straight women, “61 percent of bisexual women experience physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35 percent of straight women”(HRC, 2020). Additionally, “46 percent of bisexual women have been raped, compared to 17 percent of straight women” (HRC, 2020). This information shows a 12:7 ratio when it comes to acts of assault and harassment with an intimate partner and about a 23:8 ratio when it comes to assault and harassment by someone they were not in a relationship with, which makes it more evident that women who identify as bisexual have higher rates of sexual assault and harassment. The ratio of 12:7 when it comes to violence from an intimate partner might suggest that queer relationships with bisexual women are more prone to violence, but that is not necessarily true. A common misconception about bisexuality, especially with bisexual women, is that they are more likely to cheat in their relationship, which can make them more prone to violence due to insecurity within their significant others. When comparing these statistics to lesbians, “44 percent of lesbians [have experienced] rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner,” which is similar to the 46% of bisexual women (HRC, 2020). This data gives further evidence to prove that sexual assault and harassment are huge factors when considering self-inflicted harm and suicide among youth. Statistics like these make youth even more afraid to come out and be who they are because of the potential violence that can be inflicted on them.
However, this isn’t the case only with women, but it is relatively common with men as well. In the same 2020 survey done by the CDC, “37 percent of bisexual men experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 29 percent of straight men” and “40 percent of gay men and 47 percent of bisexual men have experienced sexual violence other than rape, compared to 21 percent of straight men” (HRC, 2020). Furthermore, “40 percent of gay men and 47 percent of bisexual men have experienced sexual violence other than rape, compared to 21 percent of straight men” (HRC, 2020). This data shows that both male-identifying gay and male-identifying bisexual men are more likely to experience rape and sexual violence than their straight counterparts, which only becomes more interesting as the statistics represent “87% of male victims of (completed or attempted) rape reported only male perpetrators” (CDC, 2020). Therefore, it is not that people who identify with LGB enter more violent relationships, but it is most likely men who commit these crimes, so a man-loving man (MLM) person is more likely to experience acts like this because of who they are.
Some limitations to this theory could be existing mental health issues and how depression and anxiety can already live in individuals, and it has nothing to do with them being queer. The response is that mental health issues exist within everyone, not just queer people. With the statistics present, depression is not a strong enough statistic to prove that being queer does not have a direct tie to suicidality. According to NBC News, a “study looked at suicide rates among teens between 2009 and 2017 and found young people who did not identify as heterosexual were more than three times as likely as those who did to attempt suicide” (National Broadcasting Company, 2020). Therefore, even though depression and other mental health disorders are extreme, especially among youth, it does not change the statistic that people who identify as queer are more likely to commit suicide than people who do not.
There are two approaches to solutions for this disparity: a bill and an advocacy group. There are two sister bills when it comes to queer mental health problems. The “Protect LGBTQ Youth Act” was introduced into the Senate on April 29th, 2021, and the “Pride in Mental Health Act” was introduced into the House on May 3rd, 2022. Out of these two bills, both focus on child abuse because of sexual identity, while the latter also has aspects of funding for trauma-induced care.
The “Protect LGBTQ Youth Act” claims to “identify child abuse and neglect issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth and families, including providing recommendations for improving the collection of data at the Federal, State, and local levels to better identify young people who may be at risk of, or experiencing, child abuse or neglect because of their sexual orientation or gender identity” (117th Congress, 2021).
It focuses on the in-house aspect of abuse rather than all the abuse the youth may experience. Although this bill would address one of the causes, it does not do much for the whole queer youth population because it is a governmental action. The government has been homophobic for decades, and it will require many people in these positions to vouch for this bill to be passed into law, which is very rare. It also only tackles one of the causes of the disparity. There are many cases where a person becomes suicidal due to abuse outside the home. Therefore, even though the bill would help a step in the right direction, more advocacy is needed to address this disparity that this bill does not offer.
However, there is another approach when it comes to solutions for this disparity: The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a non-profit advocacy youth organization founded in 1996 to protect LGBTQ youth’s mental health. Although they are just a non-profit, they have helped advance 30 bills, and they have corporate partners like Macy’s Pride and Google’s Pride organization. This advocacy group is centered on volunteering to help people in need, providing a 24/7 365 helpline, and having counselors available for those in need. The Trevor Project is widely known in the media and has been a leading educator on LGBTQ mental health issues since the early 2000s.
The Trevor Project is the best option because it offers a more personal approach. Talking directly to a counselor would greatly benefit the individual in a more fast-paced environment. When it comes to suicide, having a more available solution would help individuals struggling in the now, rather than waiting for a bill to be passed, if it is, and then dealing with the consequences in months or years.
The youth of America are the ones who will be dictating the future, and the world is only going to get queerer since more and more people have the space to discover who they are and to show it. The Trevor Project surveyed in 2020 and came up with an estimate that a young person is attempting suicide every 45 seconds. Queer youth are living in fear, either from their surroundings or themselves. If counseling is more accessible and more people can reach out for help, this statistic may decrease. Building a safe space for queer youth is important because every life is worthwhile. Stop the hatred; stop the hurt.
References
American Psychological Association. (2021, February). APA resolution on sexual orientation change efforts. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-sexual-orientation-change-efforts.pdf \
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2021, September 10). LGBTQI+ youth. StopBullying.gov. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/lgbtq
Caputi, T. L., Shover, C. L., & Watson, R. J. (2020). Physical and Sexual Violence Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Questioning Adolescents. JAMA pediatrics, 174(8), 791–793. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.6291
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, June 1). Intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking among men |violence prevention|injury Center|CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/men-ipvsvandstalking.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, June 21). LGBT Youth. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
Sexual assault and the LGBTQ community.(2020) Human Rights Campaign. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-assault-and-the-lgbt-community
Mitchell, T. (2022, April 14). About three-in-ten U.S. adults are now religiously unaffiliated. Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/12/14/about-three-in-ten-u-s-adults-are-now-religiously-unaffiliated/
Reuters. (2020, February 12). Suicide rates fall among gay youth but still outpace straight peers. NBCNews.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/suicide-rates-fall-among-gay-youth-still-outpace-straight-peers-n1135141
Homelessness and housing instability among LGBTQ youth. The Trevor Project. (2022, February 2). Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/
Weinstein, N. (2012, April 5). Is some homophobia self-phobia? Is Some Homophobia Self-phobia? : Rochester News. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=4040