Behind rainbow flags and colorful murals lay something quiet in the shadows: High rates of discrimination, hate and violence LGBTQ community members face can be detrimental to their well-beings and put them at risk of suicide and homelessness.
San Jose State psychology junior Aaron Jew said it was challenging to feel comfortable after he opened up to his family about his bisexuality two years ago.
“It’s hard to hear family not be acceptive of who I am,” Jew said in a Zoom call. “It was very difficult to express myself.”
He said there are many issues, including discrimination and violence many LGBTQ community members experience.
“People of the LGBTQ community have some support but there is still so much change that needs to occur to have more conversations and education on how this group is still discriminated against,” Jew said.
Sexual orientation and gender minorities experience stigmatization and discrimination because of their identity, which can increase their vulnerability to mental illness. This can prevent them from achieving positive well-being in various areas of life including meaningful work, economic security, health care and healthy relationships, according to a Feb. 5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
The report also found that LGBTQ people report having more underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus compared to heterosexual people.
In addition to physical and mental health disparities, the community also deals with social prejudices.
Stephanie Preston is an SJSU Counseling and Psychological Services faculty counselor and licensed psychologist who specifically works with LGBTQ students. She said queer people endure many difficulties including marginalization and threats of violence.
“Queer people face discrimination in schools, jobs and often don’t feel safe in their community,” Preston said in a Zoom interview. “Many times they may not feel safe just walking down the street.”
She also said when LGBTQ people have to “come out again and again” to others, they can experience fears of rejection and negative effects on their mental health.
A 2015 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national survey reflected Preston’s sentiments, reporting sexual orientation and gender minorities are at greater risk of harassment, violence, substance use and mental disorders.
Transgender youths in particular are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms and attempt suicide compared to other LGBTQ community members, according to the same survey.
Preston said the reason trans people have higher rates of suicide is because the world is a “hostile” place for them.
This can be rooted in how society views gender and gender identity.
The World Health Organization defines gender as socially-constructed norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a man or woman. However, these constructs vary by society, change constantly and produce inequalities through their hierarchy.
“The world still sees gender as a binary, man or woman and that's just not the case,” Preston said. “All of our gender exists on a continuum of sorts.”
Bonnie Sugiyama is the director of the SJSU Pride Center, a resource that supports the well-being of LGBTQ students, according to its website.
They said depression among members of the LGBTQ community can be exacerbated by external factors including bullying or harassment.
“It’s important to understand that many seek help because they’re depressed,” Sugiyama said in a Zoom call. “It’s not because of their identity but simply because they have depression.”
They also said family rejection or discrimination can sometimes lead to homelessness among LGBTQ young adults.
LGBTQ youth and young adults have a 120% higher risk of experiencing homelessness compared to their non-LGBTQ peers, according to an April 2018 Voices of Youth Count study on LGBTQ youth homelessness.
Voices of Youth Count is a University of Chicago research center that provides data on vulnerable populations including homeless youths.
“40% of the youth homeless population identifies as LGBTQ and it’s a real problem within the community,” Sugiyama said. “I don’t think there [are] enough resources.”
LGBTQ youths often experience parent-child conflict or a gradually escalating sense of rejection at home over time, according to the 2015 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey.
“Parents want to create this idea that they have a perfect family, which is ridiculous,” Jew said. “It's more of a perfect family if you are able to accept your children for who they are.”
Jew said he feels disappointed when parents disown their LGBTQ child over a “small aspect of their character.”
Sugiyama said the pandemic has played a role in the LGBTQ community by allowing people to think deeper about sexuality and gender.
“I’ve seen some students having the courage to come out and talk to their families,” Sugiyama said. “Being home has allowed people to be able to see nuances and for parents to be able to see their child grow.”
They said being isolated and sheltering in place gave students time and space to sit down with themselves to reflect and some may have come out sooner than expected.
“Students have joined our community and figured out who they are because they couldn’t run away from their feelings anymore,” Sugiyama said.
Jew said his older brother came out to their family during the pandemic.
He said this was the “perfect time” for his brother to come out because it allowed their parents to reflect and have a conversation.
“Although my parents were not accepting of him at first either, eventually they worked it out and to avoid conflict they became acceptive,” Jew said.
Preston said if people are questioning or exploring their sexuality or gender, finding community, people, mentors, friends, seeking literature to read people’s stories and experimenting can help them discover themselves.
She encourages students to reach out to the SJSU Pride Center where students can connect, find joy and celebrate with others who are surviving and thriving.
“Support one another, be an ally, that is how the world can help people of this community,” Preston said. “Cisgender people need to stick up for them and become good allies. If someone uses their wrong pronouns, correct them, make sure they feel comfortable.”
Jew also wants students to be more open about who they are because doing so can be a life-changing experience.
“It’s important to know that you are not lying to yourself or other people,” Jew said. “You will find friends and family who accept you for who you really are. People who recognize the entirety of who you are, rather than looking at specific pieces, is a beautiful thing.”
