lgbtq-resources

[lgbtq-resources]

Policy

The US spent decades making strides to enact LGBTQ protections and equality. But, in 2016 after Don*ld Tr*mp was elected over 31 protections were erased.

Here are some examples from 2016-2020

Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed the Civil Rights Acts protection for transgender people. This protection was to combat workplace discrimination

The Department of Labor removed parts of their website that held workplace rights and resources for LGBTQ+ people

The Department of Agriculture allowed the 4-H youth organization to decline LGBTQ+ children

The Department of Health and Human Services reversed regulations that prohibit discrimination on gender identity and sexual orientation

The Department of Housing and Urban Development allowed homeless shelters to deny access to transgender people

For more of these examples, check out:

https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/lgbtq-rights-rollback?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

On January 20, 2021 President Joseph R. Biden enacted an "Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation".

Within this order he talks about how every person should be treated with dignity and respect. People should be able to live their own lives and not have to worry about who they are and who they love. He described that children should be able to learn without worry, not be denied access to the restroom, and be able to play the sports and activities they want to be involved in.

Even though this is a step in the right direction, there are many examples of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

In the state of Indiana there is House Bill No. 1456. It is a Class B misdemeanor if a male knowingly or intentionally enters a restroom that is designated to be used by females or a female knowingly or intentionally enters a restroom that is designated to be used only for males.

Let's look into this a bit more

It allows protections for people who are opposite gender and entering the bathroom for custodial purposes or to render assistance.

But, it does not explain what "rendering assistance" mean. Does it include disabled people who need help from their partner or another loved one? Or is it just for cases of emergencies?

It also granted protections if someone like a parent, guardian, custodian, teacher, or babysitter is accompanying a child under twelve into the restroom.

What are other reasons that make this bill problematic?

When people have transitioned whether it is from female to male, male to female, or just simply taking hormones to look and feel more androgynous, it can be almost impossible for people to know what genitals they have just by looking at them. A person who has transitioned from female to male may completely pass as a cis male. Because of this bill it would require them to use the women's restroom. This may make women uncomfortable seeing that someone who looks, sounds, and dresses like a cis male would be entering and using the women restroom.

Here are more examples of LGBTQ+ legislation in the US

Senate Bill No. 32

This will prohibit the use of conversion therapy for minors

New Hampshire House Bill 68

This bill would define things like gender affirming hormones, and surgery as child abuse

Mississippi Senate Bill 2171 & Alabama Senate Bill 10

These bills would fine or criminalize health care providers for providing gender affirming hormones or puberty blockers. It also requires school officials to out transgender students to parents.

Here are additional resources about knowing your rights in the US

https://www.splcenter.org/know-your-rights-students-lgbtq-rights-school

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/lgbtq-rights/

[lgbtq-resources]

History

Historical social stigma has cause health disparities and discrimination upon the LGBTQ+ community.

In this blog Im going to talk about some key points in LGBTQ history

In the nineteenth century, have same sex attraction was considered to be straying from culture and "normalcy"

It was believed that gay men were "individuals who are born with the sexual drive of women and who have male bodies".

Throughout the twentieth century consensual same sex behavior was deemed illegal. Homosexuality was considered a mental illness.

In 1952 the DSM was created. This is a diagnosis handbook used for mental disorders. Its authors labeled homosexuality a sociopathic personality disturbance. This was then used to base laws and regulations. People were then able to be denied employment and unable to receive licensure in many jobs.

Opportunities., C. O., Select., P. B., & Medicine, I. O. (2014). Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. Washington: National Academies Press.

More recently in 2013 the American Psychiatric Association approved their fifth addition of the DSM. The key importance of changes made has to do with changing names of disorders. The previous disorder entitled “Gender Identity Disorder” has been replaced with “Gender Dysphoria”. An additional change includes “Transvestic Fetishism” to “Transvestic disorder”. This within itself is very problematic since it can cause stigmatization among patients and health care professionals. Over time these changes have helped make a positive change to understanding and supporting Transgender civil rights. We still have a long way to go!

All around the US there are annual PRIDE festivals. But do you know how and why it came to be a tradition?

In New York in 1969 solicitation of same-sex relations was illegal. Because of this gay bars were very popular so people could escape discrimination and racism. Many of these bars were Mafia ran in New York. One that you might recognize is the Stonewall Inn. Having the police raid this bar was a regular occurrence. Usually the police would tip off the Mafia run bars about the planned raids so they could hide illegal things. But on June 28 1969 the bar owners were not tipped off and the police raided the Stonewall Inn. Many were arrested and assaulted. Because of this people started throwing things like pennies, bottles, cobble stones, and other objects at the police. Soon hundreds of people were participating in a riot. Protests continued with thousands of participants for five days. These protests kick started LGBTQ political activism and birthed many gay rights organizations.

Http://www.history.com/.amp/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots

In the 1970s the HIV strain started to sweep the United States causing a pandemic. In 1980 an evangelical Christian leader gave President Jimmy Carter a petition to stop the advancement of gay rights in the United States. He explained that "God's judgement is going to fall on America as on other societies that allowed homosexuality to become a protected way of life". because of this action the United States became even more anti-gay then they were before. Ronald Reagan completely ignored distressed calls for help as the crisis raged through the community. It was not until 1985 that Reagan publicly spoke about the AIDS epidemic. by then 12,000 Americans died and the virus was sweeping through hemophiliac and IV drug using populations. Since the government refused to help during this time of need, many HIV/AIDS organizations started. The oldest one that is still running today is the Gay Men's Health Crisis that was founded in New York in 1982. From the start of the epidemic to 2016 it was reported that 700,000 people have died from the virus.

For more information about this topic, visit:

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-history-month-early-days-america-s-aids-crisis-n919701

Additional resources for LGBTQ+ History

https://www.glsen.org/lgbtq-history

http://www.lgbtqhistory.org/lgbt-rights-timeline-in-american-history/

[lgbtq-resources]

Poverty

In 2013 the Department of Agriculture reported that fifty million Americans were food insecure.

Food insecurity is when a household lacks the access to adequate food because of limited money or other resources.

This can cause children to have an increased risk of anemia, cognitive problems, aggression, anxiety, and birth defects.

Gundersen, C., & Ziliak, J. P. (2015). Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Affairs, 34(11), 1830-1839. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0645

Housing insecurity is also a problem people experience in the US. If someone cannot afford to live in a city or maybe somewhere they have been living for a long time they may have to more to a more dangerous area. These dangers can have a negative affect on peoples health. The homes they may have to move to could have mold, rodents, leaks, faulty cooling and heating. This can be because cheaper areas of cities can be ignored by federal and local governments.

Situations like these can make increase their risk for food insecurity since they may not have public transportation or be near a grocery store like they were before.

Living in poverty can be difficult on anyone, but there can be additional challenges if you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Additional challenges can include things like:

difficulty getting approved for a loan or rent

difficulty obtaining adequate, safe shelter

Being transgender or gender nonconforming can increase your risk of discrimination and even violence

The LGBTQ+ community has a higher percentage of experiencing poverty, discrimination, unemployment, and homelessness compared to heterosexual people.

In the 2015 U.S Transgender Survey, twenty five percent of people reported discrimination because of being trans. If someone were to be in poverty and discriminated against just because of their identity, it can make it so much harder to get back on your feet. If you are evicted, that can become a reason for people to refuse to housing for you. This can cause someone to have to live in unsafe conditions that increase their risk for violence, sexual assault, substance abuse, and even death. For some people, it may be easier to take the chance of living outside than to live in a group home that actively puts them in danger.

If you are experiencing food insecurity in Indianapolis Indiana, the No Questions Asked Food Pantry is a grassroots food pantry that serves groceries, hot meals, and hygiene and cleaning supplies to anyone in need. They do not require any type of ID.

Here are more resources related to this topic!

https://www.nclrights.org/get-help/resource/national-lgbtq-anti-poverty-action-network-covid-19-resource-list/

This is a anti-poverty action network with additional resources

https://www.lgbtqpoverty.info/the-northeast

This is for the Northeast US region

[lgbtq-resources]

Racism

A research article by the Williams Institute entitled LGBT Black Adults in the U.S. LGBT Well-Being at the Intersection of Race looks into being apart of the LGBTQ community depending on your race or ethnicity you can still experience racism and discrimination.

It was reported that a majority of Black LGBT adults would conceal their identities from health care providers in fear of homophobia or transphobia. It is also more likely for a Black transgender adult to do this compared to Black LGB adults.

Thisisloyal.com, L. (2021, March 25). Black LGBT adults in the US. Retrieved May 01, 2021, from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/black-lgbt-adults-in-the-us/

So what are other ways racism can impact health?

The New York Times published an article about redlining and how it made primarily Black neighborhoods in the US intolerably hot.

If you have never heard of this kind of thing before, believe me.. its crazy.

In the 1930s many neighborhoods were redlined and deemed "risky investments" all because the people lived there were Black. These same areas are now the hottest parts of Richmond, VA. In these neighborhoods there are not many trees that provide shade and the concrete used will absorb and trap heat. Many of these homes are low-income public housing an lack air conditioning.

This does not just happen in Virginia. It happens all across the US. Compared to primarily white neighborhoods which can be five to twenty degrees cooler in the summer! Because of racist zoning laws, Black families are prevented from moving to white neighborhoods.

But how does this problem impact health?

During heat waves for every one degree increase in temp the risk of dying increases by 2.5%

Higher temperatures put strain on the heart which increases rates of heart attacks and asthma

Intense heat levels kill 12,000 people a year

You may be asking yourself in what other ways can racism impact the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of color in the LGBTQ community?

BIPOC people are likely to experience discrimination when it comes to housing and jobs while also not having the privilege of enjoying spaces of leisure and being unable to completely trust health care professionals. When you add on being a part of the LGBTQ community the list continues on. These people have a greater likelihood of receiving unfair treatment linked to their sexual, gender, and racial identities.

In 2017 52% of homicides were of black LGBTQ victims

When talking about the murders of trans women, black trans women have the highest percentage at 80%

Experiencing such high discrimination, Black LGBTQ people are less likely to be able to have a job with benefits like insurance. This can cause health problems to go without treatment

People of this population may not be able to have trustworthy relationships in fear of not being accepted as being black and LGBTQ

Here are some resources:

https://chasebrexton.org/blog/healing-resources-black-queer-and-trans-communities

This resource is for Black Queer and Transgender people for healing

https://www.familyequality.org/resources/lgbtq-families-for-black-lives/

This resource is a Black history and Anti-racist toolkit for LGBTQ+ families

[lgbtq-resources]

LGBTQ+ Youth

Not to put a complete damper on your reading, but we are going to start dark on this one ):

Trigger warnings: Suicide and survival sex

In 2019 there was a Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the CDC. It estimated that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are four times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

There is an even higher rate with kids who are transgender and non binary.

Through this study it was concluded that a child has support for their sexual and gender orientation from family and peers, it can drastically reduce suicidal thoughts and attempts.

Here is the citation for the study!

Green, A. E., Price-Feeney, M., & Dorison, S. H. (2021). Association of sexual Orientation acceptance with reduced suicide attempts Among lesbian, gay, bisexual, Transgender, queer, and Questioning Youth. LGBT Health, 8(1), 26-31. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0248

A recent study from the Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago reported that LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness. When facing homelessness many kids may have to engage in what is called "survival sex". This is when someone will trade sexual acts for things like money, food, shelter, etc.

What can youth experience that can lead to survival sex?

Homophobic/Transphobic harassment

Discrimination

Physical violence within foster care or welfare systems

Abuse of the foster care system and youth shelters

Why do youths not access law enforcements, health care providers, social services, or other government officials for help?

It has also been known for people who hold these types of power to abuse LGBTQ youth.

Why do kids participate in survival sex?

Insecure housing

Homelessness

Want to learn more about this topic? Check this out!

The Urban Institute report entitled Surviving the Streets of New York Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex.

Here is the US National Suicide Hotline number:

800-273-8255

The Crisis Text Line

can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada, 85258 in the UK, or 50808 in Ireland.

If you or a loved one may experience homelessness here is a resource on steps to take

https://endhomelessness.org/how-to-get-help-experiencing-homelssness/

[lgbtq-resources]

Older Adults

The aging population in the US face many challenges.

What kinds of challenges do they face you ask?

Well for starters...

Economic Insecurity

-It is estimated that 24% of lesbian and bisexual women and 15% of gay and bisexual men live in poverty. Compared to straight counterparts of 19% and 13%.

-Older adults who are non-white face even higher percentages of poverty.

-If an LGBTQ couple lives in a rural area, they are more likely to be impoverished compared to the metropolitan areas of their state.

Why do LGBTQ older adults face poverty at a higher percentage?

-Lifetime employment discrimination

-Lack of access to Health Insurance

-Lack of access to the Social Security Net

For more info on these issues: www.thetaskforce.org

Social Isolation and Caregiving Disparities

LGBTQ+ older adults are:

Twice as likely to age as a single person

Twice as likely to reside alone

Four times less likely to have children

More likely to become estranged from some or all family

As the baby boomer population grows, it is evident that most people would like to "age in place" which means they would rather live in their own home as long as they can.

For aging LGBTQ+ adults this is often not the case. People within this population are more likely to need institutional care. This can be caused by health disparities caused by things like poverty, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and other disease processes like dementia.

Most older Americans are cared for by family when help is needed. About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult over 50. Only 4% of these caregivers were not relatives or family.

As mentioned before, LGBTQ+ people are four times less likely to have children. So who will care for this population?

A booklet entitled Prepare to Care: A Planning Guide for Caregivers in the LGBT Community says that caregivers can include "diverse family structures that include but are not limited to life partners, close friends and other loved ones who are not biologically related or legally recognized but who provide social and caregiving support to an individual". This booklet was created by AARP and SAGE (which is a national organization for older LGBTQ+ people)

EXCEPT! This can become problematic!

With decades of discrimination it has become nearly impossible for older adults to create a "family of choice". Reasons this would be difficult include:

Denial of legal and social recognition of relationships

Barriers to have or adopt children

Employment and housing discrimination

Ridicule by religious institutions

For more information on this topic check out the book Bodies and Barriers Queer Activities on Health By Rachel L. Levine, MD and Kate Kendell

In need of other resources for LGBTQ+ Older Adults?

https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/areamore.cfm

http://www.centerforpositiveaging.org/lgbt.html

https://www.sageusa.org

The SAGE hotline is: 877-360-LGBT