Bella Santulli, NAMI Intern
As we head into June, it is crucial to reconigize the historical significance of this month for the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, plus) community. Without Stonewall (June 1969) or Marsha P. Johnson, a black trans woman who threw the first brick, the LGBTQIA+ community would not have the same rights today. That being said, the lack of rights within the queer community along with confronting discrimination, risks to physical health, and lack of comapssion & care dignifes the high rate in which queer people experience mental health conditions.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are more than twice as likely as heterosexual people to experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, according to the American Psychiatric Association. This isnât because queerness itself is a problemâit’s because of how society often responds to it.
Discrimination, rejection, and social stigma continue to be daily realities for many queer individuals. From family rejection and religious trauma to school bullying, workplace bias, and underrepresentation in healthcare systems, LGBTQIA+ people are often left feeling unseen, unsafe, and unsupported. These stressors can contribute to higher rates of:
- Anxiety and Depression
- PTSD
- Substance use disorders
- Suicidal ideation and attempts
Mental Health of America studies convey that forty-eight percent of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4 percent of the overall US population. Additionally, in a survey of LGBTQ+ people, more than half of all respondents reported that they have faced cases of providers denying care, using harsh language, or blaming the patientâs sexual orientation or gender identity as the cause for an illness. Fear of discrimination may lead some people to conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity from providers or avoid seeking care altogether.
When we talk about queer mental health, we canât ignore intersectionalityâthe way systems of power overlap and intensify for those who are both queer and BIPOC. Itâs not just one layer of identity; itâs a web of lived experience that shapes how people move through the world. For queer BIPOC individuals, the mental health toll isnât just about sexuality or race in isolationâitâs about how they collide. Thatâs why affirming, accessible, and culturally aware mental health care isnât optional. Itâs needed. But seeking support isn’t always easy. Many LGBTQIA+ individuals report:
- Lack of culturally competent providers
- Fear of discrimination or being outed in clinical settings
- Limited access to affordable care, especially for trans and nonbinary people
- Mistrust of medical systems, often rooted in past harm
These barriers leave many feeling that their identities are misunderstood or pathologized, rather than affirmed and supported. Nonetheless, mental health care should be a space for healing, not another site of erasure. Whether through affirming therapy, queer support groups, chosen family, creative expression, or simply existing authentically, visibility in the queer mental health space becomes an act of healing and a reminder that sentiments and experiences deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated.
How You Can Help
- Listen without judgment when queer friends and loved ones talk about their mental health.
- Support LGBTQIA+ mental health organizations, like The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline, or National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network, Mindout, etc.
- Educate yourself on how systems of oppression affect mental health.
- For more educational resources, check out the toolkit, “Mental Health and the LGBTQIA+ Community,” sourced by another intern, which includes definitions, explanations of various topics within the community, and outreach resources.
Book of the Week: Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
This tender, layered novel follows two timelines: Max, a transgender woman navigating a new relationship in the present, and Vincent, the man sheâs begun seeing, whose story unfolds a decade earlier. I was especially moved by the way the novel explores romantic dynamics between men and trans women, intergenerational family trauma, forgiveness, and shared cultural identity, as both Max and Vincent are of Chinese heritage.
But what stayed with me most was the profound affirmation that while Maxâs transness is central to who she is, her experience of womanhood carries a universal resonance. Nicola Dinan captures the quiet strength of queer storytellingâhow identity and mental health are deeply intertwined, echoing the heart of this weekâs blog. Happy Pride!
Resources
- NAMI Mercer Helpline Phone Number: 609-799-8994 x17
- NAMI Mercer Helpline Email: helpline@namimercer.org
- LGBT National Help Center: https://lgbthotline.org/
- The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/
References
- âLGBTQ+ Communities and Mental Health .â Mental Health America, mhanational.org/resources/lgbtq-communities-and-mental-health/. Accessed 9 June 2025.
- American Psychiatric Association. âPsychiatry.org – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning.â Psychiatry.org, 2024, www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/diversity/education/lgbtq-patients.
- Intersect. âIntersectionality | LBGTIQ Intersect.â Lgbtiqintersect.org.au, 2019, www.lgbtiqintersect.org.au/learning-modules/intersectionality/.