Steps to support LGBTQIA+ well-being
Affirming one’s gender identity and sexual orientation is essential to mental and physical well-being, but LGBTQIA+ individuals face systemic barriers that increase risks of anxiety, depression, and suicide. A 2022 survey found that 14% of LGBTQ youth attempted suicide in the past year. Transgender and nonbinary respondents experienced nearly double that rate, with even higher figures among youth of color.
Discrimination and lack of support drive this crisis.
A survey of 34,000 LGBTQ individuals ages 13 to 24 showed stark disparities. Nearly half had seriously considered suicide in the previous year. Among transgender and nonbinary participants, the number reached 53%. Family and school support made a measurable difference: those whose identities were affirmed reported lower rates of suicide attempts. Yet 60% of respondents who wanted mental health care couldn’t access it.
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Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond, former director of education programs and research at the National Black Justice Coalition, explained that belonging is key to well-being. “To be ‘othered’ is to be deprived of community, humanity, and even oneself,” she said. “A thriving person needs strong connections, selfhood, abundance, pleasure, relief, and wholeness.”
For queer, trans, and nonbinary People of Color, intersecting forms of oppression worsen these challenges. Darling-Hammond pointed out that systemic racism, transphobia, and economic exploitation create overlapping vulnerabilities.
Barriers to mental health care remain widespread.
Even when services exist, queer and trans People of Color encounter additional obstacles.
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Darling-Hammond also pushed for broader structural reforms. “Relief may be the most critical starting point,” she said. “Removing stressors like housing and food insecurity can free up energy needed to build a more empathetic society.”
She urged allies to affirm identities without hesitation, respect pronouns, and support community-led efforts. “Help young people find safe spaces where they can explore their identities and dreams,” she said. “Learn about QTPOC histories and examine your own biases. This is a critical moment—young people are watching to see if we’ll choose their futures over our comfort.”
Resources from the Trevor Project and the National Black Justice Coalition can assist those seeking support or ways to get involved. But as Darling-Hammond noted, progress requires more than resilience—it demands rethinking systems built on exclusion. “Plans for a better future exist,” she said. “It’s time to move away from the idea that scarcity and hardship are inevitable. They’re intentional. And we can change them.”
