THIS ONE TIME, IN 1969

It’s A Matter of Pride

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WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE PRIDE MONTH?

Because over 52% of LGBT people in the UK experienced depression in the past year. 

Here are some more fairly terrifying stats:

  • up to 50% of LGBT teens experience a negative reaction on coming out to their families, with 26% being kicked out of their homes

  • 30% of LGBT children have missed school because bullying made them feel unsafe

  • job applicants affiliated with a gay organisation are 40% less likely to be asked for an interview (more on that study here)

  • don’t even get me started on the figures around suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm

And yet…

One in seven LBGT people avoid getting help for fear of discrimination from a healthcare professional.

So, how can youhelp?

It’s 50 years since the Stonewall Riots, and slowly but surely, the Pride movement has been gaining momentum and making more and more progress each year.

So, even though blood-boiling stats like those above prove that there’s still a long way to go -  there are a lot of ways to do your part, and show your support in the effort to end discrimination and positively impact mental health.

Five ways to be a LGBT ally from stonewall.org.uk:

  1. Educate and empower yourself - Confront your own assumptions, prejudices, and biases. Hit Google, YouTube and the LGBT media to expand your knowledge (more tips at the bottom of this email too).

  2. Listen - Ask how someone is doing and be aware that other people’s lives and experiences will be completely different to our own, especially in terms of discrimination and prejudice.

  3. Be visible and challenge - When you hear people making negative comments or using hurtful or abusive language towards LGBT people, challenge it. If it’s online, report it.

  4. Influence others - Use your platforms to amplify the voices of LGBT communities and share other people’s stories.

  5. Being an ally goes beyond just LGBT - someone might be bisexual and also black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME), or trans and Catholic, gay and disabled, non-binary and dealing with a mental health issue. This may mean they suffer multiple levels of discrimination in their life. Being an ally is about listening to and learning from someone else's experiences and showing your support for them.

FOR THE ALLIES: Ally Up [Source: stonewall.org.uk]

TERMS