According to the 2023 GLAAD Accelerating Acceptance report, support for the LGBTQ+ community is at an “all-time high,” with supermajorities of non-LGBTQ+ Americans supporting fairness and equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. Considered along with federal action such as Executive Order 13988, which seeks to advance equality for LGBTQ+ individuals, this is noteworthy progress.
That said, resistance to LGBTQ+ equality has simultaneously grown stronger, as noted in FBI Hate Crime Statistics, American Defamation League and GLAAD reporting, as well as anecdotal and widely reported incidents against both community members and allies, especially in online spaces. Coupled with the rapid increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation at the state level, the Human Rights Campaign has gone as far as declaring a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans.
As Pride Month 2024 nears its close, Pathways to Resilience encourages our national community to consider how state and local government leaders can support mental health in LBGTQ+ communities and use policies and programs to prevent harm, especially against a societal backdrop that results in high risks for trauma, homelessness, discrimination, and violence, particularly for LGBTQ+ youth. In our research, we have identified three particularly impactful actions to highlight.
- Close coordination gaps
- “Unsilo” efforts that are/may exist within different state agencies.
- Embed policies so they can withstand administrative changes, defunding threats, and political headwinds.
- Improve coordination of mental health and SUD services so LGTBQ+ populations in rural areas are supported and have access to resources.
- Pursue private partnerships
- Leverage partnerships with community-based organizations to fill service gaps, particularly in the provision of health care services.
- Identify untapped entities for partnerships (ex. nonprofit organizations and public services such as libraries and community centers) and expand existing partnerships so they more directly serve LGBTQ+ communities with focused services and supports, education, and resources.
- Co-create community programming, advocacy engagement, public awareness campaigns, and evidence-based training.
- Focus on youth
- Create virtual, peer-led, peer-supported spaces.
- Empower and equip youth with skills to advocate for themselves and others.
- Seek and incorporate feedback from LGBTQ+ youth to design and deliver relevant supports and services.
And as we consider efforts to design policies and programs that support the LGBTQ+ community, it is critical to engage members of the community early and often in program and policy planning, design, delivery, and evaluation.