Why Inclusion Matters
According to the Trevor Project, LGBT+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than other youth (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). Their own survey showed that over 45% of LGBT+ youth seriously considered suicide, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/)
This is why I believe Pride month matters. LGBT+ youth and adults are not at risk because of their gender or sexual orientation, but rather due to mistreatment and stigmatization. As a therapist, I I believe in helping my clients create a life worth living. Suicide is devastating, and it always breaks my heart when we lose one more person to suicide. Our home flies a rainbow flag every June because I believe it is vital that my community knows where I personally and professionally stand. My hope is that there may be a child or adult in my community that sees this and feels less alone, a little more accepted and a lot more safe.
Throughout the country we are starting to see an increase in divisiveness on issues of gender and sexuality. Legislation barring trans affirming care, book bans etc. I have seen this personally impact clients and I worry that this will only increase depression and suicide rates of those in the LGBT+ community.
We can all hold different values and beliefs without actively harming others. I would encourage everyone to take a pause and say “how do I feel when someone judges or belittles my own personal feelings? What do I experience when I feel excluded or not accepted for who I am?” Having experienced this myself, I know I feel shame, embarrassment, sad, and rejected. If your own belief system is to see being gay as a sin or that being transgender is wrong… can you take a moment to pause before you vocalize that to someone or put up a hurtful post on social media and ask yourself “how would I feel if someone attacked me for being me? What would I feel if someone told me that who I am at my core is disgusting, wrong, sinful?” If that would hurt you, perhaps you can choose to not inflict that same pain onto someone else, even if you don’t morally agree with it. Is it really our role to tell people how to live or who to be? Or is it our role to be who we want to be, and live our life according to our own standards and values?
I often wonder what our society would look like if we cared a little less about what others were doing, and cared more about what we are doing. I wonder how many more youth would live to adulthood feeling safe to live their life in a way that fits for them. I wonder how many more adults would be free to express themselves without fear of harm or mockery. As humans, we all matter and we all deserve to belong and be who we are without threat, harm or discrimination. And this is why inclusion matters. This is why Pride month matters.