Pride Month: LGBTQ+ Mental Health Spotlight
This blog was written by Olivia Russo, LMHC.
As we transition from Mental Health Awareness Month in May to Pride Month in June - it is a perfect time to highlight the LGBTQ+ community and their unique mental health experiences.
What Is the History of Pride Month?
The first Pride Parade was held in NYC on June 28th, 1970. Queer and trans individuals and their allies walked from Stonewall Inn in the West Village of Manhattan, to Central Park, where the march concluded. Both the timing and location of the first pride parade are very intentional; beginning at the Stonewall Inn, where one year prior, to the date, the Stonewall Riots had occurred. The Stonewall Riots act as a key moment in the history of queer resistance, and was led by two trans women of color, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
The Stonewall Inn is a historic gay bar and queer community space that has been open since the 1930s. In the late 1960s, police raids of gay bars were common, as "cross-dressing" and homosexuality were both considered illegal in the United States. During a routine raid on June 28th, 1969, the queer and trans patrons of Stonewall decided to fight back and thus began the multi-day riots and protests that have come to be known as the Stonewall Riots. LGBTQ+ people in the city along with their allies and neighbors, came to defend LGBTQIA+ individuals' right to community and existence.
Stonewall was a key turning point in the movement for Gay Liberation and Trans Rights. Historian Lillian Faderman described Stonewall as, "the shot heard round the world" as it prompted a larger national, and even global social movement.
The annual Pride March in NYC, and the national recognition of Pride Month in June, beginning in 1999, honor the significance of the Stonewall Riots made in Queer history, and especially for the liberation of queer and trans people.
What Is the History of Queerness in the Field of Psychology?
Since the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was published in 1952, homosexuality has been pathologized and included as a mental disturbance and sexual deviation. The American Psychiatry Association was attempting to shift the narrative of queerness from being a moral sin to being categorized as a disorder. However, this led to the development of various harmful therapeutic modalities, namely conversion therapy.
Liberatory social movements in the 1960s and 1970s, like the Stonewall Uprisings, influenced and shaped social and political infrastructure, which led to changes within the field of psychology. Specifically, in 1973 the APA removed homosexuality from the DSM, by renaming it "sexual orientation disturbance." This created a shift from pathologizing sexual identities that stray from the heteronormative, to pathologizing the internal conflict experienced by queer individuals. Thus, this still allowed harmful conversion therapies to be practiced in attempts to remedy the internal conflict and change a person's sexual orientation. It wasn't until 2013 that homosexuality was removed entirely from the DSM. This shift signaled major social and cultural changes in the growing acceptance of queer and trans identities and individuals.
Additionally, in 1985 LGBTQ+ psychotherapists and their allies created Division 44 within the APA, the Society of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. The primary purpose of this professional division has been to advocate for LGBTQIA2S+ health and well-being through education, professional training, social justice advocacy, and the advancement of affirmative treatment. More recently, there has been the development of various modalities that are built upon queer theory, namely: feminist therapy, liberation psychology, queer affirmative psychotherapy, relational cultural therapy, gender-affirming therapy. These modalities are built by and for queer and trans individuals, and are commonly adopted by therapists and clinicians as standards of care for working with LGBTQIA2S+ populations.
Queer and trans people have always existed across populations and cultures, and deserve attuned therapy that affirms and validates the beauty of queer and trans identities.
What Special Considerations Are Important for Queer and Trans People Seeking Therapy?
Unique Experiences of LGBTQIA2S+ Individuals
Coming out
Family estrangement
Navigating gender identity and sexuality outside of heteronormativity
Social and medical transitions
Difficulty navigating affirming health care / insufficient health care
Stigma and discrimination within healthcare, housing, employment
Navigating conflicting aspects of intersectional identities
Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist
Are you queer identifying?
Have you ever worked with someone questioning their gender/sexuality?
Have you helped clients come out before?
What experience do you have supporting lesbian/gay/bisexual/asexual/pansexual clients?
What is your experience supporting trans/transmasc/transfemme/agender/intersex/nonbinary clients?
How is your practice queer- and trans-affirming?
Do you have experience supporting queer people who are involved in kink or sex work?
How comfortable are you supporting clients who practice ethical non-monogamy / polyamory?
As a Therapist, How Can I Make My Practice More Queer- and Trans-Affirming?
I'm so glad you asked! Below is a nonexhaustive list of actionable items and considerations that therapists can utilize.
During the Session
Maintain curiosity without judgement, practice humility.
Respect and affirm a person's identity, even if you don't fully understand or are not super familiar with it.
Listen and show genuine compassion.
Take accountability for any microaggressions or instances of discrimination, and make a committed plan on how to avoid these missteps in the future.
Create a welcoming environment that celebrates diversity and queer and trans identities.
Before/After the Session
Educate yourself about queer and trans history! (Books, documentaries, podcasts, conversations with people with lived experience, etc.)
Educate yourself about the importance of intersectionality (race and ethnicity, disability, immigration status, religious beliefs) when working with LGBTQIA2S+ population.
Integrate queer- and trans-affirming therapeutic modalities into your practice (Feminist Therapy, Liberation Psychotherapy, Relational Cultural Therapy, etc).
Seek consultation with colleagues who specialize in working with these populations.
Seek out additional trainings and workshops (by queer and trans clinicians!) for working with this population.
You Do Not Have to Navigate This Alone
If anything in this post resonated with you, or if you have been thinking about finding a therapist who truly understands your experience, we are here. Live Well Practice NY offers LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy for queer and trans individuals across NYC and throughout New York State. Olivia Russo is currently accepting new clients and would love to welcome you into a space where all of who you are is seen, respected, and celebrated.
Ready to take the first step? Schedule a consultation with Olivia Russo or contact Live Well Practice NY today. Your healing journey starts here.
