Although 2015 was a monumental year for the LGBTQIA++ community, all battles were not won on this day. Outside of the US legal system, LGBTQIA++ Americans still face hate, discrimination, physical & emotional harm, and inequity every single day. About 40% of homeless youth in America identify as LGBTQ and often end up on the streets because they are rejected by their family members. Hence these young queer folk are more susceptible to violence, are more likely to participate in crime to survive, and encounter chronic trauma that may last all through their lives.

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As stated earlier on this page, the queer community experiences mental health issues at higher rates as compared to cis-hetero populations. A recent study found that 61% of queer folks experience depression, 45% are diagnosed with PTSD and 36% have an anxiety disorder. There is no singular answer to explain why these disparities exist but stigma and trauma most definitely contribute to reasons why. Many LGBTQ individuals are barred from accessing quality medical and mental health care. A Rainbow Health survey found that 10% of queer folk postponed medical care or didn’t get it at all due to discrimination from health care providers. The U.S. Transgender Survey found that transgender individuals are at risk of avoiding medical treatment at an ever higher rate than other queer folks – with 23% not seeing a doctor due to fear of mistreatment.

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LGBTQIA++ individuals have often been on the receiving end of violence, violence in the form of physical violence, social violence, medical violence, and emotional violence. Transgender women, particularly trans women of color, are gravely impacted by such violence. In only 2017, 13 trans women of color were killed. Trans women of color are among the most vulnerable populations in the country who experience racism, sexism, transphobia, and, frequently, poverty, which puts them at an even higher risk for violence. LGBTQIA++ folks in rural populations often face heightened violence, with no access to mental health care, or community support. Despite social progress, LGBTQIA++ individuals are still some of the most highly targeted populations that experience community violence.

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For a lot of queer couples, merely their union is seen as an “act of rebellion” to their families. The trauma that comes along with being a queer couple makes the experience of a queer couple oddly unique, and with anything unique, comes unique struggles that deserve space to be heard. Often queer couples have to make a choice between abandoning their communities or playing a “dual role” where they are forced to mask their relationship or keep it private or hidden. This atmosphere of secrecy often finds its way into influencing how comfortable queer couples may feel about asking for help in managing relationship conflicts. Queer couples also may be interracial, inter-faith, and more. These unique intersectional identities make queer love beautifully complex. Couples therapy with an LGBTQIA++ affirming therapist is a great place to start to work through some of these complex issues.

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