Survey shows: many queers in the USA are desperate
A survey recently published by the Trevor Project in the USA is alarming. Because: according to the results, many queer people in America are far from well. Nearly half of the respondents said they had thought about suicide in the past year. Approximately one in ten queer youth have done just that.
The figures are particularly high in relation to young people who feel they are non-binary. There are twice as many here. Possibly also because education with regard to non-binary has not yet progressed so far? Accordingly, many young people could still feel a little more lost.
A frightening trend
If you take a little time to look at the relevant surveys on the subject, you quickly realize that the numbers of young people thinking about suicide have increased in the United States.
Many responsible parties blame this not only on politics, but also on the Corona pandemic. After all, many help services in the U.S. also had to be paused or could not be used as usual.
All of this may have led to queer youth facing various challenges in their everyday lives that are now difficult to overcome.
American legislation has become more homophobic in many areas
It really only takes one look at the extremely controversial "Don't Say Gay" law to realize how stressful the situation must be for queer youth in the US. Even at a young age, those affected learn that many people apparently have a problem with them and their sexual orientation. The result: more intolerance and exclusion from society, which of course can also have a negative impact on the psyche of those affected.
The whole thing is particularly complicated if the family has also decided to see something "reprehensible" in homosexuality, for example. The queers are thus deprived of an important anchor.
In addition to suicidal thoughts, many people also face depression and anxiety disorders. Many wonder how everything will continue if politicians do not decide to row back in some areas.
Offers of help that are still available are often not taken up out of shame. A dangerous vicious circle.
Two parties that could not be more different
The battle lines between the LGBTQIA+ community in the US and their opponents seem to be hardened at the moment. One "argument" that those who defend the anti-gay laws keep making is that it is their job to protect children from queer content and lifestyles. The fact that they are thus pushing an entire group of people to the margins of society is, frighteningly, completely forgotten by them.
One thing is certain, however: people who suffer from intolerance and homophobia must be helped.
Many organizations want to help - also in Germany
In Germany, too, queers are often exposed to particular psychological stress. For this reason, the range of help available of various kinds has been greatly expanded over time. Anyone who feels bad or even actually thinks about suicide should get help in any case.
In the meantime, there are many contact points, which either among other things or explicitly address queer people. One of the best-known services is the telephone counselling service. This can be reached at 0800/111 0 111 and 0800/111 0 222 can be reached - 24 hours a day!
In addition, the possibility of psychological care should not be disregarded. In this case, the contact person can also be the family doctor.
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