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About LGBTQIA+

The Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community is almost three times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder.¹ And, LGBTQIA+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide, experience suicidal thoughts or engage in self-harm than straight people.¹

Some statistics:

• Someone who faced rejection after coming out to their families was 8x more likely to have attempted suicide than someone who was accepted by their family after revealing their sexual orientation. ¹
• LGB adults are 2x as likely to experience a mental health condition compared to heterosexual adults, and transgender adults are nearly 4x as likely to experience a mental health condition compared to cisgender adults. ¹
• ⅓ of transgender youth have considered suicide, and 1 in 5 have attempted suicide. ³
• 40% of transgender adults reported serious psychological distress. ³
• Between 38–65% of transgender individuals experience suicidal ideation. ¹
• 53% of trans and nonbinary youth are struggling to access mental health care, compared to 28% of their cisgender LGBQ peers. ⁴
• Transgender adults living in states with more affirming environments are overall less likely to attempt suicide. ³
• An estimated 20–30% of LGBTQIA+ people abuse substances, compared to about 9 percent of the general population. ¹
• 85% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that the current conversations and laws affecting their rights have negatively impacted their mental health. ⁴
• 7.6% of LGBTQIA+ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and 43% because of their gender expression. ²
• Over 40% of LGBT adults are people of color. The LGBTQIA+ community has more BIPOC representation than the general United States population. These individuals face compounded challenges because of systemic racism. ⁵
• Black LGBT adults are 11% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than their heterosexual counterparts. ⁶
• BIPOC youth who identify as LGBTQIA+ are anywhere from 4-9% more likely to attempt suicide compared to their white LGBTQIA+ counterparts. ⁷
• Almost 50% of Native/Indigenous LGBTQIA+ youth reported being physically threatened or harmed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. ⁷
• Over 55% of LGBTQIA+ youth reported that hate crimes and homophobia have increased their stress and anxiety. ⁴

1. ¹ National Alliance on Mental Health
2. ² GLSEN 2015 National School Climate Survey
3. ³ Human Rights Campaign Foundation
4. ⁴ Healthline
5. ⁵ Funders for LGBTQ Issues
6. ⁶ UCLA School of Law Williams Institute
7. ⁷ The Trevor Project