Factors That Influence Lgbt People's Health Through The Lens Of Violence

Health disparities in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender community that lack fair treatment. This population deals with many adversities due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBT’s community consists of a diverse population of people who come from all walks of life ((Howard, 2016). Many LBGT’s will delay or not seek health care due to stigma and lack of fair treatment. In other words, they believe that they are discriminated against.

The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to

Unfortunately although our society is working towards becoming more accepting of the LGBT community there still are plenty reports of bullying and harassment of LGBT adolescents in the public school system. According to Roxane Gay's essay “nine out

Other factors contributing to LGBT health disparity is the lack of access to care. Different states have different laws regarding to LGBT population, and some of the laws make it difficult for LGBT to get insurance through their partners. Without health insurance many of these people only gets medical treatments on emergency basis. Per Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality “ 19 % of LGBT had been refused treatment by a doctor or other provider because of their transgender or gender nonconforming status,”(AHRQ, 2011). Taking into consideration the level of sexually transmitted disease, drug use, suicidal rate, obesity, and their prevalence among LGBT population, healthcare organizations needs to incorporate better strategies, and open the door to better policies that facilitates access to

Nine out of 10 people in the LGBTQ community across the country have experienced bullying, according to GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).

Most LGBT youth become happy with who they are which gives them room to thrive during their adolescent years. Attending a school that has a safe and comfortable environment for every student is especially important. Positive environments can help all youth achieve good grades and maintain good mental and physical health. However, some youths are more likely than their straight peers to experience bad health and life outcomes. Experiences with violence, compared to other students, come easy to LGBT individuals that can cause increased risks for unfortunate circumstances.‘Violence’ includes behaviors such as teasing, harassment, and physical assault. It is important that students at risk have access to resources and support to deal with any questions or challenges they may have or face as they mature. Surveyed LGBT students reported 10% were threatened or injured, 34% were bullied, and 28% were bullied electronically.

LGBT youth are most commonly targeted by bullying because society does not fully understand what these kids are going through in life. One of the main reasons for this is due to something that may set themselves apart from the norm and that includes sexual orientation. Gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit suicide than any other youths. Those who are rejected by their family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. About 30 percent of all completed suicide have all been related to bullying.

In conjunction, they shape linkages of value that encourage positive mental healthiness among LGBT persons and societies, and moderate the special effects of discriminating heterosexist. Increasing LGBT person’s social contribution and association contains making sure that LGBT persons are valued, observable, and lively members in every aspects of societal lifetime. This necessitates promotion from LGBT, government and other service provider, while ensuring obligation to deal with standardized heterosexist (WHO, 2007). More so, it also involves dealing with the influence of heterosexist on LGBT persons and societies entails right to use resources and economic safety that stimulate optimistic mental healthiness and welfare along with reducing suicide in the society. This encompasses eliminating the blockades that lessen LGBT person’s accessibility to employment and education, which may transform to a decrease in their earnings and accessibility to various crucial services comprising accommodation and health (Gray et al,

The current literature explains that the impression of anti- gay violence is socially acceptable and long- established when perpetrators who prey on victims of the LGBT community receive weightless verdicts or escape punishments altogether. Perpetrators recognize authority figures such as: parents, police, political and religious leaders who believe gays deserve such heinous treatment and will not treat the violence accordingly (Herek, 2004, p. 160). According to Wills (2004), hate crimes have origins that lead to intimidation, bullying, teasing, physical assault, rape, and murder causing victims to ultimately suffer the consequences of depression, psychological disorders, and suicide. Adults have, by now, further experienced the pressures of society because of their diverse sexuality. However, the stress placed upon teens and young adults, especially college students because of their sexual preference has lead to tremendous life-threatening

The common thought has been bullying is a normal reaction to school. Studies show that bullying is the result of underlying issues. Traditional bullying was a common thug trying to make a place for themselves, whereas now it has gone to new heights, it now includes physical trauma and even death. We find that bullying affects the bully as well as the victim. The victims tend to have more problems in school with attendance and achievements within the academic world. This is not just about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, it involves all students that don’t fit societies idea of normal then the person gets bullied. The amount of attention given to this issue is a direct result of this escalation in events within the school system from grade schools to universities. The most pressing problem with getting the bullying policies changed is the conservative communities that school boards serve and convincing them that these policies need to be

Along with verbal abuse, LGBTQ youth also experience physical violence in schools across the country everyday. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s sociologists such as Joyce Hunter thought that much of the physical abuse happening towards the LGBTQ population stemmed from the stigma and fear that came from the AIDS epidemic that was spreading rapidly among the gay community in that time. In a study as recent as 2003, 60% of LGBTQ youth had reported being assaulted physically due to their sexual orientation (Chesir-Taran, 2003) These physical actions towards the gay and lesbian youth has caused many to fear going to school. In fact, many LGBTQ students avoid school in order to escape the physical harassment. This drop in attendance has detrimental effects on the student’s academics (American Educational Research Association).

The 2007 National School Climate surveyed 6,209 LGBT students and found that 86% of those children were being verbally abused and 67% of those same children were also being abused because of the way they expressed their gender (Cianciotto, Cahill 2012). LGBT is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. The LGB part refers to sexual orientation while the T stands for transgender, which is when one’s gender identify does not conform with the sex assigned to them at birth. The LGBT+ youth is prone to violence, bullying, and hatred due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. As a result, those adolescents are in greater risk of negative outcomes such as drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts (Gaell 2008).

The purpose of this paper is to address various types of discrimination among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth (LGBT). This research will identify the different types of discrimination that affect LGBT students, grades 9 through 12, and the mental health impacts discrimination has on LGBT youth. The data provided is from a school-based, empirical survey conducted in 2009 by Joanna Almeida, Renee M. Johnson, Heather L. Corliss, Beth E. Molnar and Deborah Azrael. Their survey measured the number of LGBT youth in Boston, Massachusetts, during the 2008-2009 school year. Factors that were accounted for in the survey include sexual minorities, individual race and ethnicity, depressive symptomatology, self-harm, and suicidality (likelihood of completed suicide). This paper is targeted at school administrators and community leaders dealing with LGBT youth.

School Bullying, violence against LGBT youth linked to risk of suicide, HIV infection. (2011, June 2) Women’s Health Weekly, 138. Retrieved from

There are many minorities in the United States of America making it one of the largest melting pots in the world. Unfortunately, due to the vast variety of people, there are many minorities that lack the proper access to healthcare resources that cater to their healthcare needs both mentally and physically. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community, also known as the LGBT community, face many hurdles when it comes to receiving the proper healthcare. They also encompass many different races, religions, ethnicities and social classes. According to a recent national and state-level population-based surveys, “8 million adults in the US are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, comprising 3.5% of the adult population” (Gates, 2011). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face many challenges and barriers accessing the proper health services. Many of the challenges the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community faces stems from