Musings on Minority Status and Mental Health

Keeping It Queer
By Erica Chu

Musings on Minority Status and Mental Health

Despite my title for this week, I’m actually really uncomfortable with the way many gay people refer to themselves as minorities, often making inappropriate comparisons as a way of justifying their political goals (i.e. “Gay is the new black”). Systematic oppression has limited the economic opportunities and political power of generations of people on the basis of such things as race and ethnicity. LGBTQA folks face oppression, and often of an economic and political variety, but minority status for one group is not the same kind of oppression another group experiences. Even if they share similarities, the causes are often vastly different—as are the results. The point I want to emphasize, however, is that regardless of type, all minority groups share one thing in common: they face the difficult challenge of existing in a world that expects them to be otherwise.

We who are a part of the LGBQA community understand what it’s like to exist in a world that expects us to be something that we aren’t. Whether we’re kids, young adults, middle-aged, or aging, we face pressure and judgment from a culture that treats heterosexuality as the only “normal” possibility. Somehow, we’ve managed to “come out” and boldly resist the standards others would try to set for us, but the process is often very difficult.

We who are gender variant experience the pressure to be “normal” in even more dramatic ways. To be gay is often considered strange or sinful, but to identify with a gender that doesn’t fit social expectations is considered even more deviant and abnormal. It seems everyone thinks they’re an expert on who has a “normal” gender and who doesn’t, and transpersons and other gender variant folks have to navigate through all these judgments to find what they want and need.

Resisting societal pressure because of minority status is very taxing to our personal strength, but after some initial difficulties many of us make it through with relative ease. Others of us slog through the best we can, snatching up moments of happiness along the way. Still others of us have an even harder time.

The mental health of the LGBTQ population is often discussed in the media—especially in light of all the recent attention given gay teen suicide, but mental health is not necessarily something spoken about in less formal settings. Despite our reluctance to speak about these things, as a community we face increased susceptibility to such mental health-related issues as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and self-harm.

1.6% of the general population has attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime, but according to a 2008 publication from BMC Psychiatry, twice as many gays, lesbians, and bisexuals have attempted suicide. A 2010 joint study released by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reports that 41% of transgender people have attempted suicide in the last year. As startling as these statistics are, suicide is just one aspect of our community’s relationship to mental health issues, but among friends, colleagues, and neighbors, it’s just not something we talk about.

Admitting to issues with mental health is often unthinkable. Such vulnerability makes us feel weak, incompetent, and crazy, but there should be no shame in being real with ourselves and others. The world does not make life easy for our differences. Just as coming out as gay can encourage others who are struggling with their sexual orientation, acknowledging our mental health struggles can provide hope and support for both our friends and ourselves.

Don’t be afraid to share your experience with mental health issues, and when someone opens up to you, support them as best you can. Even if they don’t take you up on offers of support, an ally is always good to have.



Erica Chu is a student at Loyola University Chicago and is seeking a PhD in English with a concentration in Women Studies and Gender Studies. They manage the blog keepingitqueer.blogspot.com and can be reached at ericachu@msn.com.