This past year I lived in the Netherlands and while talking to an Irish friend, I heard about the atrocities that some queer kids go throughout the world, specifically regarding access to mental health, and the blatant institutional discrimination that occurs every day. That conversation inspired this week’s blog. It made me think of how access (to certain rights, services, needs) is limited by the society one lives in.
My friend was in a college seminar about queer politics that brought people from all over the world. The seminar aimed at drafting new policies that would encapsulate the changing world, the different participants were encouraged to tell their experiences. I forget the specific country where this practice was done ( sorry, if I remember I will update this post later), but I was shocked by what I heard. Mainly because of the fact of being 2018, but also a biased and privileged view that I had. Sometimes we forget how, generally, our American lives are far far far “better” than other parts of the world, our institutions are definitely flawed but our reality is relatively better. I was shocked by hearing that in certain specific countries where homosexuality is punishable by death, psychologist can report queer people to the authorities. To my surprise, my Irish friend told me how the individual she heard this story from was also one of the people in charge for creating a system of safety lists where doctors and psychologist that reported queer people would be mentioned. That way, queer people in need of mental health counseling could access these services without the risk of dying.
This story saddened and reminded me of American history, more specifically to the struggle of the Gays Liberation movement of the 70s, and the AidS crisis in the 80s. Perhaps some of the struggles these past generations have fought for don’t feel as relevant to today’s generation of young queers, but their fight is not over, and it is up to us to take a stand against the oppressive institutions that make access to basic things difficult. Access to institutions, to services, rights and other basic benefits of society have not always been given to certain groups. This is an intuitive historical fact, think of any minority group in the United States. But, since the time of the civil rights movement there has been a positive transition towards a more just society, yet still today, the LBGTQ+ community lacks adequate access to protections under the law. The issue is complex and interrelated with many other causes and effects. But, the problem is most poignant when you read statistics, like trans youth suicide rate (41.8%, see www.hrc.org). Or even the AIDS crisis, how the American government has failed and still fails to fund research to stop the epidemic
These horrible trends are not always as visible as other injustices, such as hate crimes based on religion, race, or socio-economic class. LGBTQ+ issues tend to be more inconspicuous because not every queer kid has the privilege of living in an urban setting with an accepting community, or access to mental health services that can provide support. For many queer youth living in rural areas, or in extremely conservative communities, being queer is still seen as amoral, or perverse, or unnatural.
The solution is not an easy one. Change must happen, not only through government policy but also through mass opinion. In our pluralistic society, it is important to respect other’s choices, but perhaps more importantly one has to recognize one’s own privilege. The question of access to health care, financial security, stable housing, education is not only a concern for LGBTQ+ folks, it is a major concern for a lot of groups. But, my argument here is that it is disproportionately ignorant of queer folks.
How then do we create change? I am not expert, but I believe educating ourselves about these disparities is a good start, then consequently it is important to ACT UP.
If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you’re a young LGBTQ person and need to talk to someone, call The Trevor Project’s 24-hour crisis hotline for youth at 1-866-488-7386. If you are a transgender person of any age, call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.
Further reading:
concerneD Homosexual 
I’ve read a lot about how homosexuality is treated in other parts of the world and it’s terrible. Some countries sentence people to death just because of who they are. The situation in America isn’t the greatest either but compared to some foreign countries our situation is somewhat mild.
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This was a good post to read. Very informational. I never knew the situations in other countries when it comes to being queer is so bad :O I remember learning that homosexuality was once considered a mental disorder in America but now we’ve moved past that and are more accepting of it, but to hear about how homosexuality is frowned upon in other countries and considered something even worse than a mental disorder is truly shocking and saddening. Change really needs to happen, and I really hope it does soon. I liked the way you explained the American history and how much things have changed here so far. I also liked the way you ended this post with some helpful phone numbers and links. Overall, great job with the blog and good luck with the rest of the semester!
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It’s so sad that how homosexuality is perceived in other countries. America is not 100% accepting, but it’s definitely better conditions than other places in the world. I hope that one day we live in a world where everyone is accepted for who they are. You did a great job with this post and it’s really an important issue that needs to be discussed, which you did really well.
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I think that especially in regards to knowing about human/civil rights violations around the world ignorance is not bliss; I wish everyone took the initiative to learn about the way certain groups are treated by certain governments. this is especially interesting when the US is involved (right now I’m learning about how the US ignored the way China abused its citizens’ freedoms for years and proceeded with trade deals etc– definitely not something I’m proud of my country for doing). I agree that education is the right way to start the process of change, and itd be especially helpful to educate people who can influence their governments to make that change
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Your posts are always so interesting to read because they shed light on issues that aren’t given much attention. I think it’s true that we, as Americans, seem to forget how advanced our system is compared to other countries because of how backwards it sometimes seems to be. We forget that people in other countries are struggling for basic human rights and are living in constant fear for their safety. While the phrase “someone always has it worse” isn’t exactly great for emotional development, it can help to put some things into perspective.
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The discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community or any other community, for that matter, have to be addressed. I don’t understand why people can’t live by accepting each other the way they are. Who is the one to say that someone is “better” than someone else? And I can’t agree with you more. It is high time that we as a society come together to spread awareness about the numerous unfair treatments that are condoned in the world today. if the people before us were able to bring about change, I am sure that we can too. I really enjoyed reading your blog because of how informative it is. Thank you for all the wonderful posts!
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It is crazy to see that the world is still so far behind in the complete inclusion of all, no matter what progression we make. The fact that we treat humans, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, etc, as if they are not human at all, sickens me. Human rights, which are supposed to be provided to all, are being taken away from those in the LGBTQ+ community, and other communities, and there are no immediate ways to stop it. It makes me question society and the world in a very critical and disgusted way. The fact that your friend said in her country LGBTQ+ members need to hide certain things or have different lists just to not be harassed or killed in the sense of medical attention, really irritated me. The world we live in is so beyond flawed I don’t know how or when we will see a change everywhere. Thank you for necessary blog post and your blog in general. I have learned so much and have gotten to talk on such socially important topics.
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