Alma’s Post

Some reasons why we contemplate suicide as queer people (and why non-carceral support is so important) We might want to die because of: > Navigating violence and abuse perpetuated by homophobia and transphobia > Feeling intense distress from dysphoria and barriers to accessing gender affirming care > The internal conflict, shame, and guilt of internalized homophobia and transphobia > Being ostracized and rejected from family and others who were “supposed to” love us > Struggling to survive, materially and emotionally, in a world that oftentimes actively seeks to keep us out > Facing barriers to accessing basic needs such as healthcare, housing, employment, food, etc When the carceral mental health system also often perpetuates homophobia and transphobia, and isn’t knowledgeable around how our queer identities intersect with our trauma and other mental health needs and identities, then it makes sense that many of us face harm and trauma when we seek help, too. Having support that is rooted in consent, autonomy, and humanity, that affirms and understands our identities and their impact on our experiences in the world, allows us to care for and heal ourselves in the ways we need to. Join us next Thursday to Ask a Queer Peer Supporter! Drop-in Question Session with THRIVE + Stronger U teams. We expertly support queer folks in our communities through acute crises, identity-based needs, and chronic marginalization Details: Register at tinyurl.com/ask-queer-peer $10 cost 1 hour long June 27, 11:30p GMT / 7:30p ET / 4:30p PT Stronger U partners with THRIVE and uses a revenue sharing model, donating funds, peer support, and free training to THRIVE, which provides free anonymous mental heath and identity affirming lifeline conversations, including non-carceral suicide and self harm support. #MentalHealthSupport #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #Trans #Queer #TraumaInformed #CommunitySupport #PeerSupport #LivedExperience

Coming out in non-affirming spaces can be extremely difficult for queer people, and can negatively impact their mental health. While coming out in these spaces can be extremely challenging, for many, it can also free them to live their authentic lives. Here are some things to keep in mind: 🌟 Prioritize your values: Focus on what’s important to you and let these values guide your decisions.
 🔒 Consider your safety: Assess the safety of your communities and relationships before coming out.
 💪 Validate yourself: Self-affirmation is key. Remember, you are not broken or a mistake. Acknowledge your authentic experiences and feelings. 🌐 Build an affirming community: Find relationships that celebrate your whole self. Safe spaces, both ideologically and physically, are crucial. 🧠 Seek mental health support: Choose experienced and supportive mental health providers who respect your identity. Living authentically is a journey. We hope these tips help you navigate your path with confidence and support. https://bit.ly/35XnVbN 🌈 #PrideMonth #MentalHealth #LGBTQIA+ #WorkplaceInclusivity

I was so happy to be invited to write as a guest for Undressing Disability Campaign online blog. Read my contribution: “Defy Society’s Expectations: A Guide to Overcoming the Challenges of Building Body Confidence Society is a high maintenance significant other, it’s not shy about placing impossible expectations on disabled people when it comes to how we should feel about our bodies. However, it is possible to defy these preconceived notions and build your own body confidence from the ground up. Today, I would like to share my personal journey of overcoming the distinct challenges that accompany living with a disability, all while striving for body neutrality and positivity. Additionally, I proudly identify as queer and non-binary, to add a bit of extra spice to the mix. I will also provide tips and resources for you, dear reader, if you’re looking to do the same, so that you can begin to reclaim your self worth and be truly confident in your own skin….” Read the rest of the article here: Here: https://lnkd.in/dFP3dkfW #BodyPositivity #BodyNeutrality #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityCommunity

June is all about Pride 🏳️🌈 a month in which special attention is paid to the position, emancipation and acceptance of gay men, lesbian women, bisexuals, transgender people and other people from the LGBTQIA+ community… But we also need to acknowledge that June is the Month in which we raise awareness towards men’s mental health issues. A topic in dire need of destigmatisation. We’re discussing mental health more now than we ever have before. People are becoming more open about their mental health, and we’re all learning better ways to support each other. But people may often underreport men’s mental health, with men not reaching out for the support they need. 600.000 Men a Year… 58.000 Men a Month… 14.000 Men a Week… 2.000 Men a Day… 86 Men an Hour… Almost 2 Men a Minute Take Their Life… Due to Mental Health #mensmentalhealthmonth

'Barbie' life lessons! "...It’s no surprise that in the movie 'Barbie,' the moment that caught many critics’ attention was when the gorgeous doll that is eternally young enters the real world and, for the first time, sees an old woman whose face is wrinkled. " 'You’re beautiful,' young Barbie says, gawking. "The director was making a statement. "Unless it’s your own grandparents — for which everyone seems to make an exception — we treat the elderly in America with indifference or intolerance. We complain that they slow things down. We joke that they can’t keep up with technology. We all but ignore them with advertising and programming. We mock them with expressions like 'OK, Boomer' or 'Get Off My Lawn Guy.'... "...There is a definite connection between how a society treats its members and how they feel about themselves. As Levy writes: 'In study after study … I found that older people with more positive perceptions of aging performed better (on tests); were more likely to recover from severe disability; they remembered better; they walked faster, and they even lived longer.' "In other words, if you feel your culture values you, you are more likely to value yourself. And the more positively you feel about your aging, the longer you are likely to live..." (Source: https://buff.ly/3H444dB) In fact, for over 20 years, "a large body of experimental and longitudinal work has shown that individuals’ views on aging make a significant difference for how healthy and long they live." (Source: https://lnkd.in/gCFgTNyj) Ashton Applewhite Thank you for helping raise awareness! #ageism #implicitbias #stereotypes #olderadults #Barbiemovie #agebias #deficitanddeclinenarrative

If you know me at all, you know that I’m extremely vocal about mental health. Each year when May 1st approaches, I plan my regularly scheduled Mental Health Awareness Month outreach. I implore my friends and loved ones to open their hearts just a tiny bit wider for those around them that might be struggling (and let’s face it, we’re all struggling, so I know this is a big ask.) I organize spaces for my teams to share and listen. I share my own stories of the ways suicide and struggles of mental health have touched me on a molecular level. And every year, May comes and goes, and we continue to hear stories like those of Nex Benedict. Stories of bullying. Stories of negligence. Stories that could be prevented if it weren’t for the complete lack of support, and aid, and basic empathy for the growing number of kids that identify as LGBTQ+. For the last 6 years, The Trevor Project has published a U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. And for another year in a row, the results show an alarming rate of self reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicide risk among LGBTQ+ youth. Lest you think this is a youth problem, I remind you it doesn’t stop there. Where corporations were once committed to creating diverse and inclusive workspaces, lawmakers are now moving to decimate the safe spaces we cherished during our 9-5. And as a newly-out member of the queer community, I took for granted as a “closeted ally” that these spaces would always exist, and would re-welcome me when I was ready. I never dreamed the doors would close before I had the opportunity to proudly walk through them. So this month, don’t just “be a better ally.” Don’t just “lead a listening session.” Take real action to ensure that members of the LGBTQ+ community (and ALL underrepresented communities) have access to affirming spaces. Because without them, there are real, measurable consequences. In the very wise words of an anonymous message of encouragement at the bottom of The Trevor Project’s annual report, be the role model you always needed. Please 🏳️🌈 https://lnkd.in/g65xt-Jd

Today is World Mental Health Day. I want to speak about a less enjoyable aspect of my experience in advocacy at the intersection of queerness and disability. Through many areas of my life, I experience ableism to the point of hostility from members of the queer community. I am constantly reminded that I do not fit the mould of queerness - which should not be possible. I am made acutely aware that my access needs are an inconvenience to many non-disabled queer people or organisations. I have sat and sunk into my mask while people laugh off the "Mardi Gras flu". I'm aware this isn't a palatable thing to hear. It definitely isn't a palatable position to be in. I have experienced so many micro-aggressions, and so much ableism, from prominent organisations, events, and individuals in the queer community that I have felt alienated from my own identity. I am sad to admit that at the end of the worst days, worn down by queer-championed ableism, I have gone back to a place where I sit, close my eyes, and try to wish myself straight. Heavy with questions of what I do and do not want to be associated with, and what price I pay to be loud and proud, so long as I stick to the script. If diversity and inclusion are truly being used as a pathway to change, it should feel disruptive. Isn't that the point? I experience this ableism from the queer community as a kind of lateral violence. Constant neighbourly micro-aggression and erasure that drastically impact my mental health over time. It’s a quite hurtful thing, really, to hold up a message of universal and joyful acceptance with a fine-print caveat: “Except for you”. #LivedExperience #LGBTIQA #DisabilityRights #Ableism #SocialJustice #DEI #Inclusion #Accessibility #MentalHealth

July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month — an important time to center the mental health and lived experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) LGBTQ+ young people. Of course, one month of recognition will never be enough. For decades, BIPOC communities have faced systemic inequalities, structural racism, discrimination, and social injustices — all of which have profound impacts on mental health and livelihood. Injustice is a heavy and unnecessary burden to bear. This BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, it is essential to highlight the disparities that exist in access to mental health services among BIPOC communities. Research from our 2024 U.S. National Survey shows that Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ young people had higher rates of considering or attempting suicide in the last year than their white peers. That’s why we must continue to advocate for equitable resources and destigmatize both asking for and receiving help. As we also recognize Disability Pride Month this July, we uplift BIPOC folks with disabilities living beautiful, full lives — and acknowledge the additional barriers faced by folks with layers of marginalization. To help further these conversations and continue breaking down boundaries to mental health care, we wanted to provide a few resources that cater specifically to the needs of BIPOC and queer and trans BIPOC folks: 🧡 The LoveLand Foundation 🧡 National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network 🧡 Therapy for Latinx 🧡 Therapy for Queer People of Color 🧡 Black Trans Men, Inc. 🧡 Trans Lifeline 🧡 Black Line

June is also Men's Health Month! NAMI Mass aims to highlight concerning statistics affecting our male partners, friends, loved ones, and colleagues. By raising awareness, we aim to empower men living with mental health conditions to seek the help and support they require, in any way they feel comfortable. 💚 According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), in 2022, men died by suicide 3.85 times more than women. 💚The Center for Disease Control reports that LGBTQ+ men are more likely to live with a mental health condition than their straight or cis counterparts. 💚Healthline reports that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color men are just as likely to have a mental health condition as white men, but often have less access to mental health care. 💚According to Mental Health America (MHA), men are less likely than women to seek help for depression, substance use, and stressful life events due to social norms, reluctance to talk, and downplaying their symptoms. Please visit https://lnkd.in/ew5pkePq for resources! #MensHealthMonth #MentalHealthAwareness #LGBTQMen #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealthInequality #MentalHealthStigma #MensMentalHealth #BreakTheStigma

Yeses, how we treat the elders in our community matters. And Americans are HORRIBLE at it. Ask yourself some NEW questions: 1️⃣How do I communicate about the elderly? 2️⃣Is it in an affirming manner or a dismissive tone? 3️⃣Do I make jokes about aging and not address within myself my own fears so that I am not contributing to the misunderstanding of the very thing I will be facing soon? 🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼 Those three would keep anyone busy thinking, reflecting and discovering conditionings about themselves for a bit. ******** I’m a Transformational Navigator specializing in leadership and communication strategies. I guide you in unveiling your distinct Operating System (OS) while unraveling ingrained biases and conditioning that disrupt your emotional cadence in leadership. Let’s get you better outcomes in 2024. Who is gonna hire me today? And also book Ashton as your next speaker. Because I promise, everyone in your organization is aging.