Over the summer, Denmark has put asphalt to several Pride parades, which honours LGBTQ people’s visibility and thus their right to exist in a society.
And there’s a lot to celebrate!
Transgender off the diagnosis list, gender neutral marriages in the people’s church, the ability to donate blood are good examples of how far we have moved ourselves as societies just within the last couple of years. But as a society, we can still improve the conditions for LGBTQ people.
Danish youth are increasingly more and more less to thrive, and especially among Danish gay and bisexual people, we see a marked increase in young people with poor mental health. A survey conducted by the National Institute of Public Health (Statens Institut for Folkesundhed) from 2015 shows that just LGBTQ people try to take their own lives three times as often as heterosexual youth at the same age.
Therefore, extra effort is needed to help and support young LGBTQ people in inclusive and accepting communities where they can share their thoughts and be exactly the ones they want to be.
«We find that LGBTQ people often meet with discrimination, bullying and persecution in their daily lives, and it understandably has a negative effect on their mental well-being. That’s what we’re going to end now – and it’s just possible with a collaboration between LGBT Denmark and Det Sociale Netværk / Headspace Denmark», says Trine Hammershøy, Director of Det Sociale Netværk / Headspace Denmark.
Cooperation and purpose
That is why the two parties have joined forces to create better frameworks and spaces where young LGBTQ people can get help talking about their thoughts and feelings and where young people can explore and talk freely about their identity and sexuality – without reservation . As well as working together to provide the right help and support for the young people.
In concrete terms, the two parties will work together to provide advice and support in the 18 headspace cities where children and young people can come up with all kinds of problems and how many young people also talk about sexuality, body comprehension and gender. The cooperation also includes LGBT Denmark’s initiative AURA, which has so far been established in Copenhagen, Svendborg, Aabenraa, Esbjerg, Viborg and Aalborg. Here the young people can become part of meaningful communities so that they do not stand alone with their thoughts about sexual orientation and gender.
«We try to give the youngsters a sense of belonging that can equip them to withstand the challenges they face in life as an LGBTQ person. At the same time, the communities can help boost the young’s sense of value and strength when their own experiences and thoughts may help the other young people in the group», says Peder Holk Svendsen, a member of LGBT Denmark.
Knowledge of LGBTQ mental health
The relatively large failure to thrive includes a number of underreported, since similar surveys often do not focus on respondents’ sexual orientation.
Therefore, LGBT Denmark and Det Sociale Netværk are pleased that they now have the opportunity to help more young people and perhaps help to cope with the widespread mistrust and to share more knowledge about why gay, bisexual and transgender people have it is mentally worse than the rest of the population.
«Our advisors throughout the country often speak with children and adolescents who are unsafe and uncomfortable about the norms and expectations society has for their sexuality and body comprehension. With this collaboration we now have the opportunity to create a more targeted and coherent effort so that we can even better help the youngsters», says Trine Hammershøy.
