LGBTQ+ Struggles

LGBT is a misunderstood and disregarded community. LGBTQIA+ is a huge spectrum, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, questioning, intersex, asexual, and even more, overlooked by millions. When somebody hears "LGBT" mentioned, they probably think of a flamboyant gay white male, or an over sensitive blogger. They don't think about the denied kids, the depressed teenagers, or the deaths. We need to bring more attention to the problems the community faces. Everyday, queer people are being killed just for living. To bring up my first point, I'm going to talk about how people in the LGBTQ+ community may act in society. For one, they have a harder time meeting people, because they don't know whether or not the people are accepting, or if they're even safe. They also may have delayed social development, because they're scared to "open up" to the environment they're exposed to. About half the community even fears death, which leads me to my next point. At least 1,700 individuals who identify as transgender or genderqueer have been victims of attacks. There have been roughly 770 physical assaults just between January 1st, 2013, and March 31, 2014. 49 individuals dead, 53 wounded in a terrorist attack at a queer nightclub in Orlando. Statistics show that 55% of the sexuality community feels unsafe, and 37% of the gender community feels unsafe as well. Lastly, people who identify as queer have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders. Lastly, a study conducted shows that they have a higher suicide risk. A factor of this in teenagers is most likely a vile school atmosphere. They can be scared to go to school due to hostile peers, unaccepting teachers, or they can have anxiety due to crowds. That is why I believe you need to do something about these issues the queer community goes through everyday. Thank You.