Supporting someone who is LGBTIQ+

Sadly, people who are not straight or cisgenderCisgenderA 'cisgender' or 'cis' person experiences a match between their biological sex and your gender. For example, a female sexed person identifying with their female gender. Also a term for non-transgender people.Find out moreClose are more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. This doesn’t mean being LGBTQI+ causes poor mental wellbeing, but it might be that many of the things they experience as a result of their sexuality or gender identity leads to mental health problems. For example, they may have faced the trauma of being rejected by their family in the past, they might have experienced discrimination, abuse or harassment, or they may not have a strong support network of people who understand what they are going through.

This web page from Mind explores what you can do to help if an LGBTQI+ person tells you they are experiencing poor mental health. It includes advice on listening to them without judgement, taking care of your own wellbeing, and provides links to further information and support if required.

This would be a great resource to save and keep handy in case you experience this in your workplace. Or, you might choose to share it with your colleagues as a way of improving your organisational culture for LGBTQI+ people.