The queer community has proven its resilience repeatedly in the last several decades. But experts warn that continual exposure to trauma has made the community especially vulnerable to eating disorders and disordered eating. Research has consistently found that LGBTQ+ adults and adolescents experience eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors more frequently than their heterosexual and […]
Category: Health
Posted inTop Stories
Dr. Mimi Hoang on bisexual+ mental health, visibility and community support
57% of queer American adults identify as bisexual, the most common LGBTQ+ identity marker for Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z alike. With each subsequent generation, more individuals statistically identify as bisexual, with 15% of Gen Z reporting this identity. The particular challenges for this community are nuanced, and Dr. Mimi Hoang, known professionally as […]
Posted inNews
Prioritizing LGBTQ+ mental health: Free virtual event on March 18
LGBTQ+ mental health challenges are at an all-time high. From rejection and trauma to political attacks and inadequate health care access, the community faces disproportionate struggles. In honor of LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week, News is Out is hosting a virtual event on March 18 at 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET to help you prioritize mental wellness. Tune […]
Posted inTop Stories
Queer women and GLP-1s: Navigating health, weight and stigma
It was a hundred little things. The way my knees nearly gave out as I climbed down the stairs in the morning. Not fitting in an airplane seatbelt. Falling behind my fellow journalists on a hike during a press trip. I have struggled with my weight for over 20 years, and now, in my mid-40s, […]
Posted inTop Stories
Why LGBTQ+ communities face higher risks of nicotine addiction
When it comes to the LGBTQ+ community and commercial tobacco use, the statistics are daunting. According to what was last available via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—whose numbers have now been erased because of an executive order from President Donald Trump—about one in six lesbian, gay and bisexual adults smoke cigarettes, compared […]
Posted inHealth
LGBTQ people vape at high rates. Here’s why.
Housing insecurity. Food insecurity. Substance use disorder. These are just a few challenges some in the LGBTQ+ community face that lead them down the path of using tobacco and e-cigarette products. To help, the country needs more research on what LGBTQ+-specific counseling and therapies work, Temple University pulmonary critical care doctor Jamie Garfield said. “If you’re going […]
Posted inHealth
Removing barriers preventing many queer women from healthcare access
Queer author and researcher Jaime Grant quite clearly remembers the day she got fired by her doctor. Following a 2012 hysterectomy, Grant, then living in Kalamazoo, Michigan, told her physician that she wished to discuss new hormone replacement treatments therapies with her male doctor. She added that she had learned about these therapies from practitioners […]
Posted inHealth
Experts: HIV stigma still a ‘persistent challenge’ despite signs of progress
When Cedric Sturdevant, of Mississippi, was diagnosed with HIV in 2005, he tried to ignore his status. Sturdevant said he was concerned about what people would think of him for having HIV and afraid to talk openly about his diagnosis, which led him to avoiding addressing the condition and the kinds of care it required. […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
The impact of social media on LGBTQ+ youth mental health, and why it’s important
A 2023 LGBTQ+ youth report by the Human Rights Campaign found that 55.1% of surveyed LGBTQ+ youth screened positive for depression, and those that were transgender or gender-expansive were screened at 60%. Although 9 in 10 felt proud to be LGBTQ+, more than 4 in 10 of them felt critical of their respective identities. The […]
Posted inTop Stories
How U=U is transforming HIV stigma and empowering a global movement
In the 80s, HIV devastated the public, particularly the gay community, and a positive test often rendered a death sentence. Society treated HIV-positive people as outcasts, shunned by the stigma that came with the virus and fueled fears about casual contact. Fast-forward to today, and the landscape has shifted. On the brink of 2025, HIV […]
Posted inTop Stories
How the LGBTQ+ community can use the lessons of ACT UP to fight what comes next
Since the election, I haven’t been sleeping much, and I know I’m not alone. When it became clear that Donald Trump—convicted felon, opponent of LGBTQ+ rights, and found liable of sexual abuse—had won the election, many queer people feared the worst. The Trevor Project reported a 700% increase in use of their crisis services by […]
Posted inCommunity
Breaking the silence: LGBTQ+ domestic violence too often overlooked
Myth: Domestic violence occurs only in straight relationships. Fact: Domestic violence occurs in LGBTQ+ relationships at a higher rate than the general population. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Williams Institute, about 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner. So have 26% […]
Posted inNews
LGBTQ+ people have a troubled relationship with police − new survey shows high rates of harassment, abuse and distrust
The LGBTQ+ community’s long history with law enforcement is so troubled and violent that organizers at some recent Pride parades decided to ban police from marching in the parade. Throughout the 20th century, the police would routinely raid gay bars, rounding up patrons and taking them to jail. Sometimes, the names and photos of those […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
LGBTQ+ social media platforms center on queer spaces, community connection
A gay man living in a rural area has recently come out of the closet and is looking for LGBTQ+ friends; a lesbian has moved to a new city where she hopes to find a local queer femme social group; a nonbinary person has started hormone replacement therapy and wants to share the changes they’re […]
Posted inCulture
The rise of sober LGBTQ+ spaces
Bars have long been a key part of LGBTQ+ culture. They provide us with safe havens where we can be ourselves, fall in love and meet friends that often become family. They give us a place to rally and organize, to grieve and celebrate. Patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a queer bar in New York […]
Posted inNews
Trans start-up founder seeking to improve lives of wheelchair users
Although Wave Therapeutics’ work combines many of Jessica Bussert’s interests, a chance encounter in adult life provided the spark she needed to start her business. From growing up with an interest in technology to moving into the business and healthcare spheres, Jessica has had a long road—often dealing with rampant transphobia since her transition in the […]
Posted inTop Stories
LGBTQ+ caregivers of people with dementia face unique stresses
Caring for someone living with dementia can be a stressful experience that harms the physical and mental health of caregivers. Many caregivers experience depression and lower quality of life. LGBTQ+ caregivers face unique challenges that can magnify these strains. Around 8% of the estimated 50 million-plus caregivers of adults or children with special needs in […]
Posted inCommunity
Kareem Mims speaks on services provided by Prevention Point Philadelphia
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal. Philadelphia Gay News sat down with Kareem Mims, who works as the Prevention Health Care Coordinator for Prevention Point Philadelphia. Mims, an openly gay man, talks about his […]
Posted inCommunity
Queer doulas make childbirth safer for Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people, but barriers remain
“You’re pretty much the plaster that goes over the cracks of the medical system.” That’s how Bonnie Silva, a full-spectrum doula based in New York City, describes the role of doulas and birth workers. For many people who are pregnant or have just given birth, the landscape of unknowns—the changes to one’s body, what the […]
Posted inDigital Equity Lab
How the mental health of queer BIPOC youth is impacted by connectivity outage
In an era where internet access is nearly ubiquitous, consider the abrupt disruption caused by a connectivity outage. Now amplify this experience for over 250,000 LGBTQ+ youth who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and currently find themselves grappling with a mental health crisis due to this connectivity setback. Marginalized communities, especially […]