Community and Social Support

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ or LGBTQ+ if the latter context includes other identities) individuals tend to experience high levels of minority stress, which might increase their mental health challenges. Especially for LGBTQ individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), they might additionally experience inadequate access to physical and mental health services, limited financial support, low levels of education, and limited capacity of their governments to solve the societal oppression of this population, which can aggravate minority stress. Social support can buffer the negative effects of minority stress and allow someone to feel cared for, loved, esteemed, valued, and as belonging in their communities. This chapter presents a general overview of social support LGBTQ people may receive from their parents, siblings, school peers, teachers, intimate partners, and colleagues. We also describe the benefits of specific communities of LGBTQ-identifying people, including those who identify as a nonbinary gender, intersex, or asexual/aromantic; those with interests in BDSM, leather, or polyamory lifestyles; people living with HIV; LGBTQ youth and seniors; and virtual and religious communities.