Dominos: Roe V. Wade’s collapse, LGBTQ+ rights, and mental health.

Jul 1

On Friday, June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned the landmark *Roe V. Wade* decision that protected women's right to an abortion for nearly 50 years.

The decision was not spawned by public demand, as 67% of women disapprove of the overturning, and 57% say it will make women suffer. It is also not supported by science in any way, shape, or form.

According to the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, ideas that “access to contraception and abortion promote promiscuity…is medically dangerous and causes a variety of adverse obstetric, medical, and psychological [aftereffect]…lack scientific foundation.”

There is only one factor that the SCOTUS took into account when making their decision: religion. While the United States protects the right to follow personal faiths, the US also prohibits laws “respecting an establishment of religion,” as stated in the Constitution. This clause is commonly referred to as the Separation of Church and State: an ideology demanding government and religion to remain separate.

However, the US is now building a long track record of disregarding this clause and imposing religious-based laws on the people. Despite the obvious, some argue that Separation of Church and State merely means we cannot claim a national religion. Essentially, their argument is that it is not unconstitutional to make decisions based on religion, as long as the country never officially acknowledges that it does so.

Put frankly, this argument is as sound as trying to soak water up with a rock.

But it won the day, and that sets a scary precedent for the future of not just women's rights but LGBTQIA+ rights too. Many political experts predict that since *Roe V. Wade* was overturned, protection of same-sex marriage is soon to follow.

While the right to an abortion was in place for 49 years, **same-sex marriage has only been legal in the United States for seven years.**

Its short lifetime may place same-sex marriage protections at an even greater risk of being overturned. Not dissimilar to the aftereffects of SCOTUS’ ruling, the consequences that would follow the illegalization of gay marriage would be astronomical. The LGBTQIA+ community is already facing a dire mental health crisis.

The Trevor Project 2022 Survey, one of the most diverse studies conducted on the LGBTQIA+ community, found that 73% of LGBTQIA+ youth experience anxiety and 53% have symptoms of depression. Also, suicide consideration rates cite at 43% for LGBTQIA+ youth. If the right to same-sex marriage gets revoked, we can expect these percentages to rise.

The legalization of same-sex marriage did more than allow unions. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, **“youth suicide rates dropped 17% since the legalization of same-sex marriage.”**

If gay marriage is not protected, future studies will likely show exponentially increasing rates of mental illness and suicide.

The fall of Roe V. Wade is not only a tremendous loss of autonomy and protection for cisgender women and transgender men. It is a loss for all marginalized and oppressed communities. To protect LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health, we must all stand together.

There are many ways to get involved besides signing petitions and posting on social media. Those options are fine, but they often fall short of actual change. You can start by joining The Community Advocates for LGBTQIA+ Mental Health. Whether you want to blog to spread awareness, be a guest on our podcast, aid our research efforts, or host an event, you can make a difference with us.

I also encourage you to educate yourself on these issues and share what you learn with others. Volunteering with human rights organizations is another wonderful choice. Just do not sit around. No one else is going to be the change if not you.

As Barack Obama once said…