Can clubs benefit LGBTQ+ mental health?
Finding your place and people in life is hard. Finding them in high school is harder.
Most adolescents struggle with fitting in, self-identity, and relationships.
But it does not have to be that way.
There are many ways students, teachers, and advocates can come together to support young people throughout their educational journey.
Today, we will focus specifically on the LGBTQIA+ community and how mental health and LGBTQIA+ clubs can benefit them. Keep reading to find out you can find, start, and improve a club of your own!
How Do Clubs Support LGBTQIA+ Mental Health?
Clubs can provide a sense of purpose for many people. Those you form bonds with at clubs can become a second family. If you struggle with finding a community of people who understand you and whom you can trust, clubs are a solid place to look.
In the United States, LGBTQIA+ groups can be found in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. Some clubs include GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliance), SGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance), and Students for Equality organizations.
While these clubs might not directly address mental health as their purpose, they still do tremendous things for members' wellbeing.
I already discussed a sense of community, but there is more to the story.
The University of California San Francisco and University of California Berkley conducted a study that revealed clubs “decreased social isolation and bullying, and saw meaningful reductions in stigma during…adolescence.”
If students decrease their beliefs in social stigmas, which are often harmfully directed at LGBTQIA+ people, the mental health of that group on campus and in future societies will benefit.
The same goes for bullying. LGBTQIA+ students experience bullying at much higher rates than their straight and cisgender peers.
For example, 32% of LGB youth reported being bullied on campus. Meanwhile, only 17% of straight and cisgender youth had the experience.
Bullying can cause increase the risk of developing depression and suicidal ideation. Lowering the amount of LGBTQIA+ people who experience bullying may lower the suicide and depression rates held by the community.
Furthermore, the same UC study mentioned before concluded that “clubs increased [students’] help-seeking behavior, along with a measurable boost in empathy and compassion.”
Clubs reduce negative emotions and promote healthy emotional responses. Overall, clubs produce great mental health benefits for members, but LGBTQIA+ students could see more impactful long-term rewards.
Starting a Club
School-based programs and clubs designed to support the LGBTQIA+ student body and allies have different origin stories. Some are started by caring teachers, others via a class project turned club, and some by student solidarity.
By far the most prominent mentally impactful are the clubs started and, most importantly, led by students themselves.
In fact, student-led and student-organized clubs can create safe, inclusive, and supportive school cultures, creating a lasting impact beyond their time at the school.
To clarify, this is not to discredit the efforts of counselors, teachers, and administration to form and lead student organizations. Their contributions help foster positive school environments for LGBTQIA+ students.
Nevertheless, nothing beats direct representation.
I mean, who knows the issues faced by a group better than the group themselves. If the goal is to better the conditions of LGBTQIA+ students, let us ask them what needs to happen, not a third party.
With that said, how does one go about organizing and leading a proactive club for LGBTQIA+ students that also encourages good mental health? It is a loaded question, so I will break it down.
But before I go into some tips, remember that public school cannot tell you no! The Equal Access Act states that any public school that allows non-curricular clubs (groups unrelated to school learning) cannot limit which ones students can form.
The act also demands public schools to treat all non-curricular clubs equally. The measure ensures your right to start an LGBTQIA+ club at any school.
If you are denied, consider filing a complaint with the US Department of Education.
Here are some tips on how to start a club:
Prepare to explain the need for the club and why you want to start it.
Some schools require clubs to have a statement of purpose, so be prepared to present one.
Most schools require a certain number of students to support the club. Gather support before asking to form a club.
Check to see if your school requires clubs to have a sponsor. If it does, identify an LGBTQIA+ teacher to be the sponsor. If there is not one, find an ally teacher.
If your school gives you grief, such as requiring parent permission or banning discussions on LGBTQIA+ issues, try reaching out to ACLU.
How to Find & Join One
If you do not feel able or free enough to lead a club, join an existing one.
Here are some tips on how to discover an LGBTQIA+ club:
Request a registry or explore the school website to access a list of active clubs.
If you are seeking out a GSA rather than an independent club, utilize the National Association of GSA Networks directory to find one close to you.
Explore libraries, recreational centers, malls, and restaurants.
If you cannot find one locally, search for an online group.
Search for an LGBTQIA+ Community Center near you, such as Centrelink's youth programs, on the web.
Shadow different clubs! It gives you a taste of various groups and assesses their commitment to LGBTQIA+ mental health.
The Mental Health Portion
So now that you have the club up and running, how do you use it to positively impact students' mental health? A great place to start is to include mental health topics in your meeting agendas.
For example, if your club’s purpose is to support transgender athletes at your school, have a meeting about the effects of discrimination on mental health and body image.
You may even invite the school board to come to hear the group's concerns. This can help schools realize how they are failing trans athletes and could lead to changes in school policy.
Another idea is to provide clubs members with a list of LGBTQIA-friendly or specific mental health resources. This can encourage students to be proactive about their mental health outside of the club.
You can visit our resource page to start forming a list relevant to your club!
Finally, make sure your club remains a positive, healthy, and proactive environment.
LGBTQIA+ equality is near and dear to our hearts. As a result, we can become very passionate about these issues. However, it does no good for anyone to use that passion only for ranting, complaining, or unhealthy conversations.
If you are leading a meeting and you see it becoming pessimistic, refocus the group on actionable steps they can take to improve the situation.
Rember to stay solutions-oriented.
Nothing has ever been accomplished without thoughtful action.
Even if you are not the club leader, you can still help steer your members in the right direction. After joining, get a feel for the attitudes of your fellow members, what their goals are, and how they plan to achieve them.
If you notice an absence of direction, speak to the leader about changing that. Asking questions during meetings to spark meaningful conversations is another solution to keep in mind.
If your efforts are fruitless and your mental health starts suffering, step away. The most important thing is to protect your mind. The same thing goes for club leaders.
You cannot hold anyone up when you stand upon an eroding foundation.
You can always come back to the group when you are emotionally sound. In the meantime, there are plenty of other options available for you to find a loving and accepting community, be it online or in-person.
If you think you could benefit from professional support, check out my blog on how to find an LGBTQIA-friendly therapist.
You can also listen to the honest discussions on this topic on the CALM Cast.
Sources:
https://newsroom.uhc.com/health/mental-health.html
https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/lgbtq
https://www.lgbtcenters.org/Programs/YouthLink
https://www.aclu.org/other/how-start-gay-straight-alliance-gsa
