Speak Out : Depression’s Peculiar Grip on Black LGBTQs – Part 1
Remember Raymond Chase, Aiyisha Hassan, and Joseph Jefferson? All three were so depressed that they committed suicide.
Raymond was a 19-year-old, openly gay student majoring in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. On Sept. 29, 2010, he hanged himself in his dorm room.
Just a few days later, on Oct. 4, 2010, Aiyisha, 19, also took her own life. According to an Oct. 23, 2010, ChicagoNow blog post by Lenox Magee:
“She was having a lot of trouble with a lot of different things, but mainly her sexual identity and just trying to express that,” says 21-year-old Lauren Morris, a fourth-year student at Howard, who lived in the same building as Hassan from 2008-2009. Hassan was a former biology student at D.C.’s Howard University.
Joseph, 26, a New York City resident and graduate of Harvey Milk High, was a gay youth activist. He was HIV-positive, and it has been reported that he was especially prone to depression and experienced a variety of financial setbacks — as well as his father’s disapproval of his sexuality. On Oct. 23, 2010, the day Joseph killed himself by hanging, he posted the following on his Facebook page:
I could not bear the burden of living as a gay man of color in a world grown cold and hateful towards those of us who live and love differently than the so-called “social mainstream.”
The most salient characteristic that these young people had in common was their race. They were Black.
I’m writing this multi-part series to shine a bright light on depression’s disproportionate impact on Black LGBTQ persons. As one who’s suffered from this illness throughout periods of his life, I can attest to its near-crippling effects.
But before I share my personal experiences and why and how depression can be more prevalent among Black LGBTQ individuals, let’s define the illness. There are several types of depression, but I’ll discuss the two considered to be the most prevalent: major depressive disorder (MDD) and persistent depressive disorder (PDD).
Let’s talk MDD. According to WebMD:
You might have this type if you feel depressed most of the time for most days of the week.
Some other symptoms you might have are:
- Loss of interest or pleasure in your activities
- Weight loss or gain
- Trouble getting to sleep or feeling sleepy during the day
- Feelings of being “sped up” or “slowed down”
- Being tired and without energy
- Feeling worthless or guilty
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of suicide
Now on to PDD. WebMD states:
If you have depression that lasts for 2 years or longer, it’s called persistent depressive disorder. It used to be known as dysthymia.
You may have symptoms such as:
- Change in your appetite (not eating enough or overeating)
- Sleep too much or too little
- Lack of energy, or fatigue
- Low self-esteem
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Feel hopeless
Are LGBTQ individuals more prone to mental-health issues — including depression — than the general population? A United Kingdom study published last September in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that at least for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, this is indeed so. According to a Care2 post by Steve Williams:
This research, which is the largest of its kind to assess sexual minority groups in this manner, confirmed what smaller studies have repeatedly shown: that LGB people are far more likely to suffer from certain mental health problems like depression and anxiety, as well as being more prone to substance abuse.
So just why might LGB individuals be more prone to depression? Williams explains that it’s not our sexual orientation itself but how society treats us as a result of our sexual orientation:
[E]arly and sustained periods of stress can make people more likely to develop a range of adult mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Stigma and discrimination surrounding LGBT identity is certainly one factor here.
Next up: the beginnings of my experience with this beast named depression (which can be both insidious and in-your-face), and an exploration of its peculiar grip on Black LGBTQs.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Wyatt O’Brian Evans
(Mr. Evans is a regularly featured columnist for The Huffington Post, reporting and writing on a variety of issues and topics which strongly resonate with the LGBTQ Community. He is also a new collaborator at A4A)
Why say that BLACK gay/bis are prone to this? Major Depressive Disorder has been rampant in the gay/bi male community for as long as I can remember, and that’s guys of ALL races, not just blacks. Another item seldom talked about…HIV-related PTSD. You don’t have to have HIV to have HRPTSD, either. As my Mom always said, “It’s a rough life….”
separating queer struggles from human struggle is unnecessary imo. you can go infinitely more intersectional than just black. what about the unique challenges faced by black immigrant queers or disabled, black queers? suffering is equal where it occurs, and we should not separate each other.
It is exasperating to see people complain about the fact that a Black LGBT writer would highlight the exacerbated and disproportionate grip mental illness has on Black LGBT individuals. This stuff is not made up – it’s statistically significant and proven by empirical research. He does not say that LGBT individuals of different races have perfect mental health. In fact, it says the opposite. Highlighting a fact does not separate us at all. If anything, think about this the next time you strike up a conversation with one of the countless people on this website with racist profiles. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen profiles that are solely interested in white guys or who explicit say “no blacks” etc. Thank you Wyatt for bringing attention to this website that continually perpetuates white standards of gay beauty (especially in ads) and fetishes black tops.
Seeing that I live in a place where blacks outnumber whites by 4 to 1 I think I can make pretty fair comment based on 50 years of observations .
Depressed , commit suicide , etc more than whites ?
Hardly .. Far , far less in fact . On the whole they seem to be getting by pretty well in terms of their coping abilities compared to whites.
I have to agree with Mistrfistr–this is an across the board issue of mental health…I am by no means a racist, I happen to love black men….has A4A slid so far to the left as to consider this a black thing? I imagine both black people and people of all races are equally insulted by such stupidity as to isolate this to any particular racial population. Do you have any statistics on this? I could be misinformed, and please do straighten me out on it if I am, but I doubt they would be available since depression affects individuals in every racial, societal, and socio-economic strata of society. Without the stats, your allegation appears to be extremely skewed.
Race bait post is race bait. Let’s ignore the white people who have had the same. This isn’t a race issue.
typical garbage from a4a
Guys, this article is about black gay men and depression. If you don,t wanna read it, just don’t read it. The author is a black man who went through depression so he wrote about it for us. Please be nice!
I believe the topic of depression merits discussion to help those who are depressed seek out help and understand their own specific risk factors. Certain groups of people are more at risk due to stressors commonly faced by that group. Many black men come from a religious homophobic upbringing which will prey upon their own sense of identity and sense of self-worth when reconciling it with their being gay. These men often have a greater difficulty in gaining acceptance with their family and friends they grew up with who were part of a homophobic religious community. Additionally, these men often have deal with ongoing discrimination or racism from society at large and within the gay community. No one would say that gay black men have a monopoly on these problems but there is a greater incidence of these problems among gay black men compared to the majority of gay white men. Of course there are gay white men facing similar problems which increase their risk of depression but in proportionately significantly lower numbers compared to many minority groups within the gay community.
It’s sad to hear about people committing suicide. Any major stress from a person’s relationship with family, relationship with friends, relationship with significant other, relationship work, or relationship with self can bring on depressed feelings that can evolve into a major depression.
To help people manage and cope better with their stressors:
(1) Keep the lines of communication open with family but restrict dialogue with the negative hateful members of their family. You’re not less of a person because your mother or father or sister or brother is homophobic and, yeah they’ll always be your family but you don’t have to interact with them if they constantly make you feel worse about yourself.
(2) If your friends aren’t supportive and healthy for your sense of wellness, let them know how you feel and if it doesn’t improve change your friends.
(3) Don’t stay in an unhealthy relationship with a significant other who repeatedly detracts from your sense of wellness. Try frank discussion or therapy if you feel it can improve but don’t get stuck thinking you can’t be happy as a single person until the right person shows up in your life.
(4) Work pays your bills. If you’re fortunate you enjoy your work. If you don’t enjoy your work, create light at the end of the tunnel by making efforts to find a new job. While still at your old job, don’t let it consume your thoughts when you’re not at work. Don’t ruminate on how some people can be mean. Acknowledge that there are mean people out there and make your world minimize interaction with these negative types.
(5) Don’t like who you are. Change what you can. Seek care for any chronic health issues. Accept what you can’t. Try a different more positive optimistic approach with how you interact with the world around you. People can be homophobic and mean. Some people are dishonest parasites. Some people are self-absorbed snobs who derive their self-worth by making others feel less. But there are a lot of good people out there. Knock the chip off your shoulder and give others the benefit of the doubt. Learn from your experiences and tread cautiously where experience has taught you to but also don’t let some bad apples have you demonize any group of people.
Depression is an illness that merits medical help. One wouldn’t be embarrassed about getting antibiotics for pneumonia. No one should feel embarrassed or weak for getting a pill if suggested by your doctor for depression.
Happiness comes in many forms. You can’t buy it in a store or get it from a boyfriend. It has to come from within. Smile more in your day-to-day life and watch how it gets reflected back from strangers out there.
I just have a sinking feeling somewhere along the way the writer is going to come around to making it the fault of white people.
DAVE….you have the comprehension skills of a gnat.
MistrFistr: ahaha no, just tired of people always mad at everything.
Today is a post about Black Gay Men and depression because that’s what it is about. Studies shows that gay black men are more depressive than white or other colour and that is what the author tried to illustrate here.
Tell that to all the non blacks who deal with exactly the same issues: religious, family, peer, societal, LBGT issues. The fact that the writer is black, white, green, or purple has nothing to do with the problem. The problem at hand is depression. Maybe as a community, it’s time we were a little more all-inclusive, regardless of our differences. The fact–depression is a major problem facing all segments of society. No particular group has a corner on the market and to make such a supposition is sheer ignorance. Maybe as a group, the LGBTQ community needs to set an example of just such a community–one that is INCLUSIVE. Depression affects everyone, and yes, it does affect black people too. We should do everything we can to help anyone who suffers from depression, or any other form of mental illness. I think I am qualified to say this: I have suffered with depression for most of my life of 53 years, and am qualified, having been in therapy for well over 25 years to speak for the mentally ill. Please note that I do not specify my race or color–because it really is not relevant. Mental illness is mental illness.
Thank you Mr. Evans for this blog post and I certainly look forward to its continuation and other blogs like these.
Anon, you basically said what I thinking after reading a few of the comments. Why do Americans get their panties in such a bunch whenever someone points out the perils, inequalities and issues faced by racial minorities?
None of you could understand, unless the same thing happened exactly to you, all the details have to be 100%, your interpretation, is your interpretation, statistics can always be skewed, and can never be 100% across the board for everyone else.
“Humans” for lack of a better word, are very territorial and competitive animals.
But, when you add several different characteristics, traits, such as race, gender,weight, height, eye color sexuality (and “roles” ie. top?bottom?) and religion, all these little details we all in some way, separate, and alienate and discriminate, most often, groups we somewhere we are labeled and lumped, that someone else doesn’t like, thinking that those experiences are the same for that “label” Things are much different. Yeah, I got my share of teasing, as a tall, skinny white gay guy… But I’ve seen for myself, how Hetero (supposedly) “Blacks” (sic), treated other black guys, now you have 2 check marks as a target, one for race, and one sexuality, from within their own race… So did I… Sometimes just for being white, but for also being gay, not in my 48 years for both, if much, and not from the same team. When you add religion to all the mess already going on… You can start doing some regional statistics globally, and try and process any of it.
I have also been diagnosed, 18 years ago, with bi-polar disorder, and again, diagnosed, with something else… Not that I’ve beat it, but I have been off meds for 15 years with no symptoms. I have been on both ends of the spectrum in psychology, as a patient and in study and as a care provider/educator/instructor, each case is completely different, with it’s own specific set of experiences and history. They really shouldn’t be compared to one another, it is condescending to all cases. If you are not black, gay and depressed, you wouldn’t even begin to know how to relate, and therefore, not be able understand, and this article was not about you.
I have seen countless profiles that look like a 1960s happy hour stating “no blacks” and/or “whites only”. I’ve even seen “whites and Latino” and I can see how this article can be true. It is not easy to see guys post that on their profiles. It is sure easy to give in to self-loathsome behavior like suicide. The gay community still has a long way to go in terms of eliminating racism and hate. In order to fight for real equality, we need to love ourselves. I know it is easier said than done but it is worth a try or two. Being a gay black man myself, I have and I am still trying to practice not taking things personally even if I scroll through profiles that shun blks for no reason. I do not care if it is “just a preference”. There are humans that will be affected by your so-called preference. Still I have to personally try not to take is personally. To all the depressed souls out there, hang in there. I feel your pain. It does get better.
They should write an article dealing with gay men who grow up in ultra religious families…I have to say that coming from a family like that I have dealt with extreme depression, thoughts of suicide, feeling worthless, less than human…basically like a piece of shit. This would include most races I imagine.
To those who wonder why only focus on blacks who are gay….that’s because they experience a ‘double-whammy’ so to speak. They have their race acting against them (compared to whites) and on top of that they have their sexual orientation acting against them (compared to heterosexuality). So yes is important to try to narrow things down so as to better understand the root cause of problems affecting different groups of people so that appropriate remedies can be put forward. By definition when we talk about problems affecting the lgbt community we have already narrowed down human struggle to a sub-population anyway (lgbt people are more likely to suffer mental problems due to their sexuality as compared to a straight person. Yes, straight people can have depression too for various reasons but not really because they are straight, hello!). Now let’s go ahead and sub-divide it further based on race. The problems and stigmas that gay blacks have to face are higher than what straight blacks have to face or white gays have to face. And yes, handicapped gay blacks have even more problems to face. When problems due to different things start piling up then it is harder to cope. So please show support and compassion for those who happen to be part of a group of people that are facing more problems that yourself.
Thank you so much for acknowledging that we as black gays are facing life with a double-edge sword. Even with this type of struggle, it goes deeper in that. Not only are we being turned away from our own people (blacks) and the straight world but internally there is this system of oppression where guys aren’t of the cookie cutter type you’re cast aside, that in itself is yet another intersection to live it.
kids should be protected! (yeah thats a good idea)
women should get more opportunities to get to higher positions (far out! my mom’s a woman!)
black gay depression is very high and doesn’t get addressed (but everyone else gets depressed too.. why are you dividing people?)
listen:
maybe realizing the phony objectivity that exists in the apathy for one group that statistically and expressly needs attention and the willingness to benefit another, free of entitled dissent asking for essentially the same thing with none of this ‘but everybody…” washing you guys do, is a special issue that is NOT across the board. certainly that would increase the prevalence of depression i’d think, if i had to deaL with that.
Love this! can’t wait for part two (and 3,4,etc) as a gay BLACK man who is currently struggling with depression I really appriciate this.
Being black people (including some in this comment section) expect us to be these strong,resilient, creatures that can take on the world head first. Because this mentality black families push mental health/depression issues to the side and cover it up with the Jesus blanket.
So three cases half a decade ago make something a current epidemic? This article was about as random as that “Bottoming While Black” foolishness that was posted a short while ago. It’s unfortunate that the only “shining light” blacks receive on this site is when we’re being fetishized or subjected to white tears and irrational fears.
Also,everyone stop your whining about inclusion . This Blog has used poc’s as novelties since its inception. Its nice to see a post we didn’t have to beg for.
Well, he can write whatever he likes. My experience shows otherwise. And nobody’s MAD…they just take issue with the author’s point of view. Do you have any idea how many people I saw die during the pandemic? Oh wait…that might be hard for you to visualize. NOT all form PCP or KS, either…depression was and still is a major killer in this community. Just people people don’t ascribe to your rather limited viewpoint doesn’t make them “mad.” A4A promoting bareback porn, yeah, THAT makes me mad. A lot of things A4A does makes me mad, and a LOT of other guys, as well. But this? No. Oh, and purebalance may have it right…another attempt to “racialize” yet ANOTHER issue. So yes, I’m calling bullshit on the premise of the post, because it cites two black queers, and all of the sudden MDD and PDD are somehow “black” issues. They are most certainly not, and I have a couple of PhDs in clinical psych who’d rebut that fake premise in a heartbeat.
Thank you CJ for your explanation of what the author is trying to convey. I get it being a black gay man born in Jackson, Mississippi. Nail on the head. I read nothing that said this is a racial issue or that whites or non blacks do not suffer as well. Nor was there the sometimes perceived “pity poor Mr Charlie” that gets thrown around when anything is written or said that contains any mention of race. Is this what we’ve become.
Why do I read the comments? The selfishness is disgusting. “Yeah, whatever about this groups problems but what about me and my issues?”
We need to remember that this issue was written by someone who experienced depression. It is not a general issue. Mi grew up In a family of ordained Methodist pastors going three generations back. Interestingly my uncle, also an ordained pastor is gay. I never experienced persecution, depression or any of the symptoms described. Instead I was encouraged to strive for individual excellence. I am not saying that this issue is not an important one because I do know some who are dealing with alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, sexual,promiscuity-all the result of their personal journey. I just don’t believe that it is such a cultural issue
@Mocha I’ve known many Methodists in my time, and worked as an assistant organist at a large Methodist congregation as a youth. Good people all around, some of the best I’ve ever known. (…except that they have this mania about swaddling their sanctuaries in gobs of wine red carpeting all the time! Ugh, the acoustics!)
1. I’m white.
2. Several years ago,I attended a predominately black church close to home when I lived in Missouri.
3. In my youth, I dated a black man for several months before I met my life partner. My issues were nothing compared to his.
4. Black gays have an additional layer of religion/cultural family issues to deal with that many whites, as a rule, don’t have.
5. If you’d like to know what it’s like to be gay for a black….go back 50 years as a white gay.
Depression affects everyone. Promoting it as something that somehow affects a more special group than others is patently ridiculous. And “Studies show …” only leads to the justified questions of WHO did the study of WHAT group(s) and what was their bias in reporting the “every-so-true” findings.
Quit the pity party that on the issue of depression, SOMEHOW (oh woe is us!) gays are S-P-E-C-I-A-L.
Depression … gays are affected AS MUCH AS everyone else.
OH GEE!! E-Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y!
When will the holders of the LGBT Brand start accepting such things?
again everyone missed the point of the story…it was not stating that no one else has this problem, but it was about how it effects the black community, that is a problem the LGBT community has…it all about them..no one else can suffer like them..i had a friend that committed suicide , he just couldnt handle the stress and depression that came along with coming out and being rejected and being a object in the LGBT community..you would think a group that has bee discriminated against would understand that…but guest not…Thanks for the story Dave..i get it
I don’t understand how a commentary on Black LGBT issues meandered into a hack mini dissertation on depressive issues.
To the people complaining, CHILL. While introducing MDD and PDD, he made it clear that the illnesses are over represented in British LGB populations. Next he will present his personal experience which I assume will be how he introduces intersectionality in the context of MDD and PDD in Black LGBTQ….Did you want him to list every single person who killed themselves? Was he not supposed to provide definitions? Was he supposed to make a conversation about a specific group, a talk about everyone? People are the worst sometimes. Fuckssake.
He names 3 black LGBT suicides in a good length time period and is using them as proof. That doesn’t work in the writing or the scientific community. That is on par with anecdotal evidence. If he wants to have proof behind his claim he needs to take the total LGBT suicides of each race and compare it to the population of that race and technically it would still be wrong because you would really need to compare it to the LGBT population which there is really no accurate way to get a real number on that.
Hunter0500: Have you ever been called a FAG? Have you ever witnessed a gay-bashing? Have you ever been discriminated against for being gay? I have experienced all three — and I can assure you that these stresses connected to being gay contribute to greater rates of depression and anxiety in the gay community.
The call for equality — to which you apparently so object — comes because we are treated as “less than” straights. We are not treated as equals. Look at the controversy over gay marriage as just ONE example of the vile, hateful way that many people in the United States still look upon gays as being inferior or undesirable. It’s still perfectly socially acceptable — even desirable — in many circles to call someone a faggot. How you can sit there and say “Quit the pity party” is frankly beyond my comprehension — almost as much as I can’t comprehend why you’d even be on this site, other than perhaps to troll. Please God let Hunter0500 be straight; the idea that some poor gay boy might be contaminated by his malignant semen or saliva is too much to bear.
As far as claims that you can’t PROVE that gay blacks are disproportionately affected by depression, any moron with even a scintilla of observational skill can SEE the double discrimination Black gays face. The MORE stress affecting a group, the MORE mental health issues such as depression and anxiety will impact it. Mind you, it is SOCIETY that labels specific people as Black or Gay or Queer; Black gays doesn’t go around saying: “Oh please, treat me as inferior, tell me that I’m not welcome, please look upon me with greater suspicion.”
For everyone demanding such a high standard of proof: How often do you tell religious people – Christian, Muslims, etc. – to shut up and not publish anything unless they can prove it?
A little more on the double whammy of being Black (or Asian, for that matter) and Gay: If you’re gay, you get rejected by large numbers of straights. You run the risk of being gay bashed. Denied service. Or sneered at. Especially if you’re ‘identifiable’ and not ‘str8’ looking or ‘discreet’. So, if you’re a gay Black or Asian, you come to the gay community hoping to find safety and acceptance. Instead, there you find messages like “No Blacks” “No Asians” “No femmes” to the point where people won’t even socialize with you – not even talking about having sex – unless you fit their standard. It’s a nasty double whammy. Rejected by mainstream society. Rejected by the gay community. It isolates. It rejects. It adds STRESS. And stress can increase rates of depression and anxiety and the behaviors associated with it.
And you don’t need to be in years of therapy or have a PhD to see any of that – all you need is an ounce of common sense and a bit of compassion.
you guys trying to mask your latent instinctual discomfort with any black person talking about any of their struggles are sick. most of you lgbt folk want to be heterosexual so bad it seems, with your desperate need to discredit and ignore things you perceive to be different than you.fact is this person is depressed and these people have committed suicide, and you are pretending to be so pissed that they didnt include EVERYONE’s back story when really you’re just tone policing and demanding they dont do anything to force you to empathize with them.
let me let you guys in on a secret: only up until very recently were we not seen as just as divergent and different as all other mistreated groups. they thought that we recognized that the same way they did. the mainstream would of gave us equal rights years ago.. they were worried because of your experiences that you would just naturally remove racism, sexism, bigotry of all forms that keep the mainstream powerful. you only are getting marriage and furthered equality because you displayed to the powers that be that you wont be furthering equality for anyone but yourselves. think about that.
Whenever something is highlighted as a black issue, people are so quick to flame and say its not true.
Nowhere did the author say this just happens to black people. It just says its more common in black gays because of a majority of our upbringing. There is no doubt that black americans are highly woven in to deep southern christianity that frowns upon homosexuality. Most of black americans have grown up in that religious setting and unfortunately have deep rooted issues because of it. It branches out and cause serious depression. Since being black in america you have to deal with racism, its a double whammy when you are gay. If you are a feminine black gay male then its a triple whammy because you lack the hyper masculinity stereotype that is attached to being a black male.
Another factor is the ever growing trend of “its just a preference” and making dismissive remarks about dating or even befriending people of a certain race on a dating website. No one can force you to like what you like, but your words can have a damaging effect. (If you claim to be looking for friends only, you better not have any races attached to it. Thats just tacky and no way you could even give a good reason for that). Or if you are sought out for your race, its a good chance that its for a fetishized reason.
It goes unnoticed often and when brought up its met with aggression (as you can see by the comments) or ignored. LGBT community needs a major reevaluation. For a group of people who knows what is like to be marginalized, you guys tend to do it to each other.
The last thing I want to state is… why are you guys so mad about it? Instead you guys should want to highlight this issue and help the situation. Unless you are secretly wanting to move the spotlight elsewhere… You know gays love the limelight.
I find it ridiculous how some tries to shine a rather innocuous spotlight on how an issue affects a particular group of people, and the very first comment is essentially “White people suffer too!” It’s just like those fucks that say all lives matter. Why is whiteness so fucking fragile?