NAMI HelpLine

NAMI Pride

Mental Health Without Conditions

 

 

Do you feel “NAMI Pride?” Driven by the reality that LGBTQ+ people are impacted unequally by mental illness and a lack of mental health resources, we are inspired to bring light to this important topic. To us, mental health without conditions is more than a catchy slogan: It is a step toward mental health for all. It is a commitment to work together. NAMI Pride is not just this month, but every month. It is this year, this decade and this lifetime. If you’re not already participating, we invite you to join our movement.

Jump To:

#IAmNAMIPride

When we say, “I Am NAMI Pride,” we are owning it. Asserting it. Declaring loud and clear that we are a powerful part of a unified whole, an organization comprised of individuals who care deeply about sharing who they are and what they have to offer.

It’s been there in NAMI’s name all along: “I AM.” It’s an answer to so many mental health questions that swirl around us: Who is there to help others feel less alone? I am. Who is there to help my child who lives with a mental health condition? I am. Who is a light in the darkness? I am. Who is resilient? I am. Who is committed to bringing justice with compassion? I am. Who is out and proud of it? I am.

Join The #IAmNAMIPride Movement

Throughout June, we invite you to share why you are proud by tagging us (@NAMICommunicate) and using our hashtag #IAmNAMIPride. Feel free to also bookmark this webpage, as we’ll be adding more resources and ways to get involved throughout the month.

Advocate For Equal Access

NAMI supports public policies that reduce mental health inequities for LGBTQ+ populations, like enforcing non-discrimination protections in health care and removing barriers to accessing appropriate mental health care.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community experience mental health conditions at a higher rate than their peers, but often cannot access the mental health care they need. All people deserve access to quality mental health care, free from discrimination or interference. This Pride Month, we’re asking advocates to show their support for equal access to mental health care by signing this petition.

Sign Our Petition

Will you join us? Sign our petition to show your support for access to mental health care in the LGBTQ+ community.

ACT NOW AND SHARE

Share On Social Media

To help get you get started, feel free to use these sample social media posts:

NAMI Pride is not just this month, but every month. It is this year, this decade, and this lifetime! Learn more about NAMI’s initiatives this month: nami.org/pride #IAmNAMIPride.

Everyone deserves community, respect, love, and access to culturally competent care! #IAmNAMIPride

I am proud of who I am and what I stand for! #IAmNAMIPride

LOUD and PROUD, I support the LGBTQ+ community! I am an ally, a friend, and an advocate. #IAmNAMIPride

Mental health for all means just that, mental health for all! No matter what you identify as you are deserving of care! #IAmNAMIPride

Graphics

Share some of our graphics below (access our full set of graphics here). Don’t forget to tag @NAMICommunicate on Instagram and Twitter, and @NAMI on TikTok and Facebook — and use our hashtag #IAmNAMIPride!

Share Your Story

Write your personal story about LGBTQ+ mental health and submit it to us for the NAMI Blog.

LGBTQ+ Blogs

 

Videos

 

 

NAMI YOUTUBE LGBTQ+ PLAYLIST

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources

NAMI LGTBQ+ Policy Priorities

Key Statistics

  • LGB youth are nearly 4x more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth.
  • In 2021, nearly one-quarter of LGBQ+ students were bullied at school and nearly 30% were electronically bullied.
  • Transgender adults are nearly 9x more likely to attempt suicide at some point in their lifetime compared to the general population.
  • 61% of LGBT people ages 18–29 report symptoms of anxiety compared to about 35% of their non-LGBT counterparts.
  • Half of LGBT people ages 18–29 report symptoms of depression compared to about 29% of their non-LGBT counterparts.
  • Hate crimes against LGBT people rose 70% from 2020 to 2021.
  • LGBT people are 9x more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of violent hate crimes.
  • 76% of LGB adolescents reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row during the previous year.
  • 86% of LGBTQ youth in 2019 reported being harassed or assaulted at school.
  • LGB adults are nearly twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a substance use disorder.
  • Transgender individuals are almost 4x as likely as cisgender individuals to experience a substance use disorder.
  • LGBTQI youth and young adults have a 120% higher risk of experiencing homelessness — often the result of family rejection or discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

From the 2023 Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People by The Trevor Project:

  • 41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
  • 56% of LGBTQ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.
  • Transgender and nonbinary young people who reported that the people they live with respect their pronouns also reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
  • Fewer than 40% of LGBTQ young people found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming.
  • Roughly half of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
  • A majority of LGBTQ young people reported being verbally harassed at school because people thought they were LGBTQ.
  • Nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation.
  • Nearly 2 in 3 LGBTQ young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ people at school made their mental health a lot worse.

Know the warning signs of mental illness

Learn more about common mental health conditions

NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).