LGBTQ+ people have no obligation to engage with family members who voted for Donald Trump, according to one psychiatrist. Yale University child psychiatrist Dr. Amanda Calhoun spoke with MSNBC host Joy Reid on Friday about what will inevitably be a fraught holiday season for many people.
Donald Trump and MAGA’s vicious anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has left queer folks – especially trans people – terrified for what the incoming administration will bring. Many say that a vote for Trump is an act of violence against the marginalized communities he rails against, and for some, that violence has been committed by members of their own families.
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“If you are going through a situation where you have family members, where you have close friends who you know have voted in ways that are against you, against your livelihood, it’s completely fine to not be around those people and to tell them why, to say, ‘I have a problem with the way that you voted because it went against my very livelihood, and I’m not going to be around you this holiday, I need to take some space for me.’”
Calhoun said her message applies to adults as well as the parents of vulnerable children. “I don’t think you should force children, I don’t think you should force adults to be around people just because they’re your family.”
“If you feel like you need to establish boundaries with people, whether they’re your family or not, I think you should very much be entitled to do so, and I think it may be essential for your mental health.”
She concluded, “It may be essential for your mental health.”
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A study published in September found that anti-transgender laws have a direct, causal relationship with youth suicide attempts, with attempted suicide rates increasing by as much as 72% following the passage of such laws. Another from the same month found that exposure to anti-LGBTQ+ media increases suicidal ideation among young LGBTQ+ adults, suggesting that recent public debates over LGBTQ+ rights—and transgender rights in particular—may be harming young people’s mental well-being.
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And in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s win last week, The Trevor Project saw a massive increase in calls, texts and chats. The suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth saw a nearly 700% rise in communications compared to weeks prior, and election-related concerns among young people contacting the nonprofit skyrocketed by nearly 5,200% compared to averages leading up to election day.