Vox writes about a recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), that highlights alarming trends in mental health struggles among high school students across the United States, with LGBTQIA+ youth facing some of the most severe challenges.
Mental Health Europe (MHE) also shared similar figures for queer people in a recent article published in connection to Pride Month 2024: “In Germany, the queer population is almost three times more likely to experience depression than the rest of the population. About 26% of the LGBTQIA+ community will experience depression at some point in their lives, compared to 10% of cis-heterosexual people.”
The data published by the CDC revealed that 41% of LGBTQIA+ teens seriously considered suicide in the past year, 32% planned to do so, and 20% attempted to take their own lives. These figures are significantly higher than those for their heterosexual peers, underscoring the deep impact of the ongoing mental health crisis on this vulnerable group.
Broader acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people means instead of coming out as a young adult or even later on, kids are coming out in early adolescence—a heightened time of self-consciousness and peer regulation. While societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals has increased, the challenges associated with coming out at such a young age remain significant.
How can museums help?
The CDC’s and MHE’s findings serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for targeted mental health support and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth as well as adults. Museums can help combat isolation and discrimination by considering LGBTQIA+ inclusion and representation in their exhibitions, programmes, advocacy work and organisations. NEMO finds that museums should support queer people of all ages, as well as other marginalised groups, by providing welcoming and inclusive museums.
To help the museum community tap their full potential, we offer a free NEMO Webinar on 10 September on advancing trans inclusion. From 11:00-12:00 CEST, participants will learn how to make museums more inclusive by ensuring trans people a more welcoming experience. By actively including trans people, one of the most vulnerable groups in society, museums can have a significant impact, improve people’s lives as well as become more inclusive to every kind of visitor.
- Register now to join the webinar Trans-Inclusive Culture: Guidance on advancing trans inclusion for museums, galleries, archives and heritage organisations
In another recent NEMO Webinar, Maria Chiara Ciaccheri pointed to the fact that by increasing accessibility for one group, museums will by default make the experience more accessible to all visitors. The same principle applies to inclusion. By increasing trans inclusion, the museum experience will be more inclusive to other groups as well.
At the NEMO European Museum Conference “Can we talk? Museums facing polarisation”, we will further explore museum’s vital role to build bridges and contribute to a world that champions inclusion rather than polarisation and hatred. Join us from 10-12 November 2024 in Sibiu, Romania, to among others discuss how to build strong relationships with underrepresented groups and foster their representation.
Our upcoming annual report, which will be published this autumn, will offer guidance on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in museums. It will cover EU-level and national policies supporting LGBTQIA+ rights and offer solutions to challenges museums may encounter while promoting equity, inclusivity, diversity, and cultural sensitivity.
