Recent generations have made great strides in proving that sexuality is a fluid concept
and that it is morally and socially acceptable to love whoever you want (or do not want) to love.
Unfortunately, stigma around sexuality minorities, including the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, community (LGBTQIA+), are prevalent in many areas of
life and have the tendency to create long-lasting obstacles for these groups of people. One major
concern for sexuality minorities is that they have a higher inclination towards obtaining a
substance addiction; such as to alcohol, tobacco, weed, or a plethora of other drugs. In this paper,
we will dissect the relationship between sexuality and substance abuse and discuss a few
practical changes and solutions that would help decrease the harmful connection between the
two.
From the Holy Bible to the outbreak of AIDS, the topic of sexuality has circulated the
world for thousands of years; though, not always in the brightest light. Many of its preconceived
notions make the exploration of sexuality out to be a dangerous, and sometimes even evil, thing.
Defining sexuality is a tricky thing to do, because it is not one thing to define, rather it is a fluid
and changing spectrum. The human condition is an unfathomable experience that is filled with
many uneasy and challenging moments, such as learning how to walk, gaining the courage to
quit a job that no longer works for you, or learning to understand one’s sexuality. Because of
religion, European influence, and a mixture of other past events, a person’s sexuality is often
seen as a boundary that is fixed and should not be crossed. In other words, there has become a
strict, yet invisible rule that states that girls should like boys and boys should like girls, and
nothing else in between should occur (Harris 2013). Sure, this heterosexual mindset is a reality
for a portion of the population; however, it is damaging to many. This mindset leaves no room
for human beings to experience themselves and discover who and what they love for themselves.
Instead, this social norm forces kids into a gender stereotype, which is not always conducive to
how they feel on the inside. This duality between how one feels and how society pushes them to
feel is detrimental and has the power to lead a person to develop poor mental health conditions.
Sexual orientation is a fluid experience and does not have a strict definition. Similarly,
substance abuse is multidimensional and difficult to define. Substance abuse occurs for
individual reasons, though it is commonly found to be a coping mechanism for those who live
with anxiety and depression. Upon exploring the connection between sexual minority status
(SMS) and substance abuse among young adults (24-32 years), evidence shows that “young adult
female sexual minority groups, regardless of how defined, are at a higher risk than their
heterosexual peers of developing alcohol, drug, or tobacco abuse and dependence” (Goldberg
and Strutz and Herring and Halpern 2013: 144). This connection can be explained by the reality
that sexual minority groups are made to feel like outcasts by society, which then leads them to
find dangerous coping mechanisms. “The potential pathways between sexual orientation and
substance use have primarily been examined within the frameworks of social stress and
minority-specific stress in particular” (Goldberg and Strutz and Herring and Halpern 2013: 145).
Life is stressful as it is, and so the added pressure of dealing with a world that rejects your
sexuality is often enough for an LGBTQIA member to be pushed over the edge.
Sexual identity mobility, or the process of discovering and changing one’s sexual
orientation, is a prominent life event that most of us go through, some easier than others. This
life event deems more stressful for those who favor same-sex orientations, due to the intense
stigma placed on them. One example from my personal life of the stigma placed on sexual
minorities comes from my early years in elementary school. I have distinct memories of children
using the word, “gay,” as an insult; such as saying, “That’s so gay,” when regarding something
they did not think was cool, or by saying, “No homo,” after showing affection to a friend of the
same sex. These early interactions with homophobia, judgement, and hate are profound and leave
a mark on children. With these judgements being a common theme in life, it is no wonder why
many members of the community are nervous to come out to their circles of people.
The transition of “coming out” is easier for those who have already implemented aspects
of their true identity into their lives; however, it is a more painful process for those who have
been masking their true identity. The reasons people hide their identity are endless, though a few
reasons could be from fear of judgement, fear of reactions from family members, or fear of
religious propaganda. “Identity changes toward a more stigmatized identity may trigger anxiety
surrounding expected negative reactions from peers and family as well as result in increased
exposure to new sources of discrimination and rejection from previous peer and family networks
(Everett 2015:50). So, individuals worry about how their family will react and how the rest of the
world will treat them based on their personal and intimate decision to come out. If you are to
match this anxiety with a person who possesses poor coping skills, it is easy to imagine this
resulting in depressive symptoms. Rather than coping with healthy alternatives, such as
meditation, therapy, or journaling, depressive and anxious episodes can lead a person to cope
with substances.
The connection between sexuality and substance abuse can be simplified as such:
Societal norms and expectations frequently lead LGBTQIA members to feel like outcasts, which
leads them to feel depressed and anxious, which then leads them to obtain a substance abuse
problem (Moreh and O’Lawrence 2016). This is a sad reality for many people and unfortunately,
these people repeatedly do not receive the help they deserve. There are many health disparities
involving LGBTQIA+ Youth, and to make matters worse, there is not much data to back this
statement up. Many of the health disparities go unnoticed or unrecorded since members of the
community are often closeted. Lack of research in health disparities for the LGBTQIA
community prevents them from making progress and reaching equality. (Fisher and Mustanski
2014). Whether the LGBT Youth feels depressive symptoms from coming out of the closet or
feels depressive symptoms from the trauma of remaining in the closet, there is commonly a
mental strain placed on their personal well-being, which results in them seeking out substances
for relief.
Let us focus on one of the LGBT groups specifically: transgender people. Data shows
that, “gender nonconformity … heightens trans people’s exposure to discrimination and, in turn,
their likelihood of engaging in health-harming behaviors,” such as self-harm, drug/alcohol abuse,
and smoking (Miller and Grollman 2015:810). Social norms have formed the ideal that a “boy
should dress like a boy,” and a “girl should dress like a girl,” but what does that even mean?
Social constructs have separated gender into two groups (male and female), without giving much
thought to the intricate inner worlds of human beings. Humans are complex and filled with
emotion, passion, love, wonder, curiosity, and expansion. It is a shame to limit their expressions
and life experiences by demanding them to behave within a code of gender. What would be
better, is if no expectations were placed on self-expression and people were guilt-free to dress,
behave, and live as they feel fit.
Lesbophobia and homophobia groups have been around for many years; though,
interestingly, people did not outwardly voice their protest of lesbians and gays until the terms the
actual terms ‘lesbian’ and ‘gay’ were created. Meaning that along with finally being properly
identified for their sexuality, lesbians, gays, and the rest of the LGBT community were also
subjected to hate groups and clear judgement (Harris 2013). Societal norms have not made the
world an easy place for humans to explore their sexuality. In fact, it is often so difficult to do so
that substances are sought to help people deal with the pain of not knowing, or not being able to
express, their true identity. It is a vulnerable act to understand one’s sexuality, and it is
something to be celebrated upon discovery, not diminished, or made the brunt of jokes (Harris
2013).
Having to hide an aspect of one's character - something that makes them them– is
disheartening, and no person should have to go through this. My hope is that exploration of one’s
sexuality will be encouraged in the years to come and here are a few ways to do so: 1) release
gender expectations for oneself and others, 2) do not push children to conform to something they
are not, and 3) accept people as they are. Children need guidance, not control, and by letting
them pick out what they want to wear to school (and not judging them for it), we are helping
them feel more comfortable in their own skin, their own decisions, and in their own form of
expression. It is a nasty thing to make someone feel less than based on how they choose to
sexually identify, and it needs to stop.
The best way to help the LGBTQIA community is to listen to them, let their voice be
heard, and to be kind. A little act of kindness goes a long way, and sometimes even prevents
someone from picking up a pack of cigarettes or bottle of alcohol.
References:
Everett, Bethany. 2015. “Sexual Orientation Identity Change and Depressive Symptoms: A
Longitudinal Analysis.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 56(1):37-58.
Fisher, Celia B. and Brian Mustanski. 2014. “Reducing Health Disparities and Enhancing the
Responsible Conduct of Research Involving LGBT Youth.” The Hastings Center Report
44(5):S28-S31.
Goldberg, Shoshana and Kelly L. Strutz and Amy A. Herring and Carolyn T. Halpern. 2013.
“Risk of Substance Abuse and Dependence Among Young Adult Sexual Minority
Groups Using a Multidimensional Measure of Sexual Orientation.”Public Health Reports
28(3):144-152.
HARRIS, VICTORIA. 2013. “Histories of 'Sex', Histories of 'Sexuality'.” Contemporary
European History 22(2):95-301.
Miller, Lisa R. and Eric Anthony Grollman. 2015. “The Social Costs of Gender Nonconformity
for Transgender Adults: Implications for Discrimination and Health.” Sociological
Forum 30(3):809-831.