Week 4

Day 22: Learn About an Intersex Role Model

Intersex people are born with a mixture of male and female sex characteristics. It is difficult to know exact figures of those who are intersex, however interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth estimates it to be about 1.7%, which is about as common as having red hair (1%-2%).

Intersex is not a disease or disorder. It is simply a common variation of the human body. In fact, according to The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, there are approximately 358,105 people with intersex variations in the UK alone. Many people may not be aware that they are intersex, since many intersex variations are not external.

Hanne Gaby Odiele

The medical world tells us that we should not talk to anyone about it, always, I was told to hide.

“It is very important to me in my life right now to break the taboo” she told USA Today in an interview.

When the Belgian model revealed she was intersex, she gave voice to something shed always been told to hide. Odiele who is originally from Belgium, was born with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). Odiele was born with internal testes, and no uterus or ovaries. She has one X and one Y chromosome, in keeping with men. She told Aaron Hicklinfrom The Guardian,I have XY chromosome insensitivity she says. I was born with internal testicles that produce testosterone, but which my body converts to oestrogen. Its crazy, right?.

 

Day 23: Find and LGBT Group in Your Area

Having a sense of connectedness to a group can help you to feel happier and it also acts as a buffer for both mental and physical health problems, according to research from Bolger, Zuckerman & Kessler in 2000. Their study concluded that social identities provide meaning to life, encourage the provision and receipt of social support, facilitate social influence and engender a sense of belonging. When people feel they have social support, they have faster recovery from trauma or illness and are better supported in healthy lifestyle habits.

So, why not find a group in your area using this handy search function by Stonewall!

 

Day 24: Learn About a Health or Well-being Issue Affecting LGBT+ People

Stonewall recently published a paper relating to health within the LGBTQ+ community. It was carried out by YouGov across the UK.

Below are some of the key findings from this report:

• Half of LGBT people (52 per cent) said theyve experienced depression in the last year.
• One in eight LGBT people aged 18-24 (13 per cent) said theyve attempted to take their own life in the last year.
• Almost half of trans people (46 per cent) have thought about taking their own life in the last year, 31 per cent of LGB people who arent trans said the same.
• Forty-one per cent of non-binary people said they harmed themselves in the last year compared to 20 per cent of LGBT women and 12 per cent of GBT men.
• One in six LGBT people (16 per cent) said they drank alcohol almost every day over the last year.
• One in eight LGBT people aged 18-24 (13 per cent) took drugs at least once a month.
• One in eight LGBT people (13 per cent) have experienced some form of unequal treatment from healthcare staff because theyre LGBT.
• Almost one in four LGBT people (23 per cent) have witnessed discriminatory or negative remarks against LGBT people by healthcare staff. In the last year alone, six per cent of LGBT people including 20 per cent of trans people have witnessed these remarks.
• One in twenty LGBT people (five per cent) have been pressured to access services to question or change their sexual orientation when accessing healthcare services.
• One in five LGBT people (19 per cent) arent out to any healthcare professional about their sexual orientation when seeking general medical care. This number rises to 40 per cent of bi men and 29 per cent of bi women.
• One in seven LGBT people (14 per cent) have avoided treatment for fear of discrimination because they’re LGBT.

 

Day 25: Say Thank You to Someone Supporting LGBT+ People and Groups

We here at GlitterBeam would like to thank all of our presenters and contributors for their hard work and dedication. Their work reaches so many people, and your messages of support are a testament to that work.

We have received so many messages about how the presenters have made a positive impact in peoples lives. Its amazing to see!

GlitterFam, youre amazing. Each and every one of you.

Day 26: Support and LGBT+ Charity or Group

There are so many charities and groups that you can support in your local area. It’s not all about money; even promoting them and directing attention to them can open opportunities, not just for the groups but for the well-being of your friends and family.

Switchboard

Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone, by email and through Instant Messaging.Founded on March 4th 1974 Switchboard’s information and support helpline operated for five hours every evening in a small room above a bookshop near Kings Cross Station. Because of almost immediate, rapidly increasing demand, it soon became a 24-hour service.We have provided support and information to millions of people since our phone started ringing in 1974.Throughout our history, we have been at the forefront of supporting our communities in facing theissues of the day.

OutRight

OutRight seeks to advance human rights and opportunities for LGBTIQ people around the world by developing critical partnerships at global, regional, and national levels to build capacity, document violations, advocate for inclusion and equality, and hold leaders accountable for protecting the rights of all LGBTIQ people. Today, we partner with local LGBTIQ organizations across four regions and maintain a cross-regional LGBTIQ initiative at the UN in New York. As an international LGBTIQ organization with a long history of productive and trusting relationships with grassroots LGBTIQ communities worldwide, we serve as a bridge between local communities and high-impact external levers of power.

Mermaids

Mermaids is a UK charity that helps transgender children and young people, as well as their families.

They work to raise awareness about gender nonconformity and campaign for the recognition of gender dysphoria.

Mermaids has been supporting transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families since 1995.

Back at the start, Mermaids were a small group of concerned parents sitting around the kitchen table, coming together to share experiences, find answers and look for ways to keep our children safe and happy.

Today, Mermaids has evolved into one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities, empowering thousands of people with its secure online communities, local community groups, helpline services, web resources, events and residential weekends.

Terrance Higgins Trust

The Terrance Huggins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity. We support people living with HIV and amplify their voices, and help the people using our services to achieve good sexual health.

The aims they have set out in their Bold Ambitions strategy are to:

• Contribute to the end of HIV transmissions and improve sexual health
• Support people living with and affected by HIV and poor sexual health
• Ensure that the voices of people affected by HIV are heard.

They do this bysupporting people living with HIV and ensure their voices are heard, providing testing services for HIV andother sexually transmitted infections, and helping the people using our services to achieve good sexual health.