LGBTQ+ Community has been facing countless challenges since they have taken a stand for themselves. People have struggled to accept such individuals, which often leads to bullying and abuse. This causes them to bottle up their feelings, making people feel as though they have no one to talk to. Many individuals choose to self-medicate rather than deal with their problems healthily. They turn to drugs and alcohol, which may be harmful to themselves and those around them.

Here are some challenges that the LGBTQ community faces.

Family Rejection

In most cases, parents have a difficult time embracing their child’s sexual orientation as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. They are in denial, which puts pressure on their child. Why should others understand their sexuality if their parents don’t? Therefore they are lost and have nowhere to turn.

In the worst-case situation, the family refuses to acknowledge them as a kid. This destroys the child’s self-esteem, and as a result, they do not consider coming out.

Abuse and Trauma

Abuse is a prevalent issue in the LGBTQ community, with new incidents being reported regularly. People often direct their rage towards our group, forgetting that, regardless of their sexual orientation, they are one of us. This causes the person to experience trauma, which affects them daily for the rest of their lives.

Homelessness and Unemployment

With work, the LGBTQ community has practically no options, and even if they are hired, they suffer at the hands of organizations. This is especially prevalent among young people who do not feel comfortable living with unaccepting parents, or whose parents have kicked them out because of their sexual orientation. Many sexual minority members experience from mental illnesses because of rejection and prejudice, making it difficult to get work and housing.

Todd Emerson’s Work for the Community

There are relatively few people that care about the improvement of the society and wish to create a world that is worth living in. Todd Emerson is one of them. Since 1993, he has been an activist for this community. He founded the ‘Oceans Springs Pride March’ in 1993 and invited the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community to visit him at his house to discuss strategies of living.

A week later, hundreds of people protested his movements at City Hall and signed a petition demanding that he leave town, which was preposterous. First Baptist Church organized this petition. Fortunately, the charge refused the petition, but he began getting threats and they stationed a police car outside his house to protect him.

None of this frightened Todd. In fact, it gave him greater strength. He created the GL Friendly Center in Biloxi to assist the LGBTQ+ community within a year. Because of his work, Ocean Springs, Mississippi became the first city in the state to recognize LGBTQ+ people.

These atrocities against this group are on the rise, and many refuse to acknowledge them as human beings, instead treating them as if they were animals. We, as a community, must welcome people of different sexual orientations because, at the end of the day, they are still regular people who want to live normal life.