Mental health organisations and LGBTIQ+ advocates have come together this week, expressing a shared concern over the damage already being caused by the same-sex marriage postal survey.
With , other groups including ReachOut and Headspace have also emerged this week to report a spike in engagement, prompting Opposition Leader to implement a new set of protections designed to protect young members of the LGBTIQ+ community from the heated debate.
According to social worker Lauren Foy of the NSW Gay & Lesbian Lobby, who last month adorned the lawns of Parliament House with hundreds of ‘all love is equal’ cardboard love-hearts, it’s becoming more and more difficult for proud members of the community to stand tall and not to be affected by the survey.
“I am so privileged to hear and see constant messages of love and support,” Foy tells SBS Sexuality. “But the blows continue and, on a personal level, I am hurting deeply — as are many people I know.”
“I fear for those who do not have the same buffering that I do. I encourage everyone out there to share their messages of support to ensure that these kind of words are received far and wide.”
“Discrimination is a determinant of health,” Foy continues. “We see poorer mental health outcomes for LGBTI people as a direct result — stress and experiences of stigma and prejudice in this very public debate about a very personal issue continue to compound feelings of helplessness and hurt.”
Still, Foy insists there is a positive side to the postal survey — and that members of the community who might be feeling otherwise helpless are able to channel their frustrations toward a greater good.
“You can use your anger about this debate as a motivator to make positive changes around you,” she says. “Be mindful of saturated exposure on social media, on the TV or in the newspaper. It’s okay to switch off and take some time out. Take time to laugh, and to share that laughter with your friends.”
Jain Moralee, the co-Executive Director of LGBTIQ+ youth organisation Twenty10, agrees with Foy’s assertion that young members of the community should consider taking a break from social media and media in general.
“It is important that you try and give yourself space from things that don’t make you feel good and with so much of this debate playing out over social media, we are recommending time out from sites such as Facebook and Twitter,” she tells SBS Sexuality. “If online, check out some blogs or other things that you like to read that don’t focus on the postal survey.”
Developed with this strategy in mind, Twenty10 recently launched their QueerLoveProject, an online positivity project where the organisation shares one Queer Love post each day for the duration of the postal survey — a welcome break from the news headlines.
“It’s important for those struggling with the weight of the debate to take the time to do something which makes them feel good,” Moralee says.
It’s also vital, she says, to be familiar with the support services available, which include one-on-one counselling, group services, and social groups.
“It can be super helpful to talk to others about how you are feeling,” Moralee says. “In Sydney, Twenty10 offer counselling and social groups for young people (Aged 12 -25) as well as phone and web counselling and social groups for LGBTIQA+ people of all ages.”
When it comes to helpful resources and support services, health organisation ACON has been a positive voice on the frontline, with Karen Price, Acting-CEO of ACON, pointing to their new Staying Strong resource — developed in response to the emotional distress being caused by the “protracted and harmful debate” surrounding marriage equality.
“Informed by our experience with our communities, we recognised that people were becoming upset and needed guidance to stay resilient at this time,” Price tells SBS Sexuality.
“While we were wanting to assist everyone in our communities, we are particularly concerned about younger people who might be experiencing hate speech or prejudicial attitudes for the first time. Many people in our communities are finding the public discussion on the worthiness of our relationships difficult to manage.”
“What’s great about this resource is that it contains very practical tips to maintain a healthy and positive mind. These tips include acknowledging how you’re feeling and reaching out to support networks, taking a social media break, keeping in close contact with loved ones as well as keeping yourself active and busy.”
“Our communities have been through difficult times before and we know that we are resilient and stronger together,” Price says — “so we are encouraging everyone to come together and support each other during the plebiscite – and beyond.”
