Mental health issues increasing with debate on our lives - LGBTI counselor

An LGBTI counselor of decades has written an article against having the marriage equality plebiscite, relating how he knows directly how such a public debate about our lives has a direct effect on our mental health.

Based on his experience, and the latest statistics in light of the increased anti-gay sentiment already being expressed in the marriage equality debate and Safe Schools, he says the figures show that it's already affecting us now with increased access to mental health services.

It boils down to a few bitter middle aged white men in Canberra are causing us all this grief and anxiety. As I've said, a free vote and we'd have marriage equality overnight:

A number of years ago I counselled a family with two doting mums and three kids. After years of stability and a healthy home life, their lives deteriorated as the negative rhetoric about marriage equality ramped up. 

The children became increasingly distressed through hearing negative messages about their family at school and in the media. The parents said that their usual carefree spirits evaporated and were taken over by doubt and sadness as they saw their parents and themselves as somehow wrong. 

The parents also struggled to endure increasing negativity from those around them in the school community and, most painfully, their families whom they desperately wanted to turn to for support. 

The fact that the Australian Psychological Society has done a meta analysis and stated that the evidence demonstrates that kids do just as well in same sex couple families is comforting, but does not take the pain away. 

The Australian LGBTI National Health Alliance has stated that in the six months since a plebiscite was mooted there has been a 60% increase in clients accessing their counselling services. 

They state that “the growth highlights the concerns of our communities when there is public debate about their lives.” 

The CEO of Victoria’s Drummond Street Services, which works with many young LGBTI people, said that there was a 100% increase in demand as the Australian Christian Lobby ramped up its public attacks on the Safe Schools Initiative. 

Although things have improved over the decades, it is always shocking to see just how alive and well homophobia still is in our society. The promise of a plebiscite has brought it to the fore again, and is taking us back to a painful place. Australia is so much better than that. The Guardian

Not under this Lieberal gov we aren't.