In our final episode, we are shining the spotlight on the mental health of the BIPOC LGBTQ+ community. According to Rainbow Health Ontario, LGBTQ2S+ people experience stigma and discrimination, and this stigma can have a variety of negative consequences throughout the life span. Large Canadian studies indicate that LGBTQ2S+ people are more likely than heterosexuals to report unmet mental health needs and were more likely to consult mental health practitioners. To help us better understand some of the community’s experiences, we have three guests who share their journey and insights on this episode. Prabhjot Seehra grew up in a traditional South-Asian family and had to navigate his sexual identity as a gay man within traditional family structures, Preity Kumar who also grew up in a traditional Indo-Guyanese community shares the impact of her coming out as a queer woman on some of the most important relationships in her life and 20-year old Levi Nahirney, who knows what its like to navigate many identities after being adopted from Vietnam along with his twin sister and then coming out to his family as transgender when he was just 13. We also have queer-identified psychotherapist, Tenniel Brown, who talks about the mental health impacts of experiencing multiple forms of marginalization at a given time and what we need to do to be better allies to the community.

Here are the various conversations:

@5:39 - Prabhjot Seehra

28:55 - Preity Kumar

@55: 08 - Levi Nahirney

@1:13:48 – Psychotherapist Tenniel Brown

This episode contains discussion on mental health issues. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is in crisis please go to your local hospital or call 911 immediately. For information about services in your area, please visit www.cmha.ca. To reach the Canada Suicide Prevention Service, call 1.833.456.4566 or 1.866.APPELLE in Québec (1.866.277.3553).

Other resources:

Browns Consulting

Psychology Today

Black Therapist List

Ontario College of Social Workers

Ontario Association of Social Workers

Bell Let’s Talk