Coming Out: The Challenges & Ways to Support LGBTQIA+ Individuals
What is coming out?
In the life of someone who identifies within the LGBTQIA+ community, “coming out” can bring up any number of emotions ranging from relief to rejection. Coming out is the process of voluntarily sharing one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity with others. This process is unique for each individual and there is no right or wrong way to come out. Coming out is a process that is on a continuum; meaning this is a life-long process that repeats. One often starts their coming out process with themselves on a personal level. There is also coming out to loved ones, on an interpersonal level. Other stages of coming out include social and public.

In the coming out process a person may feel unsafe and vulnerable, and one has to consider their safety and privilege. There may be moments where someone has come out on an interpersonal level and is rejected and decides they may not continue in the process. Coming out to others involves risks and difficulties depending on who that person is coming out to, how engaged they are with them, how much power they have in the relationship, and how accepting they are.

Coming out may have benefits such as increased support , reduced isolation and it may end the stress of hiding, keeping a secret or living a double life. However, it can have negative consequences like rejection, loss of relationships, loss of a home, harassment or abuse (verbal insults or physical violence), institutionalized discrimination and prejudice (such as losing a job, being denied housing or other equal opportunity rights).

You may think of “coming out” as a one time event, but for many, this is not the case. Attending a new school, changing jobs, moving, or even meeting a new person often causes LGBTQIA+ people to “go back into the closet” until they feel safe enough in their new environment to “come out” all over again.

Know the Signs and Know What to Do.
Watch this 2 minute video to learn.
Download our resource guides to find local treatment agencies and providers. Guides are available in English and Spanish.


Events at a Glance
Care Coordination:
"Connecting the Dots"
June 23rd & 24th,
8:30 AM - 2:30 PM


Let us talk about Vaping: 
A West Hartford Panel Discussion
June 24th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
It is Okay to Not Be Okay:
Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health
Virtual Youth Forum
June 29th, 6:00 PM
QPR Training
June 30th, 9:00 - 10:30 AM
Email info@thehubct.org to register.

Women on the Margin Conference
July 10th, 9:30 AM
Narcan Training from
The Hub on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday monthly!


Narcan Training from Liberation Programs Every Thursday, 11 AM - 12 PM
Support Groups
Follow Us on Social Media!
New Awareness Campaign Coming Soon!
In the United States an estimated 18 million people ages 12 and older misused prescription drugs within the last year. It is most common among young adults, ages 18 - 25, however kids in middle and high schools and high school are misusing medications as well.

When a person misuses medications they are more at risk of encountering counterfeit pills because they often get them from unreliable sources. If a person gets pills from a friend, co-worker or on social media, they don't know where that person got it. Unless you pick it up from a pharmacy, you can't be sure it's safe. Counterfeit prescription drugs are in all 50 states and have killed people in 42. Xanax, Oxycodone and Adderall are drugs that are commonly counterfeited.

In a few months, The Connecticut Prevention Network, which is comprised of 5 Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations (including The Hub!) and other prevention partners, will be launching an awareness campaign to educate youth, young adults and their parents about the dangers of counterfeit drugs. Stay tuned!
Resources
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools: Improving the School Experiences of LGBTQ+ Students

Barriers in Mental Health Services for Trans, Queer and Non-binary Latinx Communities

Opportunities to Voice Your Opinion
Show Your Support for Recovery Funding

For the first time in our country's history, there is a powerful recommendation for a 10% Recovery Support Set-Aside in the Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SABG) for 2022.

This funding stream would prioritize recovery support programs and recovery community organizations that provide community-level resources for people with substance use disorder beyond primary prevention and clinical treatment.

You can share your opinion with the Governor and Single State Agency (SSA) to show your support for the millions of Americans in and seeking recovery. Send a pre-written letter now.
JUUL created the youth vaping epidemic by targeting teens with kid-friendly flavors, young-looking influencers, and social-media marketing. The CDC’s latest data shows that almost 40% of the 3.6 million teens who vape choose menthol flavor, and largely JUUL.

Any day, the FDA is likely to approve a menthol JUUL, which has been allowed to remain on the market without full regulation. Menthol is not only preferred by nearly 40% of youth who vape, but it also makes it easier to get addicted and harder to quit. If we're going to protect kids from flavored e-cigarettes, menthol is no exception.

You can make your voice heard by sending a letter to the FDA. Visit the PAVe website now.
In the News
Morning People May Be at Lower Risk of Depression

Going to bed early and waking up early may help to provide some protection against depression, a new study suggests. If you are a morning person, you may be at reduced risk for major depression, a new study suggests.

Read more
www.nytimes.com
ER visits for suspected suicide spiked among teen girls...

In the four weeks ending March 20, emergency department visits involving suspected suicide attempts jumped 51% for girls age 12-17 compared with the same period in 2019. For boys, the rate increased by 4%. That's according to a new report from...

Read more
ctmirror.org
Teens drank more than $17 billion worth of alcohol in 2016

A study found that young people in the US consumed more than $17 billion worth of alcohol in 2016. One co-author of the study named hard seltzers as a driver of underage alcohol consumption. A psychiatrist told Insider that the pandemic has...

Read more
www.businessinsider.com
CT House approves recreational marijuana; Senate to vote ...

The House of Representatives voted 76-62 in special session Wednesday for legislation that would create a legal market for recreational marijuana in Connecticut, overcoming a threatened veto over an 11th-hour effort to rewrite the rules for...

Read more
ctmirror.org
The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT
A division of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP) 
Newsletter designed and created in collaboration with Daydream Communications, LLC