Welcome to our June Newsletter

In Honor of Pride Month and Juneteenth

We stand with our LGBTQIA2S+ and gender expansive community and work to center and uplift the experiences of our Queer and Trans families.

LGTBQIA2S+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify.

portlandiamuseum.org

What can we do to help? We can listen. We can support. We can advocate. We can stay informed. And we can speak up.

The Human Rights Campaign has a toolkit on Being an LGBTQ+ Ally here. The UC Davis LGBTQIA Resource Center describes different ways to be an ally here.

If you know of any youth needing support, the California Coalition for Youth has a Youth Crisis Line operating 24/7 by phone or text: 1-800-843-5200. Positive Images has a list of additional support hotlines here.

ACEs, Mental and Behavioral Health Among LGBTQ+

Adults and Youth

What are ACEs and why are they important? ACEs stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences- traumatic or stressful events that happen before age 18. Research has shown a link between exposure to ACEs and later physical, behavioral and mental health problems. This is because trauma and stress can interfere with a brain’s development, including the ability to develop positive coping strategies.

In Sonoma County, for years 2016-2019, 43.9% of children were reported to have experienced at least 1 ACE. In 2021, 57.7% of adults reported having experienced 2 or more ACEs.

Research has shown that adults who identify as LGBTQIA+ report higher rates of ACEs than their straight counterparts. They also report worse mental health. The more prevalent ACEs reported in this study were emotional abuse (57%), physical abuse (40%) and household mental illness (40%).

We know that ACEs can come from many different types of childhood experiences, including racism, descrimination, bullying, environment, community and within the houshold. We can help families and youth with histories of ACEs, or at risk for ACEs, by connecting them to needed resources and supportive services.

The Children’s Partnership reports that California's LGBTQ+ youth are 2X more likely to report feeling sad, hopeless and anxious as a reason why they missed school. They are also 2X more likely to miss school because they do not feel safe, and 2X more likely to report feeling afraid of being beaten up.

In Sonoma County for years 2017-2019, 69.6% of gay/lesbian/bisexual adolescents reported depression-related feelings compared to 26.5% of straight adolescents, and 37.4% of adolescents who weren’t sure of their sexual orientation identity.

Suicidal ideation among adolescents followed a similar trend in Sonoma County- 45.6% of gay/lesbian/bisexual adolescents reported suicidal ideation compared to 13.9% of straight adolescents and 28.5% of those who were unsure of their sexual orientation identity.

Affirming Pregnancy Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Patients

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant often have negative experiences accessing health care and may face barriers to care or discrimination from providers. Perception of exclusion by health care providers leads 2SLGBTQ+ patients to be fearful of mistreatment and to underuse health care services. Repeated exposure to stigma and discrimination increases the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. Education can increase competency so health care providers can provide affirming care to those identifying with diverse sexual and gender identities.

Click Here for our most updated Doula Database.

Cisnormative and Neutral Language

The table below is a good reminder to use inclusive and neutral language when speaking with our LGBTQIA2S+ families. Ask your new clients what their preferred pronouns are. We should never assume our patients or clients are cisgender or straight simply by how they appear to us.

LGBTQ+ individuals may have people in their lives that have conflict based on their identity and thus creating pressures in the relationships they are a part of. Creating healthy family/guardian relationships may aid in safe and comfortable pre-conception and inter-conception conversation to start a family. Please click links below for virtual support groups.

The Neighborhood: A Virtual Hub for LGBTQ+ Families - offers LGBTQ+ families and those who wish to form them opportunities to connect with one another, learn, grow, and have fun.

Facebook group with almost 1,000 members to

a robust library and calendar of family activities.

From EverywomanCalifornia.com

See Below For Events Happening This Week!

The Santa Rosa - Sonoma Branch and the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference remains committed to supporting, uplifting, and empowering the LGBTQIA+ community.

They will be participating in PRIDE events across the County:

Cotati Pride on Wednesday, June 26th from 4 pm - 7:30pm

https://naacpsantarosasonomaco.org/

Go to Positive Images Instagram page for the link to join by zoom. https://www.instagram.com/positiveimages/?hl=en

Click link below for additional drop-in support this month! https://www.posimages.org/home

On June 19, 1865, a significant milestone was reached in the journey towards freedom and equality when the news of emancipation reached the slaves in Texas, (2 years later) marking a pivotal moment in history. The legacy of perseverance and resilience displayed by those who fought for freedom serves as a powerful reminder that the pursuit of liberation is an ongoing journey that requires unwavering dedication and commitment to dismantling the racist structures and systems that continue to harm our BIPOC communities.

Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in "East Woods" on East 24th Street in Austin. Credit: Austin History Center.

Enjoy your Summer!

Sonoma County Maternal Child Adolescent Health Website

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