29/01/2025Statement on World Mental Health Day
On October 10th, the World Health Organization marks World Mental Health Day, with a special focus on the prevention, raising awareness, and treatment of mental disorders. When discussing mental health, it is crucial to pay particular attention to groups that, due to various forms of violence and oppression, are marginalized, such as lesbians, gay men, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex individuals. Members of marginalized groups face unique challenges in the societies in which they live, due to their specific socioeconomic status and their differences based on gender, sexuality, class, and belonging to particular national, ethnic, or religious groups. Daily encounters with prejudice and discrimination, as well as experiences of psychological, physical, and/or sexual violence, often force us, LGBTI individuals, into situations where we are compelled to live in fear, shame, and hiding.
