Happy LGBTQIA+ pride month! The month where we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and living openly and authentically.

It’s also a month to honor and celebrate the progress we’ve made in LGBTQIA+ rights… and to stand up against the anti-LGBTQIA+ hate and laws that have been popping up all over the country. The Human Rights Campaign just officially declared a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY for LGBTQ+ Americans. That’s the first time they’ve ever made a declaration like that, because now THIS is the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ bill. There have been more than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law.

I don't want to make this episode all doom and gloom - but it's important to talk about. AND in this episode, we get to celebrate some wonderful humans in the LGBTQIA+ community. People who have graciously come on the pod to share their stories and experiences with mental health. And since identity is very much tied to mental health, they’ve shared stories about coming out, about becoming a drag queen, about queer representation in media, and online harassment…

Clearly, the experience of everyone in the LGBTQ+ community is different, which you’ll hear in these stories.

Here are the wonderful humans we hear from in this episode:
Poison Waters
Megan Mitchell
Lisa Cazes and Alizeé Falque
Lianne Saffer
X. Ari
Logan Lynn
Alayna Joy

Download the HRC's guidebook: https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/LGBTQ-Guidebook-for-Action.pdf

Learn the actual facts about trans people, and combat misinformation: https://www.hrc.org/resources/myths-and-facts-battling-disinformation-about-transgender-rights

Get your .gay domain here: www.godaddy.gay

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You can keep up with Mentally Together on Instagram @mentallytogetherpod. Cassidy's Instagram is @cassidyquinntv, and you can watch the video version of each podcast episode at YouTube.com/cassidyquinn.

Books recommended by Mentally Together guests: https://bookshop.org/lists/mentally-together