Pandemic has deepened challenges LGBTQ youth experience
By Ulku Simsek
When Mariana Montoya lost access to campus-provided safe space and the ability to have meet-ups with other LGBTQ youth during the pandemic, her mental health took a toll. For Montaya, the need for being physically surrounded by people who are supportive and understanding was an essential need, especially during the lockdown and global pandemic.
“At first it was confusing but as the things got worse as the time passed, I knew it was going to take a long time to go back to normal life, and I didn’t know if I was ready for that,” said Montaya regarding her struggles during the pandemic.
Montoya was not the only one. For many college students, the forced homecoming due to the pandemic has been particularly difficult for those whose families either do not know or reject their LGBTQ identities according to therapists and students themselves. Distancing was not merely exclusive to keeping 6 feet between physical bodies but also drawing back mentally and emotionally as well.
Montoya is a current Pasadena City College student and the president of the PCC Queer Alliance club. She has been involved in the club for two semesters now and says transitioning the club to a virtual environment was challenging.
“Although the PCC Queer club welcomes anyone, it specifically provides a safe space for individuals like me, who are part of the LGBTQ community. Before the pandemic and the lockdowns, we were able to meet face to face and get to know each other better and support each other going through difficult times. It was definitely easier to do all that when we were physically together.”
The PCC Queer Club was able to hold their meeting through zoom calls and still plan events that would help the youth on campus. Events ranged from club exclusive discussions to guest speakers to guided meditations. “Many people felt isolated and wanted an outlet to voice out their concerns and struggles. I believe our club interactions helped relieve some of those issues” says Montoya. She is currently getting ready to transfer to UC San Diego next fall as a computer science major and planning to be involved on campus to help the LGBTQ youth.
Many students went from experiencing the immense relief of independence and belonging to once again feeling trapped in an environment that threatens to unravel their hard-won self-confidence.
Despite major shifts in public attitude toward LGBTQ people over recent years, many parents still struggle to affirm their queer and transgender children. According to a nationwide survey of LGBTQ college students by University of Maryland researchers, 30% said they heard their families make negative comments about LGBTQ people more often during the pandemic, and 35% said they lied to their families about their identities more often.
Since last March, Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline for transgender people, has recorded an 18% jump in calls in which people talk about being rejected by their families. The number of people contacting the Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for LGBTQ youths, doubled at times in 2020.
According to a new report by the Point Foundation and the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, LGBTQ students were more than twice as likely to have lost student housing than non-LGBTQ students (15 percent versus 6 percent, respectively). Nearly half of LGBTQ students who moved home during the pandemic were not out to their families about their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Former PCC student Marcos, who would like to keep their identity private due to privacy concerns, says that they had to relocate multiple times during the pandemic because living with their family who does not know about their identity was extremely difficult.
“It felt like going back to square one. All the confidence I build over the years was crumbling and I did not know how to handle it all. Being physically present on campus was a distraction for me and the school does provide some help if you seek help” says Marcos “but with the restrictions and the lockdowns I was I did not know what to do.”
Besides the PCC Queer Club, the campus also has a special center for LGBTQ and Undocumented youth called the QUEST Center. The center’s main focus is to ensure that they are creating a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ and Undocumented community at PCC. They ensure students are connected to their resources and services, as well as campus and outside resources. The QUEST Center has multiple resource advocates that connect one on one with students to address all questions/concerns and provide support for workshops and events.
Desiree Recarte, a resource advocate at the QUEST, says they worked diligently especially during the pandemic to provide any necessary help possible to those in need. The number of students who reached out to the center increased compared to pre-covid times.
“We had students reach out to the QUEST center for additional support due to the stress of the pandemic. We ensured to connect these students to PCC’s Personal Counseling and/or outside mental health resources available within their area. We also hosted events related to health and wellness back in April, in collaboration with Cerro Coso Community College. We hosted a week full of discussions on Queer mental health during a pandemic, several guest speakers sharing their coming out stories, personal experiences and their life journeys” say Recarte.
Just like many other services for students, the QUEST went fully remote during the pandemic when the campus was closed. However, they still supported students by conducting zoom meetings, phone calls and making sure they could help if technology was not accessible. For example, offering QUEST loan laptops and providing assistance in finding free or reduced WiFi services.
“One of the hardships that the center faced transitioning to a virtual setting was not being able to have in-person interactions. A lot of our events and workshops are super interactive and it would have been awesome for students to connect with other peers in person rather than on-screen” adds Recarte.
Some specific resources provided to the LGBTQ+ community at PCC by the QUEST includes; Preferred name and gender marker requests, weekly mental health services (LavenderQChat Peer Support Group) in collaboration with their very own Personal Counseling department, LGBTQ+ programming such as career identity navigation workshops, LGBTQ+ health, and wellness workshops, and LGBTQ+ identifying guest speaker events.
Although the school provides some help to those who seek additional help, the reality for the LGBTQ community is much harsher. As the PCC planning to open its campus upcoming fall, the future is still uncertain and many youths still feel like they are back at square one, and it is unclear if the school will implement any additional support for these communities to further help them in their struggle.
