It wasn’t until they worked with their high school counselor, who identified as a gay man, that their mental health began to improve.
In addition to being a resource center – helping people find housing, healthcare, and meet other needs – Gay City serves as place for people to congregate.
LGBTQ youth are more likely to experience homelessness, food insecurity, or unresolved medical issues that may lead them towards cannabis use.
Using marijuana is a way to cope with that.” Given these exclusions, LGBTQ youth look for ways to cope, even if the strategy is harmful to their health.
Reyes, as a member of Gay City’s YAC, is involved in an assessment of LGBTQ youth cannabis use in King County, in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Youth Marijuana Prevention and Education Program and Matt Harnpadoungsataya, a graduate student at the University of Washington.
After the assessment is finished, the YAC will again partner with Public Health to take action on the findings, making changes to decrease stressors or support healthier coping.
Early findings from the YAC’s assessment suggest that upstream factors, particularly those that help develop healthy coping skills, may be key to preventing cannabis use.
However, strategies that are further upstream are likely to have an even greater impact on whether an LGBTQ individual copes with cannabis.
Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center – Central hub for LGBTQ individuals seeking affirming and responsive resources, wellness, and community.