74% or three-quarters of the LGBTQI+ community have said that the pandemic anxiety and stress took a toll on their mental health. About half of these respondents reported a significant negative impact from the pandemic than non-LGBT individuals (23%). Moreover, 56% of the LGBTQI+ community encountered a spike in the percentage of CoViD-era job losses. These were some of the results based on the analysis conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation from the accounts of self-identified LGBTQI+ individuals from the two-month running KFF CoViD-19 Vaccine Monitor.
Despite the lack of statistics on how the epidemic affected the lives of LGBTQI+ people in the United States, the economy and mental health took a hit. These are some of the most significant findings the LGBTQI+ community faced. While reliable statistics are unavailable in the Philippines, safe spaces have responded proactively to the said community’s demands. Queer Safe Spaces (QSS) is a youth-led nonprofit organization that aims to educate, support, and empower the Filipino queer community and physical spaces (other than nightclubs) where people spend most of their time.
Fighting for equitable mental health services for LGBTQIA+
The Philippines is no exception to how the CoVid-19 pandemic has further aggravated the disparate mental health needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. In an article released by the Manila Bulletin on creating spaces for LGBTQI+ Youth, QSS co-founder Roanne Carreon expressed that the pandemic has led them to form a support group for queer people and allies. Allies are those who support homosexuality, biphobia, equal civil rights to fight transphobia, gender equality, and LGBTQIA+ social movements. Furthermore, Carreon pointed out the high prices of mental health services that make them inaccessible to many, including herself, as she shared her experience of failing to avail of them earlier. This prompted her to launch an initiative to provide subsidized mental health services for the Filipino queer people.
YMP LeaD extends its telepsychology services to Queer Safe Spaces
Enter YMP LeaD’s newly-extended Health Arm, agapay. Inspired by the Filipino word, which means “support,” agapay is a safe, inclusive, and affordable mental health telepsychology online platform composed of trusted psychologists who will directly handle and address an individual’s psychological needs to ensure them a healthy and sound mind. (You can book their teleconsultation service through this link: bit.ly/agapayCRS_MB)
Committed to its mission to educate and empower various sectors and provide solutions that streamline learning in different community settings, YMP LeaD adheres to its core value of making a difference every day and winning with inclusion and diversity. As the organization is also cognizant of addressing the mental health needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, it has recently partnered with Queer Safe Spaces (QSS), intending to provide subsidized teleconsultations for two to three queer individuals per month.
Aside from psychological teleconsultations, YMP LeaD offers consultancy for wellness programs, in-person and online training and workshops, and online review coaching for aspiring psychometricians and psychologists. YMP LeaD is proud to share that in the BLEPP 2022, 22 YMP Masterclass pioneers passed the board, while two achieved the top 5 and 8 posts.
Get to know more about YMP LeaD and Queer Safe Spaces through their social media channels, and learn more about their advocacies and how to avail of their services! Both organizations are also open to partnerships.
YMP LeaD
Your Millennial Psychologist’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourmillennialpsychologist
Your Millennial Psychologist’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourmillennialpsychologist
YMP LeaD’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ymplead
YMP LeaD’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ymplead
Queer Safe Spaces
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queersafespacesph
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queersafespacesph
