Each week HuffPost Queer Voices, in a partnership with blogger Scout, LGBT HealthLink and researcher Susana Fajardo, brings you a round up of some of the biggest LGBT wellness stories from the past seven days. For more LGBT Wellness, visit our page dedicated to the topic here.
State Marriage Bans Associated With Less Stable Same- AND Opposite-Sex Couples
Relationship stability is a key indicator of well-being. A new study provides some of the first data for this on same-sex couples. Contrary to some hypothesis, same-sex cohabiting couples were as stable as their opposite-sex counterparts. Interestingly, both types of cohabiting couples were less stable in states that had same-sex marriage bans as of 2008.
New More Precise Estimates of Our Health Disparities
Large scale National Health Interview Survey data provide us with better than ever estimates of health disparities for LGB people. As just a few examples: gay men are 2.8x more likely and bi men are 4.7x as likely to report severe psychological distress than straight men; lesbians are 2.3x as likely to report heavy smoking than other women; and bi women are 2x as likely to report multiple chronic conditions.
National Parent-Teacher Association Calls For LGBT-Inclusive Health Standards
At its annual convention, the National PTA called for health education standards in schools to cover sexual orientation and gender identity issues, citing the effect that better understanding of these topics has on improving mental health and reducing bullying.
Equality California Spotlights Health, Supports $2/Pack Cigarette Tax
Equality California has been “honing in on LGBT health issues” after other legislative advancements have been secured statewide. The Executive Director, Rick Zbur, reports they’re working on getting people insured, training doctors to be welcoming, and supporting a proposal to pass a new statewide cigarette tax.
Gay & Lesbian Medical Association to Meet on Intersectional Identities
GLMA announced that it is opening registration for its September conference in St. Louis, which will aim to break new ground by focusing on the intersectionality of LGBT identities with those such as race and socioeconomic status.