50 Family Members Showing Just How Much They Love And Support Their LGBTQ+ Kids And Grandkids (New Pics)

Dr. Ramo highlighted that even mental health is challenging for everyone right now, however, she also added there is particular adversity for LGBTQ+ folks.

"People who identify as LGBTQ+ have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and are more likely to consider suicide compared to cis-gender, heterosexual people," Dr. Ramo told Bored Panda. "There are clear links between mental health challenges among LGBTQ+ people and stigma and discrimination. Many LGBTQ+ people report experiencing stigma around their identity and may have lower levels of support in their homes and their communities. They are also more likely to be victims of violence."

If we were to look at numbers, we'd see that, sadly, around 40% of LGBTQ+ adults have experienced rejection from a family member or a close friend, while roughly 86% of LGBTQ+ youth are being harassed or assaulted at school. Additionally, only 37% of the latter identified their home as an LGBTQ+-affirming space.

There can be a number of reasons why some families may have trouble accepting their LGBTQ+ family members for who they are. According to Dr. Ramo, these include "their own fear or discomfort with LGBTQ+ identity, often guided by their religious beliefs or other teachings, and/or their fears that their family members will be treated differently because they identify as LGBTQ+."

In certain cases, the clinical psychologist said this can lead to people advocating or forcing their family member to undergo so-called conversation therapy—the practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Conversation therapy has been proven not to work and in fact is harmful to LGBTQ+ individuals. Young LGBTQ+ people often experience conversation therapy as a form of family rejection, leading to low self-esteem, and mental health challenges."

"There is a clear link between family support and thriving among LGBTQ+ individuals," Dr. Ramo stressed. "For example, the Trevor Project National Survey showed that LGBTQ+ youth who felt high social support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt low or moderate social support. Family support can have a positive impact on LGBTQ+ individuals' mental health by helping them feel confident in who they are and by bolstering their ability to get through challenges from society and other environments like discrimination and stigma."

Dr. Ramo said family support can be especially helpful to LGBTQ+ people when it's expressed not only to them but also to their LGBTQ+ friends and partners, whether it's talking to them about their identity, using names and pronouns correctly, or supporting their gender expression.

Pride is celebrated in June, as that was the month when the Stonewall riots took place.

The Stonewall riots began on June 29, 1969. On that night, decades of discrimination and police brutality against queer and trans people, especially LGBTQ+ people of color, culminated in six days of rebellion at a queer bar in the West Village, The Stonewall Inn.

Following the Stonewall Uprising, the first Pride march was held in New York City in 1970. Originally, marches took place on the last Sunday in June as Gay Pride Day or Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day, but later spread out across the month and continued as a tradition over the past half-century.

Pride is a celebration of people coming together in love and friendship, it's meant to show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and also how in some places there's still work to be done.

Of course, you can express your support for the LGBTQ+ community even if nobody from your social circle belongs to it. It's all about acceptance, equality, educating yourself and raising awareness.

Keep in mind that although most Pride events see people wear more rainbow-themed clothing and accessories than usual, and there's often lots of partying, dancing, and making out, you never have to participate in anything you don't want to!

Dr. Ramo also said there are a number of free online resources for LGBTQ+ people to support self-esteem, identity development, crisis support, and thriving. Some of the ones she recommends include the Trevor Project Crisis Support, the imi guide for LGBTQ+ teens, and PFLAG for parents and families.