Why Pride Matters: Mental Health and Allyship
By Dr. Christina Amico, Clinical & School Psychologist
Pride Matters Because Some People Are Made to Feel They Would Be Better Off Not Being Themselves
Pride is a celebration of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, but it is also a response to a painful reality: many queer and trans people grow up in environments where they may feel unsafe, unwelcome, or fundamentally “wrong” for simply being who they are. For some, these experiences become so overwhelming that they begin to believe they would be better off not existing as themselves. Pride exists, in part, to push back against that message and affirm a different truth: that queer and trans lives are valuable, valid, and worth protecting.
The Origins of Pride
Pride traces its roots to the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 in New York City, a pivotal moment in 2SLGBTQIA+ history. The uprising emerged in response to ongoing police harassment and violence targeting queer spaces, particularly against drag queens, transgender people, and queer people of colour. Key figures such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both trans women of colour, played central roles in resisting this violence and organizing early queer liberation movements.
Pride was never intended to be only celebratory. It is also a protest; a reminder of resistance, survival, and the ongoing fight for dignity and equality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, Two-Spirit, and queer people have always been part of this movement, which has long been shaped by intersectionality and collective advocacy.
Current Realities Facing Queer and Trans Communities
Today, queer and trans communities are becoming more visible in public life while also facing growing political and social scrutiny. Public debates about gender identity, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, and inclusion increasingly shape whether people feel accepted, acknowledged, or safe within their schools, homes, workplaces, and communities.
For many queer and trans children, youth, and adults, this can look like being told they are “confused,” hearing their identities debated publicly, or feeling erased in educational and social spaces. Even the presence of a Pride flag has become controversial, as though acknowledging 2SLGBTQIA+ people is inherently political rather than a reflection of real lived experiences.
The impact of this is not abstract. It shapes how people understand themselves, whether they feel safe expressing who they are, and whether they can imagine a future where they belong.
Mental Health and Queer Identities
When we discuss the experiences of queer and trans people, we must also consider their mental health. According to research conducted by Kingsbury and Findlay (2024), 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in Canada often experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers. Research suggests that these disparities are linked to minority stress experienced by gender-diverse and sexually diverse youth, which can arise from bullying, interpersonal violence, cybervictimization, family rejection, social isolation, lack of affirming support, and systemic discrimination.
It is also important to recognize that identity does not exist in a vacuum, but is shaped by intersecting systems of power and social location, including factors such as race, class, and ability. Many people are both queer and neurodivergent, and these intersecting identities can shape how individuals move through the world. Navigating multiple forms of difference can add complexity to everyday life, from communication and social expectations to finding environments that feel safe and affirming. Misunderstandings may arise when others lack the awareness or language needed to fully understand these experiences.
Because of this, access to even one consistent supportive space—whether at home, school, work, or within a community—where a person does not need to explain or defend who they are, is important to reduce isolation and support well-being.
How Harm Is Perpetuated
Invalidation, exclusion, fear, and hostility make emotional safety difficult to maintain. Ignoring how one may contribute to these environments does not reduce their impact; it often deepens it. Harm is often subtle, normalized, and woven into everyday interactions. It can include:
Dismissing or questioning someone’s pronouns or identity
Treating queerness as a phase or trend
Assuming heterosexuality or cisgender identity as the default
Limiting or silencing 2SLGBTQIA+ conversations in schools
Making stereotypical jokes
Avoiding conversations about identity and mental health altogether
Individually, these behaviours may appear minor, but over time, they communicate exclusion. They reinforce the message that queer and trans people are not fully safe, respected, or accepted.
Allyship in Action at Home
Support does not require perfection, but it does require intention.
Approach conversations with your kids with curiosity rather than assumptions. Listen without immediately filtering your child's experiences through pre-existing beliefs or stereotypes.
Learn to recognize microaggressions, including misgendering, intrusive questioning, dismissive language, or treating identity as something that requires justification. Awareness is an important first step toward change.
Be willing to engage in meaningful conversations about identity. For many queer and trans youth, these conversations are directly connected to their sense of safety, belonging, and self-worth.
It is also important to manage your own emotional responses. These discussions can feel uncomfortable, especially when they challenge long-held assumptions, but discomfort can be part of growth. Supportive environments are built when people are willing to remain open, reflective, and accountable.
Most importantly, remember that support often begins in ordinary, everyday spaces. Queer and trans youth do not need their identities debated; they need to know they are safe enough to exist authentically.
A Final Reflection
As a queer psychologist, I understand that the stories people carry about themselves are often shaped long before they ever enter a therapy room. They come from words and narratives overheard in the home, in the classroom, and on social media.
Much of the distress experienced by queer and trans people is rooted in the ongoing strain of navigating invalidation, misunderstanding, and silence. What can make the greatest difference in the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ people is not a large gesture, but whether a loved one has even one safe space where they are not required to justify who they are to be treated with care and respect.
This is why conversations like these matter beyond awareness alone. They shape the conditions people are living in right now. They influence whether young people feel permitted to exist openly, whether families feel equipped to support them, and whether communities move toward greater compassion or further harm.
Pride, in this sense, is not only a celebration or historical marker. It is a reminder of what becomes possible when people are allowed to exist without constantly negotiating their legitimacy. It is also a reminder that dignity is not something queer and trans people must earn...it is something they already deserve.
Reach Out for Support
Seeking support is an act of strength.
At The Thought Centre, we are committed to providing therapy for sexual and gender minorities. If you are looking for a space to find support, we are here.
Our team would be honoured to walk alongside you.
References
Kingsbury, M., & Findlay, L. (2024). Mental health and access to support among 2SLGBTQ+ youth. Statistics Canada. https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82‑003‑x202401100002‑eng