August is Teen Mental Health Month + Transgender History Month!
Did you know that August is both Teen Mental Health Month and Transgender History Month?
Teen Mental Health Month occurs every August and is dedicated to promoting and prioritizing the mental well-being of teenagers. It aims to educate, support, and empower teens by providing resources, events, and initiatives focused on mental health and wellness. Here are some important facts highlighting the importance of teen mental health:
- The consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults. (WHO)
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among high school-aged youths aged 15–19 years. (CDC)
- 50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% begins by age 24. (American Psychiatric Association)
Show your support for Teen Mental Health Month at your next virtual meeting. Use our virtual background and spark conversation about how together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in our communities, as well as the broader teenage population.
On August 24th, 2021, Mayor London Breed signed and declared by proclamation, the month of August in the City and County of San Francisco as “Transgender History Month.” It is a month in which we can all honor the rich history and contributions of transgender history makers, pioneers, trailblazers and affirm the ongoing presence of transgender people around the world. Why do we celebrate Transgender History Month in August? on August of 1966, Black and brown trans women and drag queens led a riot at Compton’s Cafeteria in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco. Now known as the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots of 1966, it is regarded as the first large-scale act of resistance of transgender and queer individuals against police harassment in the United States–predating the Stonewall Inn Riots by 3 years.
The riot attracted hundreds of Tenderloin residents in the middle of the night and changed the way transgender individuals were treated in San Francisco. Although smaller than New York’s Stonewall Inn Riots, this was a moment that led to strengthening the transgender community and allies coming together and mobilizing together. Over time this led to changes in “medical practices, urban politics, neighborhood geography, and public consciousness” (Screaming Queens. (n.d.). KQED
Here are some important facts highlighting the importance of recognizing Transgender History Month and continuing to support our communities:
- Transgender adults report struggling with mental health challenges at least one day in the past month (60%), compared with 37% of cisgender adults.*
- Transgender adults report struggling with physical health challenges at least one day in the past month (54%), compared with 36% of cisgender adults.*
- While 30% of cisgender heterosexual adults reported contemplating suicide in their lifetime, this number jumps to 81% for transgender adult respondents.*
- Almost half (48%) of Transgender respondents reported that since the age of 18 they have been physically attacked or sexually assaulted at least once (36% percent for cisgender heterosexual adults).*
- Discrimination or mistreatment by health care providers was experienced by 68 % of transgender respondents of color and nearly 1 in 2 transgender respondents.*
*Protecting and Advancing Health Care for Transgender Adult Communities. (n.d.). Center for American Progress
Learn more at transgenderhistorymonth.com. Show your support for Transgender History Month at your next virtual meeting. Use our virtual background and spark conversation about the month’s history and ways to support trans communities year round.
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