Protecting Mental Health With Family Support For LGBTQ+ Youth Of Color

Mental health challenges are common in children and teenagers who identify as LGBTQ+ due to a higher risk of discrimination and bullying, and these risks are even higher for LGBTQ+ children of color. While systemic barriers are the underlying cause of these challenges, family support may act as a protective factor to promote the mental health of young people who hold multiple marginalized identities. Read on for a brief overview of how parents and caregivers can support queer children and teens of color and promote their mental well-being.

Understanding the challenges facing LGBTQ+ youth  

Childhood and adolescence can be stressful, as young people explore their identities and relationships and adapt to their changing bodies while learning more about the world around them. However, some young people have to face additional, external challenges and obstacles because they hold one or more marginalized identities. Queer youth of color—especially transgender, non-binary, and other gender non-conforming (GNC) young people—are at higher risk of negative mental health outcomes due to these types of lived experiences.

For example, consider the fact that LGBTQ+ high schoolers are more likely to attempt suicide (22%) than non-LGBTQ+ high schoolers (5%)—and that BIPOC high schoolers are even more likely (27%) than both groups. This highlights both the overlapping challenges and the compounding effects of living as a young queer person of color in today’s world, given that they may experience discrimination, bullying, and other effects based on both their race and their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Barriers to acceptance and their mental health effects

Many of the negative mental health effects that queer individuals experience stem from a lack of acceptance of queer identities in today's society, which can lead to harmful impacts like harassment, discrimination, and even violence. Because these attitudes exist in society at large, many queer youth fear similar reactions at home.

For queer youth of color, additional barriers to having their basic needs met and receiving social support, for example, may exist due to discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, or culture. The result is that BIPOC queer youth may be at higher risk of serious challenges related to a lack of acceptance. A few statistics illustrate these risks:

• Only four in 10 LGBTQ+ youth report being out to their parents. Of those who have come out to their parents, almost 60% have received at least one negative reaction, such as mocking or shaming.
• It’s been estimated that approximately one in four teens are forced to leave their homes after coming out to their parents or caregivers due to rejection.
• LGBTQ+ young adults experience homelessness atmore than twice the rate of their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts, with Black LGBTQ+ youth facing the highest rates of homelessness.
• Nearly half of Native/Indigenous LGBTQ+ youth have experienced homelessness or housing instability at some point in their life.
• A disproportionate number of those in child welfare systemsare LGBTQ+ youth of color.
• According to one survey, LGBTQ+ youth who report housing instability or homelessness are two to four times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, self-harm, and thoughts of suicide.

Again, although the challenges queer youth and youth of color face stem from systemic issues and barriers, family acceptance and support can be a crucial lifeline.

Strategies for providing family support for LGBTQ+ youth of color

Because of the barriers and challenges they face in the world, queer children and teens of color can benefit from extra support. Parents and caregivers who want to know more about how to support their LGBTQ+ youth might consider the following strategies.

Educate yourself on gender identity and sexual orientation

If you’re not queer yourself, making an effort to understand different LGBTQ+ issues, terms, and history may help you better support your child. There are plenty of resources available that can share important information about queer experiences, including both joys and challenges. You might explore books, podcasts, and videos from queer BIPOC creators, and you may even find reputable and affirming workshops or lectures on LGBTQ+-related topics to attend online or in your area.

Provide a safe space

Again, given the difficulties that queer youth of color are at higher risk of facing outside the home, ensuring that they feel safe and welcomed within the home can be paramount. You might strive to make it clear to your child that you accept them no matter what and that they can be themselves around you. For parents of transgender or GNC youth in particular, using their preferred name and pronouns can be life-saving. You may also encourage your child to develop positive relationships with people who support them and advocate for them if they’re experiencing prejudice or bullying.

Encourage open communication

Your LGBTQ+ child may have complicated feelings about their culture, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation, or how they intersect. It may help to make them feel comfortable discussing these topics, so they know they can come to you for support about them. If/when they do, you might aim to listen actively and patiently and only offer advice if asked. Try to avoid putting pressure on them to “figure out” their identity, and practice using inclusive language in daily life.

Stay culturally connected

Research from 2025 links “identity-building and affirmation” to well-being in young people, with the authors advocating for promotion of a sense of “connected belonging” to improve outcomes. Considering this finding, it’s likely that LGBTQ+ children of color could benefit from being able to celebrate their culture while also being accepted and loved for their queer identity. To this end, you might think about how you can integrate traditional foods, artwork, and celebrations into your lifestyle to connect with your child over shared experiences. You might also try looking for ways to make cultural activities more LGBTQ+-inclusive.

Celebrate LGBTQ+ diversity

Similarly, celebrating LGBTQ+ achievements, events, and history may also help your child explore and take pride in that aspect of their identity. You might try learning about prominent LGBTQ+ historical figures with your child or choosing movies and books featuring LGBTQ+ characters. You could also consider connecting with the families of other LGBTQ+ children and attending any queer-positive events in your area to foster a sense of community.

How seeking mental health support can be helpful for parents

In addition to connecting your child with mental health support if needed, speaking with a mental health professional yourself could be helpful. Parenting can be stressful, and these stressors may be amplified when your child faces a world that’s often discriminatory toward LGBTQ+ people and individuals of color. A therapist—especially one who is also queer, also a person of color, and/or culturally informed—can provide you with a safe space to discuss your fears and concerns, address stress levels and any mental health symptoms, and feel supported in your parenting journey.

That said, many individuals—including people of color—face significant barriers to receiving mental health care. Online therapy may help reduce some of these barriers. It can be an option for receiving care for those who live in an area with few providers. It can offer connection to a broader pool of therapists for those who may not have providers with a similar background or cultural sensitivity training nearby. It can be a more convenient method of receiving support for those with a busy schedule who don’t have time to commute to and from in-person appointments, and it’s often more affordable than in-person sessions without insurance.

And some providers on platforms like BetterHelp may be in-network for your insurance plan (in select states), with co-pays averaging about $19/week for eligible members.*

*Coverage varies by plan, provider, and therapist availability.

If you’re interested in getting started with online therapy, you can sign up with a platform like BetterHelp and share your needs and preferences in a provider by filling out a brief questionnaire. After that, most people can be matched with a licensed therapist in as little as 48 hours. You can then meet with them via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging from anywhere you have an internet connection. Research suggests that online therapy is often as effective as in-person care, so you can feel confident in the quality of support you may receive either way.