Tomorrow brings Norwich Pride, the annual event where Norwich city centre hosts a celebration of the entire spectrum of sexuality.

Combining a march through the city, entertainment and a craft fayre, Norwich Pride gives lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people a chance to celebrate being themselves and highlight the contributions LGBT people make to our community. 

The Pride movement began in the 1970s in response to a climate in which gay people were made to feel ashamed of their sexuality.

In some ways we have a more tolerant culture now, but the statistics for mental health issues among LGBT people are still alarming. Reports compiled in recent years reveal starkly different levels of poor mental health compared to the rest of society. 

In 2022, a YouGov survey found that within the previous year, heterosexual and LGBT people reported experiencing the following issues:

  • Anxiety – heterosexual 7 per cent, LGBT 33 per cent
  • Depression – heterosexual 7 per cent, LGBT 32 per cent
  • Panic attacks – heterosexual 3 per cent, LGBT 17 per cent
  • Stress – heterosexual 7 per cent, LGBT 27 per cent

This followed a study issued in 2018 by Stonewall, the LGBT rights group, which revealed that:

  • Half of LGBT people (52 per cent) had experienced depression in the last year 
  • Among LGBT people aged 18-24, 52 per cent had thought about taking their own life in the last year
  • One in eight LGBT people aged 18-24 (13 per cent) had attempted to take their own life during that period 
  • Almost half of trans people (46 per cent) had thought about taking their own life in the last year. 

The reasons behind these figures are complex. For Dan Hancock, who leads on LGBT issues at Norfolk and Waveney Mind, one underlying factor is the risk of facing prejudice within services that ought to be helping them.

“Almost a quarter of LGBT people (23 per cent) have witnessed discriminatory or negative remarks against LGBT people by healthcare staff,” says Dan, citing the Stonewall report.

“One in eight people who identify as LGBT+ have experienced unequal treatment within mental health services and health services. That then leads into one in seven people who are actually currently avoiding treatment because of this.

“Those figures break off into other figures. It says that for 21 per cent of those people, it’s actually down to experiencing homophobia towards them. However, that rises to 41 per cent for trans people who’ve experienced homophobia.”

Reluctance to access healthcare services is paralleled by the fact that LGBT people seeking help for related issues – e.g. substance misuse – can be deterred from joining general support groups owing to homophobia from non-LGBT service users.

Dan explains: “I know from previous experiences working in drug and alcohol services that LGBTQ people don’t necessarily feel comfortable attending those sort of services, because of the fear that they will face discrimination from other service users in what should be a safe and supportive environment for them.     

“So suddenly you’re being told that you have to go to a group meeting, but then you’re sat among this group of people that you don't feel comfortable with.”

Other factors experienced across the spectrum of LGBT people include stigma, internalised shame, difficult relationships with family members who don’t accept their sexuality or gender, and the lingering effects of past trauma.

A good place to turn to for support with these issues and more is the LGBTQ+ Project (www.lgbtqproject.org.uk, email info@lgbtqproject.org.uk, telephone 01603 219299), which offers tailored support for people in Norfolk experiencing poor mental health related to their sexuality or gender.

In future, Dan hopes that change is afoot, as reflected in the make-up of the House of Commons following the General Election. There are now 64 LGBTQ people sitting as MPs, the highest proportion in any parliament in the world. 

“That is a good foundation for us to build on,” says Dan. “Because it’s something to be proud of.”

At the 16th Norwich Pride tomorrow there will be stalls in The Forum providing information on LGBTQIA+ services and support networks, an art exhibition in The Assembly House, an arts and crafts maker’s market in the Chantry car park, and a main stage in Chapelfield Gardens, showcasing local, national and international LGBTQIA+ talent.

Lowestoft Pride is on Saturday, August 3 in Sparrows Nest Gardens, where there will be live performers, stallholders and food and drink vendors. For more information or take part, contact admin@lowestofttowncouncil.gov.uk. 

And King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride will be held on August 17 in the Tuesday Market Place – for more information, call 07961 995705.