Gay Body Image & Eating Disorders

Banning "Conversion Therapy" in Ohio

From the Columbus Dispatch:  

“If they are already questioning their sexuality, we don’t want them to think there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed,” Sen. Charleta Tavares said.

California banned sexual-orientation therapy last year for anyone younger than 18. In August, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, signed a similar law. Tavares said her bill more closely mirrors the New Jersey law, leaving penalties up to professional licensing boards.

She said it is an issue that she and her Democratic colleagues thought they needed to be more proactive in addressing, noting the higher rates of suicide among gays. She said she does not know whether so-called conversion therapy is used much in Ohio, but she said that even if it’s rare, the bill still sends a message.

“We don’t want to do any harm to a child,” she said.

Reversing Alzheimer's

GA Republican: Relax Gun Restrictions on Mentally Ill

Are Gay/Bi Men Happier Than Straight Guys?

From The Advocate:

Gay and bisexual men are happier than straight men — as long as they're out, according to a new University of Montreal study published in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. According to USA Today, the study of 87 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual Canadians — some out, some still in the closet — found that queer folks who had come out to their family and friends "have less anxiety, depression, and burnout" than those who hadn't. Moreover, the study's lead author Robert-Paul Juster, said that, as a group, out gay and bi men "were less likely to be depressed than heterosexual men and had less physiological problems than heterosexual men."

~

The study is a surprise since it comes on the heels of other studies that pointed to high levels of depression in LGBT folks, especially during the coming-out process. But, Juster said, "Something about coming out of the closet might make them more resilient — if you go through a major, stressful event like that you have to develop coping strategies that you might be able to use in the future. We also saw body mass index and inflammation were lower in gay and bisexual men, which fits with the idea that they're taking better care of their bodies than heterosexual men."

NRA Suggests Fascist Measures Against Mentally Ill