Policy changes regarding gun violence are urgent, but they must be based in real risk factors. Data consistently shows that mental health disabilities don’t lead to gun violence.
Stop scapegoating disabled folks, and focus on effective changes.
Mental healthcare needs to be reformed, but that discussion and discussions about preventing mass shootings are not intertwined. The culprit is American gun legislation and American gun culture.
We stand with ASAN in focusing on finding and enacting real solutions to gun violence.
Your mental health is important. Because of the coronavirus, people all around the world are experiencing high levels of mental and emotional stress. That’s why this year’s Mental Health Month initiative will focus on common aspects of isolation and loneliness: how to protect, maintain, and improve your mental health, how to manage your relationships inside and outside of your household, how to combat boredom, and how to deal with the grief you might be feeling.
All month long our friends at Ditch the Label (@ditchthelabel), a UK anti-bullying non-profit, will post resources to guide you through some of the emotional hardships you may be feeling right now. Here on @postitforward, we’ll be reblogging the best stuff we see from them, the top-notch stuff we see from the rest of the Tumblr community, and posting exclusive original art from some of our very own Tumblr @creatrs.
Some of you may be concerned with your mental health for the first time in your life. For others, existing mental health issues may be exacerbated by current events—especially for those of you who may be quarantined with people whose values are at odds with your own. We see you, and we want to help.
If you don’t want to see these posts, that’s okay! Taking good care of your mind comes in many forms. We’ll tag all of our posts with “cw mental health month” as well as more specific tags when appropriate so you can use the tag filtering tool to keep them from your dashboard. And, hey, if you’re looking for a totally stress-free zone, go out and check out Cozy (@cozy)—it’s a blog we created to embrace a little escapism. Otherwise, be sure to give Ditch the Label (@ditchthelabel) a follow if you’re interested in the tools and guidance they will be providing starting May 4.
Gun violence claims 100 lives every day in the United States. No other developed nation experiences gun violence of this magnitude.
More than five years ago, 20 children and six adults were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Since then, the United States has seen more than 2,000 mass shootings. From an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando to a church in Charleston, from a concert in Las Vegas to a high school in Parkland — gun violence is an epidemic. For every day that our elected officials fail to address gun violence, another community risks being upended by a massacre.
As a health care provider, Planned Parenthood is committed to the fundamental right of all people to live safe and healthy lives without the fear of violence.
Safety In Schools
Schools are meant to be safe — they are sites of growth and development for young people. But as of 2013, nearly 2,900 children and teens are shot and killed at school every year. In Kentucky, a 15-year-old boy opened fire at Marshall County High School, killing 15-year-olds Bailey Holt and Preston Cope. Only weeks later, another school was disrupted by unimaginable violence. On February 14, in Parkland, Fl., a 19-year-old man opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing at least 17 people.
Parents should never have to fear that their children will lose their lives to senseless gun violence. That’s why young people and people of color are have mobilized the nation around gun violence prevention, and many organizations have been leading gun violence prevention research, education, and community organizing. We must also give credit to the young Black activists who have been fighting to end gun violence for years.
To elected officials who’ve neglected to use their legislative power to sensibly respond to these massacres, we ask: When is enough, enough? Policymakers should take notice and listen to their constituents.
Guns and Violence Against Women
Ending intimate partner violence, which disproportionately affects women, is a matter of basic rights and equality for families. One in threewomen have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner, and when women are 21 times more likely to be killed with guns in the U.S than any other developed nation, it’s imperative that we closely examine this link. Fifty-two women are shot to death by intimate partners in an average month, and women who are abused are five times more likely to be killed when their abuser owns a firearm.
Having a history of domestic violence is also a disturbing trend among perpetrators of recent mass shootings. We saw this in Sutherland Springs, where a man who had previously been court-martialed and convicted of domestic violence was able to kill 26 people with a gun. We also saw this in Orlando, where a man who had been physically abusive to his former wife used a gun to kill 49 people. We cannot let this dangerous pattern continue.
Gun Violence Against Marginalized Communities
The rate of gun violence has already reached unprecedented numbers in the United States, but it’s communities of color who bear the brunt of the epidemic. As Everytown for Gun Safety notes, too many of our lawmakers prioritize the gun lobby’s dangerous agenda — including policies like “Stand Your Ground” that lead to increased violence against people of color and make it more likely their deaths will be deemed justifiable in court. Black men are nearly 10 times as likely to be killed with a gun as White men, and Black women are three times as likely to be killed with a gun as White women. Additionally, our broken criminal justice system subjects people of color to systemic gun violence at the hands of law enforcement. Solutions to gun violence must take into account the effects of racism, law enforcement, and mass incarceration on communities of color.
People with disabilities face gun violence at the hands of law enforcement as well. One-third to half of all people killed by law enforcement have a disability, according to the Ruderman Family Foundation, a disability advocacy organization. No person should have to fear they or their loved ones may die at the hands of those entrusted to protect and serve them.
Gun violence also disproportionately affects transgender communities. In fact, 2017 was one of the deadliest years for transgender people — especially trans women of color. 28 trans people were killed by violent means, with more than half being victims of gun violence. Among those killed with guns were Mesha Caldwell, Chyna Gibson, and Chay Reed. The transphobia in our communities is the root of these tragedies, and we must address it alongside commonsense gun policies.
Break The Cycle, Fight Back
We cannot lose hope that real change is possible. From Black Lives Matter, which gained momentum after a man was acquitted for fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, to the teens in Chicago who kicked off the Wear Orange campaign when their friend, 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, was fatally shot only one week after performing in former President Obama’s second inauguration — activists have been vocal about our right to feel safe in our homes and communities. It is long overdue but, every day, the call for serious action to address the gun violence causing deaths in every corner of our country grows louder.
That’s why we’re calling on Congress and elected officials across the country to combat this public health crisis. Here are several organizations that need your support:
Hey Tumblr, in honor of Mental Health Month and Post it Forward (@postitforward), we’re declaring today as a Day of Action to support NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (@namiorg), because we believe that everyone is entitled to mental health care and support.
What’s NAMI?
NAMI is the largest grassroots mental health organization in the US. On behalf of the millions of people who are affected by mental illness every day, NAMI is dedicated to increasing awareness and resources for mental health conditions, combating the social stigma that surrounds mental illness, and advocating for better and equal health care for anyone seeking mental health treatment.
How can I support?
For Tumblr’s Day of Action, we’re encouraging the community to take the NAMI StigmaFree Pledge. By signing the pledge, you’re showing that you wish to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness and demonstrating your support for all who are affected.
And, if you have the means, you can donate $5 or more to Tumblr’s Crowdrise fundraiser to support NAMI and help build a national network of accessible mental health support and resources for all.
While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime, we’re all likely impacted by mental illness—by friends, family members, or people in our community. Together, we can encourage acceptance, understanding, and support for mental health, and ensure that no one is alone on their mental health journey.
Today marks the first day of Mental Health Month. Just like last year, we wanted to take up a bit of your dashboard real estate to talk about something important: you.
“Mental health” covers a broad spectrum of complex illnesses and emotions. It’s not always a cut-and-dry diagnosis, or something that goes away when you practice self-care. It can be difficult. It can feel like an uphill battle, especially after the year we’ve had. One of the ways we can move forward is by talking about it. We want to help facilitate that.
We want you to know that there are resources out there. There are people to talk to if you need someone to talk to, and there are organizations to look into if you want to help others.
NAMI (@namiorg and @oktotalk), the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest grassroots mental health organization in the U.S. Residents can dial 800-950-NAMI Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. — 6 p.m. ET.
The It Gets Better Project (@itgetsbetterproject) has one mission: uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth all around the globe. They have a list of over 1,000 resources for LGBTQ+ youth who are struggling with their sexuality, their families, their friends, or anything else. They want to remind you that you do not have go through anything alone.
The Born This Way Foundation (@bornthiswayfoundation) is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world. Their goal is to encourage kinder communities, improve mental health resources, and more positive environments both online and off.
Today we want to help you set up your own support system right on your own Tumblr. Some place where you can be honest and open and true. If you feel comfortable with it, we have two questions for you: what are you doing today to make life easier for yourself? And if you feel up to it—if you feet like you are in a good enough place yourself—what can you do to make life a little bit better for someone else?
Don’t forget, we have a whole directory of resources and prevention services that are open for people from all over the world right over here in our Help Center.
Trauma exposure is a powerful risk factor for adolescent mental health issues. Forty-six million children in the U.S., over 60%, were estimated to have experienced violence, abuse, and crime in 2012 alone. Traumas such as neighborhood violence, family conflict, housing instability, and other adversities linked to poverty disproportionately affect youth in low-income communities. For instance, more than 85% of youth from disadvantaged urban communities reported witnessing violence, and as many as 69% have reported direct victimization. Trauma exposure, especially if it continues over time, can cause difficulties with emotion regulation and stress management, increasing risk for academic and social problems and for mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress.
Adolescents are resilient, but they need positive connections to thrive. Positive connections with family, school, and work can help buffer adolescents from mental health problems. These connections can foster adolescents’ personal interests, passions, and goals and give them hope for the future. Unfortunately, many young people in the U.S. grow up without these positive connections. A staggering 4.9 million U.S. young people aged 16-24 are disconnected from both school and work. These young people, who are more likely than “connected youth” to be poor and of minority race or ethnicity, frequently do not have a voice in our society. They deserve our attention and support to reach their potential.
Want to take Action? Here are some initiatives and organizations that help promote adolescent mental health.
Rikers Island is an infamous New York City jail where people with mental health conditions are nearly 40% of the population. Many have been injured or been murdered there, or, like Kalief Browder, have died by suicide as a result of being incarcerated there. Even The NY Times has called for Rikers to be closed, and Just Leadership USA is leading a campaign to close it down. How can the mental health advocacy community help?
Abuses in the prison system have affected my family, so I can at least speak from those experiences.
My father died in the prison system at the age of 45 due to liver failure (he was an alcoholic and had contracted Hepatitis C). I saw him on Christmas Day of 2007. He was sickly and gaunt, with a distended belly that protruded so intensely that it looked like he might birth triplets at any moment. He wasn’t getting the medical care he needed, no matter how much he requested it or how sick he got. He died two months later, alone in a hospital, shackled to a bed. I was his next-of-kin, and I was not notified that he was dying. The only communication I received from the Florida prison system was a call ten hours after my father’s death, informing me that inmate Marc Stage had “expired,” and asking if I would like to collect the body.
Along with the alcoholism, my father had a comorbid mental health diagnosis. I don’t know how much of a role it played in his experiences as an incarcerated person, outside of its manifestations getting him into the troubles that resulted in incarceration. I don’t know if he sought services. I don’t know if he suffered abuses related to his mental health.
Even with the research I’ve done on Rikers, I don’t know if reform or closure is a better answer. I don’t see either being achieved easily because of larger systemic ills.
As far as what the advocacy community can do, we can do what we do best: raise our voices, shake things up, study the system and infiltrate it to further expose the abuses the inmates are suffering, volunteer, spend time with the inmates, advocate for the ones who have no one to advocate for them, and fight, fight, fight until we achieve the change we seek.
We partnered with Tumblr Creatr @animatedtext to make an original piece for today’s #ActsofPride. Here’s what the prompt meant to her:
“It’s not always easy for me to prioritize mental health during stressful times. Over the years I’ve learned that small breaks make life more manageable. I was inspired by organizations like Therapy for Black Girls and Beam who provide mental health resources to the black community year round.”
🏳️🌈 Apply now to get $10,000 for your school! 🏳️⚧️
Over the past 2 years, we've granted over $1 million to students across the U.S. through our 50 States, 50 Grants, 5,000 voices initiative to help make their schools more welcoming for LGBTQ+ students.
And yup - we're doing it again.
Do you have an idea that would help make your school better for LGBTQ+ students? Maybe like building...
🟣 A gender-affirming closet
🟣 Your school's first Pride parade
🟣 An LGBTQ+ mural on campus
🟣 A safe space or community garden, or
🟣 Resources for your GSA club?
See some past projects from other students here for inspo.
We know that students know what they need most at their own schools - so middle and high school students across the U.S., DC, and territories can apply now through April 1 for one of our school grants to win up to $10,000 to actually make your project a reality!
We are so proud to be supporting @itgetsbetterproject's 50 States 50 Grants initiative this year—an initiative that seeks to uplift and empower LGBTQIA+ youth in high schools and middle schools in the US, Washington DC, and US territories. If that's you, you can apply now!
