Community Pride
St Pete Pride Saw Crowd of 300,000
As we continue to make progress in our fight against the overdose epidemic, We proudly celebrate efforts to maintain and nurture inclusivity and acceptance in our region, as these attitudes cultivate and strengthen our recovery communities. Often the victims of bullying, harassment, discrimination, members of the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately impacted by behavioral health difficulties and substance use disorder.
Research shows that:
- 41% of transgender Americans have attempted suicide at least once in their life.
- LGBTQ+ individuals are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance misuse compared with heterosexual individuals
- 6.7% of surveyed LGBTQ+ individuals reported opioid misuse
Research also shows that environmental factors such as community resources (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth-serving organizations, LGBTQ+ inclusive community climates/resources, and LGBTQ+ events such as Pride) and programs that integrate behavioral health with primary care, address minority stress, and use trauma-informed care create a climate of greater acceptance and support that is associated with lower odds of substance. This approach has the most potential to produce effective, long-term benefits for LGBTQ+ identified people with opioid use disorders.
The Tampa Bay Region continues to shine through efforts such as those of Recovery Epicenter’s presence at St. Pete Pride. They were on the scene connecting with the community, providing hope, love, acceptance, and naloxone.
