Challenges

The Gayly Impact offers next-level solutions

The unfolding of gay community has only just begun. Liberation in the form of visibility and legal rights is the beginning. It is our collective elevation that is the imperative next step. 

Economic disparity, suicide, addiction, unhealthy family structures and oversexualization abound in the humanity. The gay community challenges are exacerbated by losing a generation of gay fathers to HIV, and stem from deep-seated generational wounds inflicted by the religions and cultures that justified our annihilation. 

If these issues are not addressed, hatred and marginalization will continue.

We have not addressed these problems because in many ways, the community has accepted the traumas as our norms. Individuals who do heal, often separate themselves to do so, and do not return to share their learnings with others.

Solutions from mainstream faiths and culture do not create impact, as they originate from outside and often lack understanding or cast shame on our lived experiences. 

Whether people chasing extravagance and neglecting savings or legacy, individuals trapped in substance or sundry lifestyles, humans forced into homelessness or sex work, domestic violence, etc - the mindset challenges are real.

Our collective PERSONAL and FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE in SERVICE to the HUMAN COMMUNITY is our greatest way to create IMPACT.

We sincerely believe that the solutions that the GAY community creates will be uniquely supportive of ALL HUMANS. We desire LOVE be shared with all.

Here are a few data points that lend perspective on our global situation and the need for continued evolution of gay individuals to support all humans:

The Data

1. Attack on Marriage - Legal Discrimination/Criminalization

  • We believe Love honors every marriage of two individuals as a committed bond thru life’s journey.

  • In many countries, same-sex relationships are criminalized, leading to persecution and discrimination against gay individuals.

  • As of 2021, 69 countries criminalize same-sex relationships, with punishments ranging from fines to life imprisonment (ILGA World, 2021).

2. Employment & Economic Disparity

  • We believe that Love wants that all would know how to create wealth

  • The lack of financial knowledge is the greatest money crisis on the globe.

  • Women, POC and gay individuals, face employment discrimination globally.

  • Many countries lack legal protections against workplace discrimination based on sex or orientation, leading to lower wages and limited career opportunities for women, POC and the gay community.

3. Mental Health and Suicide Rates

  • We believe Love desires that each of us would come to love ourselves deeply

  • Men (particularly Native Americans and White), and Gay community individuals around the world face higher rates of suicide

  • In the United States, the rate of suicide attempts is 4 times higher among gay youth than heterosexual peers (CDC, 2016). In some countries, conversion therapy is still practiced, leading to severe psychological distress among many.

4. Physical Health Disparities

  • We believe Love calls us to care for one another

  • Women spend 25% more of their lives in debilitating health than men, according to a report from the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute.

  • The United States has among the largest income-based health disparities in the world. Poor adults are five times as likely as those with incomes above 400 percent of the federal poverty level to report being in poor or fair health.

  • Gay people are at a higher risk of HIV/AIDS globally and face barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services. Gay community members have higher rates of tobacco, alcohol, and substance use, which can lead to various health issues (CDC, 2018)

5. Violence and Hate Crimes:

  • We believe Love wants us to create safe spaces for all humans.

  • Globally, almost one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their life. This violence is often perpetrated by current or former intimate partners.

  • Gay individuals are targeted in hate crimes and violence in many parts of the world. In the US, anti-Gay hate crimes rose sharply in 2022, jumping more than 19% from 2021, according to the FBI’s annual crime report, the highest number recorded since the agency began tracking them in 1991.

6. Family Focus and Adoption Rights

  • We believe Love wants all humans to experience meaningful connection

  • With high global and domestic divorce rates particularly for gay women and striaght couples, individuals and families experience extensive psychological, financial, health, social and relational challenges

  • Gay individuals and couples often have limited parental rights and options for starting a family despite unique economic and emotional strengths (HRC 2021)

7. Over Sexualization

  • We believe that Love desires us to be sexually realized and responsible

  • Embracing our sexual selves is important for all humans. However, overemphasis on sexual aspects of society can reinforce harmful stereotypes for ourselves, reducing us to one-dimensional, hypersexual beings.

  • Humans struggle with many resulting issues: body image, shallow relationships, unsafe sexual practices, sex and pornography addiction, discrimination within our identities, ages, attractiveness, etc.

References:
1) ILGA World. (2021). State-Sponsored Homophobia Report.
2) Human Rights Watch. (2021). Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People.
3) OutRight Action International. (2021). Decriminalization Map