May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

LGBTQIA+ Mental Health

For many LGBTQIA+ individuals, mental health challenges are not experienced in isolation; they are shaped by stigma, discrimination, and the fear of not being accepted for who they are. National data shows that LGBTQIA+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide and twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts compared to their heterosexual peers, while transgender adults report some of the highest rates of suicide attempts and ideation. Behind these statistics are real people, neighbors, family members, and colleagues, who too often struggle in silence. Even when someone is ready to ask for help, barriers such as discrimination, cost, mistrust of providers, and a lack of affirming care can stand in the way. These realities make visibility, compassion, and connection essential and underscore why sharing stories of lived experiences, building understanding, and creating safe, supportive spaces can truly save lives.

Why MHC hosts Let’s Face It Each Year

Mental Health Connecticut hosts Let’s Face It annually because stories have the power to create change. Through this campaign, we share the real stories of individuals across Connecticut who are facing or actively addressing mental health challenges.

By lifting up these voices, Let’s Face It helps reduce stigma, increase understanding, and remind people that they are not alone. Change begins with awareness and education and with brave individuals who are willing to share their experiences, opening the door for others to do the same and to seek support when they need it. Each story shared is an invitation to compassion, connection, and hope.

Light It Up Green: Take Action This May

One simple way to show your support during Mental Health Awareness Month is to Light It Up Green. Light your home, business, or workplace with green lights (string lights, spotlights, or green lightbulbs) to spark conversations and visibly demonstrate your commitment to mental health.

Join organizations like ConnectiCare, Stamford Health, Mystic Aquarium, The Hartford, and more! Green lights serve as a reminder that mental health matters and that support is available. 

To participate, email Christina Smith at csmith@mhconn.org and share photos of your green lights. Participants will be featured on MHC’s social media and in our newsletter.

Free Mental Health Awareness Month Lawn Signs

Mental Health Connecticut is also offering free Mental Health Awareness Month lawn signs to help spread the message even further. Displaying a lawn sign is an easy and visible way to show support, reduce stigma, and encourage conversations in your community. To request a sign, email Christina Smith at csmith@mhconn.org. Lawn signs are available while supplies last.

Community Documentary Screenings & Conversations

Mental Health Connecticut is proud to collaborate with community and campus partners to present two documentary screenings that explore mental health, identity, and advocacy. 

CURED

Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion

• Until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a mental illness. CURED tells the powerful and inspiring story of the activists, many of them LGBTQ+, who challenged this harmful diagnosis, transformed the field of mental health, and changed history. This screening is presented by Mental Health Connecticut and Quinnipiac University’s Department of Social Work, The Center for Interprofessional Healthcare Education, and the Netter Library.
• Monday, March 30, 2026
  5:00 – 8:30 PM
  Quinnipiac University – North Haven Campus
  MNH 101, Auditorium

Mom, I Have Something to Tell You

Documentary Screening & Conversation with the Director

• Many people know what follows the words, “Mom, I have something to tell you.” For LGBTQ+ individuals, coming out is not a single moment, but a lifelong process, one deeply influenced by family response and support. This award-winning 30-minute documentary by Gay Sons & Their Mothers explores the experiences of gay sons and their mothers, highlighting how acceptance, communication, and unconditional love profoundly shape mental and emotional well-being. 
• Thursday, May 7, 2026
  7:00 – 8:30 PM
  The Mark Twain Library

These screenings are open to the community and designed to spark dialogue, reduce stigma, and promote understanding around mental health and LGBTQ+ experiences. For more information on these and all our programs, visit mhconn.org or follow Mental Health Connecticut on social media @mentalhealthCT.  

–Bethany Simmonds