Blogs By Phoenix Men’s Counseling

When talking about the impact of these and other factors on the person’s well-being, we can’t just talk about it generally. The person’s experiences will be influenced by many other things: their gender identity, their background, their socioeconomic level, and, of course, their race and ethnicity. Let’s examine the experience of many Latinx gay men and how these aspects of their identity influence each other.

Gay relationships face many of the same challenges as heterosexual relationships - who does the chores, how is the money used, what about kids? However, they also have to deal with additional challenges that are not as clear and that might blur the lines of what is a healthy relationship.

The discrimination and stigma gay men face on a regular basis can have a severe impact on mental health. According to the American Psychiatric Association, one in six gay men have made at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime.

We are the product of our upbringing, in good ways and bad, but the experiences, memories and relationships we have when we’re young significantly impact the people we are today. Our self-esteem, our relationships, our worldview is often attributed in no small part to our caregivers, or more specifically, our parents. If you’re gay, you may have struggled with getting that acceptance for who you were, and it may have impacted your life in many different ways.