Bless me, bloggers, for I have sinned. I am queer. I am bipolar. It’s taken me a year to even think of doing a post about those two things. Actually, it’s more stupidity than sin; it took me 17 years to work out that, “if I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me,” had any meaning besides holding a grudge. And it’s not as though I didn’t think about it, it puzzled me sporadically the whole time. I’m the most intelligent moron I know.
I actually wanted this to be a page of resources and I will still do that, but I need some time to research one that’ll be properly global (after an English speaking fashion). I won’t list resources by country, because it’d take me a thousand years and I’d get bored within 24 hours. I want to find sites/pages that’ll help anyone, anywhere,and so that’s the approach I’m taking from the get go. I’d love some help.
So let’s talk about two of my tribes…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A6p06C5atLI
Kidding, kidding… sorta… Okay here we go:
NAMI – Perspectives and Voices
I wrote “we need to talk about bipolar lesbians,” because of the very, very nasty bad press we get. So the first question to address here (for all of us on the not so heterosexual spectrum), is a fuckwitted assumption (yet another myth about bipolar, as if there weren’t enough already).
Is there a direct link between being queer and bipolar? Nope, but stress is a significant contributing factor, so like many other populations, discrimination and social marginisation mean that we queers are at an increased risk for its manifestation.
“Being gay does not make you bipolar, being bipolar does not make you gay.” source
(Pity, I could do with some of either category around here.)
“People with a diagnosis of bipolar often talk to me about the the way they are affected by judgements (or perceived judgements) and expectations. Sound familiar?” Reflections of a Gay Counsellor (Australia)
For solid evidence of the above, I shall cite the following source, which appears to be a academia’s final word on the subject.
“The negative effects of social marginalization can be found in adolescent and adult MSM, for example, research has shown that MSM and other members of the LGBT community are at increased risk for a number of mental health problems.[1] Research also has found that, compared to other men, MSM are at increased risk of:
Major depression during adolescence and adulthood;
Bipolar disorder; and
Generalized anxiety disorder during adolescence and adulthood.”
Cochran, S.D. & Mays, V.M. (2008). Prevalence of primary mental health morbidity and suicide symptoms among gay and bisexual men. In Wolitski, R.J., Stall, R., & Valdiserri, R.O., Unequal opportunity: Health disparities affecting gay and bisexual men in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press.
As for the rest… Higher Risk of Mental Health Problems for Homosexuals
(They always, always research gay men before and more than anyone else in the acronym, there’s always more funding for them, *sigh* just another injustice and a demonstration of how minorities stomp on the minorities within the minority. Inception! It’s like a dog stepping in its own shit. Anyway, that’s that damn question answered; let us proceed.)
Help, Support, Resources, Research
A great starting point, even for people outside the USA is this article by NAMI.
Queer Mental Health Community for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirited and Genderqueer People (they’re looking for volunteer writers btw)
Mental Health Issues Facing Gay Men
Activist, writer, speaker Sam Dylan Finch & owner of Let’s Queer Things Up
How to tell if your lesbian teen has bipolar disorder.
The Queer Agenda: how to support someone with bipolar.
Card Carrying Lesbian: tips for helping a bipolar partner.
Psychiatric Morbidity among Homosexuals and Bisexuals
The Interplay of Bipolar Disorder, Trauma and Addiction in the LGBT Community
The Arts, Darling
🎥
Tarnation (Caouette)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fgsbMerDWGo
The Hidden Gem is an observational documentary based on the life of an aboriginal-australian transgender named Jemma.
📓
(I’ve only read and reviewed one author on this list and sadly, it wasn’t a great experience. Hopefully I’ll get hold of some more queer, bipolar books.)
Maria Bello – Whatever…
Glitterland & Glitterland Aftermath, Alexis Hall. My review.
Beautiful Wreck: Sex, Lies and Suicide, Stephanie Schroeder
The Province of Hope Mark Lee Kirchmeier
Leaving The Hall Light On Madeline Sharples
Photography
Lou @ the No Evil Project
Photographer Luis Pedro de Casto: Portfolio and Blog.
Art & Installation
Ras Steyn (digital artist/surrealist)
“Bipolar Disorder Has Its Ups and Downs” by David Feingold
Audio
Through the Fire: The Story of an Intersexed, Bipolar Queer Kid Who Rocks: podcast
Commentary
Coming out as mentally ill, or coming out as gay – which is harder?
Lifting the Veil off Mental Health: Life with a Bipolar Partner
Invisibly ill: Notes on Being Academic and Bipolar and On Coming Out as Bipolar in Academia
Surviving College as a Transgendered Bipolar Student
Confessions of a Bipolar Ex Club Kid
Being Gay, Being Bipolar
Jay Ralko – Bipolar Disorder and the Suicidal Dangers of Testosterone
Bipolar and Bisexual – Living with Labels
On Allies and Anger
She’s Just Being Bipolar
On Being Crazy and Brave While Dating
Excuse me while I piddle
LGBT and Bipolar Celebrities
Alive and bipolaring:
Stephen Fry
Mary Lambert
Patricia Cornwell
Ellen Forney
Kristy McNichol (she finally came out)
Drew Barrymore
Alison Moyet
… and of course, famous bipolar blogger, Natasha Tracy
Deceased
Chris Kanyon (wrestler)
Deceased people whose bipolar or sexuality is unconfirmed:
Nina Simone
Virginia Woolf
Jackson Pollock
Marilyn Monroe
Dusty Springfield
Dear, delightful readers of all shapes, sizes, conditions and persuasions…
If you’re queer and bipolar and have a blog/site, I’d like to make a blogroll of them on my blog, so please comment and tell me a) whether you are and b) whether you’re happy for me to list you in public. Warning: I’ll have my peepers peeled for things you’ve written, to feature in a future pinkdump.
If you know of more sites I should take a look at, gimme those links too. Effusive thanks are already on their way.
I add videos to posts exactly the same way, but lately it seems that some show up and some don’t. Annoying. The links under the film and doccie section are both to the full films.
