Growing up, many of us rely on our family for love, support, and guidance. But sometimes, we all need a little extra help from outside sources. Finding loving support outside of family can be a powerful and rewarding experience that can drastically improve our quality of life. From developing friendships to exploring professional relationships and community organizations, there are plenty of opportunities to find the emotional and mental support we need. In this article, we'll discuss why it's important to find supportive sources outside your family, as well as ways to create meaningful connections with others.

At Queer LifeSpace, we focus on providing a safe environment for fellow members of the queer community to explore and process the complexity of their lives. Even though Monday was officially known as ”World Mental Health Day,” for all the clinicians and clients at Queer LifeSpace, every single day is Mental Health Day. And for those celebrating today’s National Coming Out Day, we honor the intersection that Queer LifeSpace holds between these two important and overlapping life experiences.

Last month, thirty-three students and two instructors from the Masters in Counseling Program at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California gathered to participate in a presentation by Queer LifeSpace about the LGBTQIA+ community’s access to mental healthcare.

Queer LifeSpace has partnered with the Gender and Sexual Diversity In Dentistry Alliance (GSDDA) to host free dental services for members of our Bay Area community who lack affordable access to dental care. For two hours on Saturday, July 16th, 2022, four members of the GSDDA offered oral exams, hygiene instruction, and a fluoride application…without charge.

Queer LifeSpace is deeply honored to have been selected as a Tier-A beneficiary by the Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation (GRGRF)! Other current beneficiaries include the AIDS Legal Referral Program, LGBTQ Asylum Project, Castro Country Club, Folsom Street, and Larkin Street Youth Services.

It was the most perfect day: clear skies, sunshine, and a warm breeze. The rhythmic, passionate acoustic strum of Grace Jones’ rendition of “La Vie En Rose” soared out of the sound system as Drag Queen extraordinaire, Rahni NothingMore, strutted and flourished her way to the stage. She passed by tables full of the joyful attendees of Queer LifeSpace’s 10-Year Anniversary Gala, held at 620 Jones in San Francisco on May 7th, 2022…

It is difficult to sit down and reflect on Queer LifeSpace’s journey as we reflect on the past decade without taking into consideration the context of the past two years and the difficult experiences it created for us. We were confronted with the visceral reality of hatred, racism, and transphobia while recognizing the time for discussion and action was painfully long overdue.

We are living in extraordinary times.

I often think of a line from Tony Kushner’s play Angels in America—a magical realism drama set in the 1980’s during the AIDS crisis, in which Prior Walter utters: “I can handle pressure, I am a gay man and I am used to pressure, to trouble, I am tough and strong….”

We are tough, we are strong, stronger than we realize.