If u read this ur gay
Find out more about LGBTQIA+ health with Crohn's or Colitis
Colitis has really affected my dating, sex and intimacy in ways over the years. It can always be complicated to talk about bathroom habits and poo to someone you’re dating, but as a same-sex attracted man I consider there is an extra layer of shame and taboo surrounding the conversation. I have sadly had partners who have found that they no longer find me 'sexy' or wish to be intimate with me if I had recently been poorly. There is also the mental exhaustion and anxiety of needing to be acutely notified of the status of my condition, to be following all feelings, pain and movements which could make an intimate situation embarrassing. I have had embarrassing moments where accidents have happened, and although mostly partners have been kind, it does still impact you mentally, as you then worry each time that it will happen again.
Even throughout periods of feeling better, the worry still exists, and my brain would be very aware that a flare could take place at any moment. Any slight stomach twinge would forward me reeling with worry.
Being on medication and steroids can also impact your body. Some people experience weight obtain, and I
Members of the Gay community are more than twice as likely to hold a mental health disorder or exposure depression and anxiety. Poor mental health may be linked to experiences of discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, social isolation or rejection due to your sexuality.
It might not be easy, but getting the right support and support is essential.
What help is out there?
There is lots of directions and support out there for you.
Talking with a therapist who is trained to understand your specific situation may help if you:
- Have difficulty accepting your sexual orientation.
- Need assist coping with other people’s reactions to you.
- Feel like your body doesn’t express your true gender.
- Are currently transitioning.
- Are trying to cope with bullying or discrimination.
- Are feeling depressed, hold low self-esteem, are thinking suicidal thoughts or thinking about harming yourself.
There are different types of talking therapies, so you can find one to suit your needs. Treatments available on the NHS include:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
- Guided self-help.
- Counselling.
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
Read more about talking therapies
When sho List of LGBTQ+ terms
A-D A
Abro (sexual and romantic)
A word used to describe people who contain a fluid sexual and/or amorous orientation which changes over second, or the course of their life. They may use alternative terms to describe themselves over time.
Ace
An umbrella term used specifically to describe a lack of, varying, or occasional experiences of sexual attraction. This encompasses asexual people as well as those who identify as demisexual and grey-sexual. Ace people who encounter romantic attraction or occasional sexual attraction might also use terms such as gay, bi, woman-loving woman, straight and queer in conjunction with asexual to describe the direction of their romantic or sexual attraction.
Ace and aro/ace and aro spectrum
Umbrella terms used to describe the wide group of people who experience a lack of, varying, or occasional experiences of romantic and/or sexual attraction, including a lack of attraction. People who identify under these umbrella terms may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including, but not limited to, asexual, ace, aromantic, aro, demi, grey, and abro. People may also use terms such as gay,
How can a sense of belonging be forged in a setting where one’s existence is forbidden? That is the question that LSE’s Dr Centner and his co-author Harvard’s Manoel Pereira Neto explore in their groundbreaking research into Dubai’s expatriate gay men’s nightlife.
But it was not an easy topic to research. Dr Centner explains: “It's an illegal, or criminalised, identity and position of behaviours and practices, so in a very general sense, it's a taboo. And taboo subjects are very often under-researched, sometimes because people own a hard time gaining access, gaining that reliance, but also because, even if people gain that access, there could be significant repercussions for themselves as researchers, or for the people who are the research participants.
“As two queer researchers, we were able to enter the worlds of relatively privileged Western gay expatriates. Secrecy is often the norm, but the field was familiar to us, through previous visits and analyze projects.”
These were indeed ‘parties’ ...[but] not bars identified as gay. Not a single venue’s webpage uses the word ‘gay’ or related euphemisms, nor complete they hint at targeting
List of LGBTQ+ terms
A
Abro (sexual and romantic)
A word used to describe people who contain a fluid sexual and/or amorous orientation which changes over second, or the course of their life. They may use alternative terms to describe themselves over time.
Ace
An umbrella term used specifically to describe a lack of, varying, or occasional experiences of sexual attraction. This encompasses asexual people as well as those who identify as demisexual and grey-sexual. Ace people who encounter romantic attraction or occasional sexual attraction might also use terms such as gay, bi, woman-loving woman, straight and queer in conjunction with asexual to describe the direction of their romantic or sexual attraction.
Ace and aro/ace and aro spectrum
Umbrella terms used to describe the wide group of people who experience a lack of, varying, or occasional experiences of romantic and/or sexual attraction, including a lack of attraction. People who identify under these umbrella terms may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including, but not limited to, asexual, ace, aromantic, aro, demi, grey, and abro. People may also use terms such as gay,
How can a sense of belonging be forged in a setting where one’s existence is forbidden? That is the question that LSE’s Dr Centner and his co-author Harvard’s Manoel Pereira Neto explore in their groundbreaking research into Dubai’s expatriate gay men’s nightlife.
But it was not an easy topic to research. Dr Centner explains: “It's an illegal, or criminalised, identity and position of behaviours and practices, so in a very general sense, it's a taboo. And taboo subjects are very often under-researched, sometimes because people own a hard time gaining access, gaining that reliance, but also because, even if people gain that access, there could be significant repercussions for themselves as researchers, or for the people who are the research participants.
“As two queer researchers, we were able to enter the worlds of relatively privileged Western gay expatriates. Secrecy is often the norm, but the field was familiar to us, through previous visits and analyze projects.”
These were indeed ‘parties’ ...[but] not bars identified as gay. Not a single venue’s webpage uses the word ‘gay’ or related euphemisms, nor complete they hint at targeting