"I'm surviving in a hostel, my family hasn't been interested in me since coming out, I don't know what's going to happen." How does inflation and the difficult economic situation affect LGBT people?
Of course, we do not want to make light of the situation of low-income families, the situation of single parents, etc. However, they are the ones who receive quite a lot of attention in the media in connection with the current situation. However, not much is heard about LGBT people and how they are also affected by high inflation.
Inflation at 20 per cent is something that few people could have imagined even two years ago. Today, however, it is an everyday reality. Food, clothing and energy (and therefore housing in general) have become more expensive by leaps and bounds. This is, of course, a pressing problem for society as a whole, but, for example, according to research carried out by the Williams Institute at the University of California, the related crisis is disproportionately affecting LGBT people, who are also more likely to face poverty, unemployment and the related inability to provide for their basic needs. And, ultimately, mental health problems.
Who is most vulnerable here? LGBT senior
Of course, there are differences across LGBT people too - and so, by analogy with the majority population, LGBT seniors are among the most vulnerable. "Due to a lifetime of discrimination, LGBTQ+ elders have a tremendous amount of socioeconomic disadvantage compared to their peers who are members of the majority population," Christina DaCosta, director of marketing and communications for the U.S. National Advocacy and Service Organization, explained. And although the American environment is of course different in many ways than the Czech one, this is what they have in common.
Incidentally, the problems faced by LGBT seniors in the Czech Republic have also been highlighted by one of the few domestic research studies on the subject (which, however, was conducted long before the so-called "Covid era" and the onset of the current economic crisis), LGBT Seniors and Senior Women: The Invisible Minority. Finally, the current experiences of LGBT seniors in the U.S. are actually virtually no different from those of LGBT seniors in the country. "I guess it's different for me, I don't have children, grandchildren, no one to help me out. My utility bills have risen disproportionately, and because my partner has died, I live alone and have to pay all the costs myself. My neighbour, at least she has her husband's widow's pension," says the seventy-five-year-old gay man from Olomouc. He also points to a systemic problem where the cohabitation of same-sex couples still does not have the same weight (and impact on practical life) as a traditional marriage.
But the cost of living is also a concern for younger LGBT people. No wonder. Discrimination in the labour market, for example, is a contributing factor, as is pay inequality, particularly for trans people (both of which, incidentally, are also evidenced in recent research by The Human Rights Campaign). International data also clearly shows that LGBT workers earn less money, specifically in the UK the difference is up to 16% compared to straight workers. This in turn creates further problems with housing, and therefore not only with maintaining it, but also with finding it (and making the necessary deposit).
In addition to this, workplace conditions also play a role: many LGBT people are still not open about their orientation at work, as they fear being judged through this prism. But this is also shown by data from the Czech Republic, according to which only about a quarter of LGBT people are open about their sexuality at work.
Zdroj: Giphy
So mental health problems go hand in hand with this. In this case, too, the same is basically true as for the general population: exposure to uncertainty (of any kind, not including financial uncertainty) does not make a person feel better. So, as Chris Sheridan, director and founder of The Queer Therapist platform, explains, "fundamentally, if our basic needs are threatened, our mental health will inevitably be negatively affected." "Everyone's mental health is affected to varying degrees, but this is much more true if one is part of a marginalized community," he summarizes.
"I come from the Polish borderlands, so as soon as I could, I immediately tried to get to Prague, because our country was not exactly an ideal environment for gay people. Not only was I considered an exotic everywhere, but I also felt like I was in isolation. So I packed up and as soon as I could, I found a place to live in Prague and a job in a pub. A few months later, the covid came. Since then, everything's been falling apart. I survive on odd jobs, my family don't care because I'm gay. I couldn't afford a flatmate anymore, so I had to go to a hostel. I'm on my own because I don't really have anyone here. If it weren't for nerve pills, I really wouldn't know," twenty-five-year-old Petr describes his situation.
Where to find help?
It is not surprising that the classic appeal to "stick together" is gaining importance. In Czech conditions, this may sound ridiculous. As does the call for LGBT people to support businesses that are just for them. But perhaps this American appeal is all the more important in the Czech Republic: there are not so many such businesses here. And even if someone waves a hand about it, they are still (if not more than ever) needed. "Supporting queer businesses is very important. A lot of people don't understand why it's important to have queer spaces, but places that bring LGBT people together are deeply meaningful," is how the LA community cafe operator sums it up. However, operators of similar establishments in the Czech Republic would undoubtedly agree with her statement. After all, as Sheridan adds, referring to the UK, "the LGBT community has historically always had to find alternative ways to connect, and social media can now be a lifeline in extreme cases ."
So overcoming the current crisis is simply not easy for anyone. Some people's starting conditions are worse, some people's are better, but no one should forget that everyone needs some kind of support - even if it is just to 'pour their hearts out' - sometimes. But it is LGBT people who often lack the basic safety net of their own family in their lives...
