November is “Movember” – Five Issues Men Face. Monthly Guest Blog from Brandon Garrick

Here is this month’s guest blog from my young cousin and Social Work graduate student Brandon Garrick. Brandon does often write about underserved communities, but we also need to remember that even though collectively men have the majority of power and standing in our culture, they also do face critical issues.

Thanks to Brandon, this is my first time hearing about “Movember,” an annual event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide. “Mo” is an Australian – English diminutive word for moustache (UK spelling), making Movember a clever joining of “Mo” to the month of November. The history of this movement and the associated foundation is quite fascinating. Link to extensive wikipedia article about Movember.

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As a social work graduate student, I care about all forms of social injustice and oppression that any individual may face. In today’s society, we often forget that regardless of identity, we can all face challenges in our lives. We get easily fall into this ideology that men, as the privileged beings in today’s society, don’t face issues as women do. However, there are indeed certain issues that dramatically impact men.

November is a month that you can highlight the areas where men are struggling. Movember is a friendly occurrence where men will grow a mustache unshaven throughout the month. I will be participating this year and will grow out a mustache. You can email me ([email protected]) if you want see what the final result looks like. Anyway, here are five issues where men are really struggling in today’s society:

1. Men are more likely to be killed at work. This is a issue that can be the result of different career choices. However, it must be noted that a safer workplace environment for both genders is essential.

2. Men are more prone to heart disease.

3. Men have a higher chance to be attacked or killed then women. Men make up almost 70 percent of murder victims.

4. According to a recent study (link) from a professor at the University of Michigan, men on average receive a 63 percent longer prison sentence then women for identical crimes.

5. Men commit suicide more often, at a staggering rate of 3.53 times that of women.

As a society, we do have to realize that all of us can face different critical issues and we should all be supportive of each other and search for solutions to all problems impacting any of us.

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Guest blogger Brandon Garrick is a Masters of Social Work Candidate at NC State University

Brandon Garrick is my second cousin who I enjoy spending a lot if time with. He recently completed his Bachelor of Sociology at North Carolina State University, and has now entered their Master’s Program of Social Work. He worked full time at North Carolina’s Central Prison as a corrections officer while completing his bachelor’s degree, and has a deep concern about the many social issues facing our nation and the world. He will now be a regular guest blogger discussing these various issues.

Three segments of the LGBT community and suicide

Providing affirming social settings for LGBT elders can help build community, reduce loneliness, and reduce suicide rates. (Photo from the Boston Globe)

Here is the next monthly guest blog from my cousin Brandon Garrick, Masters of Social Work Candidate at North Carolina State University. This blog expands upon his last month’s blog, “Five facts you may not know about suicide, and connection to diversity.” This specific blogs goes into one diversity constituency I work very closely with as a workplace diversity consultant, the LGBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning) community.

Suicide can be a difficult and sensitive subject to discuss in detail as it is a problematic social issue that affects all members of society. I have done various research and have attended multiple suicide prevention workshops and there is one major target population that is always discussed when it comes to suicide. The L.G.B.T.Q. (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning) community is at higher risks for suicide then their heterosexual counterpart. I will discuss three specific areas of the L.G.B.T.Q community that is at severely higher risks of suicide.

1. Youth. L.G.B.T.Q youth have high risks of suicide and contemplation of suicide according to multiple research studies. According to the Trevor Project, L.G.B. youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. In addition L.G.B. youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth. In a national study, 40% of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt,with 92% of these individuals reported having attempted suicide before the age of 25. For more information on this major area that needs focus, link to the Trevor Project.

2. Rural L.G.B.T.Q individuals. Individuals who identify with the L.G.B.T.Q. community who live in rural areas are at higher risks then L.G.B.T.Q. individuals who live in urban areas. There has been ample research explaining why rural L.G.B.T.Q are at higher risks then their city living counterparts. Research shows that there is generally wider acceptance of LGBTQ people in cities, were there is far less social stigma around sexual orientation. More resources need to be focused on this severely under-served population, made complicated by rural areas often being spread out and difficult to reach compared to concentrated city centers.

3. Older L.G.B.T.Q individuals. Isolation and dealing with multiple physical issues have generally put senior citizens at a higher risk for suicide then younger adults. However the gap is significantly increases for senior members of the L.G.B.T.Q. community. I recently attended a presentation by SAGE (an organization supporting LGBT leaders) that explained why suicide is a major issue for older L.G.B.T.Q members. One issue is the decreased presence of similar individuals within senior living faculties. The L.G.B.T.Q community is already a societal minority, now imagine being older in a senior living with no other L.G.B.T.Q. seniors among you. The importance of having social relationships is vital to fight depression when it comes to getting older. Research indicates that lack of social relationships is a major issue for older L.G.B.T.Q members. Link to SAGE for various resources.

September is National Prevention Month! Make a difference in someone’s life; if you or another individual are feeling suicidal please call the hotline. 1-800-273-8255
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

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Guest blogger Brandon Garrick is a Masters of Social Work Candidate at NC State University

Brandon Garrick is my second cousin who I enjoy spending a lot if time with. He recently completed his Bachelor of Sociology at North Carolina State University, and has now entered their Master’s Program of Social Work. He worked full time at North Carolina’s Central Prison as a corrections officer while completing his bachelor’s degree, and has a deep concern about the many social issues facing our nation and the world. He will now be a regular guest blogger discussing these various issues.

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NOTE: The Sept 7-20, 2018 issue of qnotes, North Carolina’s bi-weekly LGBT paper, has several article about suicide and the LGBT community.