“Connection is the antidote”: Psychological distress, emotional processing, and virtual community building among LGBTQ students after the Orlando shooting.

Abstract

Scholars have called for increased research on the process by which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people cope with stigma and hate-related incidents. Homophobic hate crimes, for example, may have a ripple effect within the LGBTQ community, in which individuals beyond the immediate victim experience psychological distress and, in some cases, vicarious traumatization. The present case study examines the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses of LGBTQ individuals to the 2016 Orlando mass shooting, an event conceptualized as an anti-LGBTQ hate crime. On the day of the Orlando shooting, a group of graduate students who were connected through a listserv related to sexual orientation and gender diversity received a prompt intended to facilitate open discussion and emotional processing regarding the Orlando shooting. Thirty-three LGBTQ psychology graduate students participated in the virtual discussion. The content within this conversation thread was reviewed and organized into six thematic categories: (1) emotional distress, (2) personal significance of the event, (3) feelings of in-group isolation and community connectedness, (4) self-care and coping strategies, (5) the need for action, and (6) expressions of gratitude for the discussion forum. Implications are discussed in light of literature on community reactions to hate-motivated violence, virtual community support, and LGBTQ coping strategies. Public Significance StatementThis case study demonstrates that the Orlando shooting triggered a ripple effect of psychological harm that extended beyond the immediate victims, impacting the psychological well-being of many LGBTQ individuals (e.g., increased emotional distress, heightened sense of alienation from others). Findings also provide examples of LGBTQ resiliency: Respondents readily used an online forum to emotionally process the shooting, foster new in-group connections, and share resources to promote coping. Further research is needed on the benefits of virtual networks for sexual and gender minority graduate students, who may experience unique challenges accessing LGBTQ peer support.

Perceptions of safety among LGBTQ people following the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.

“…Related to the impact of the attack on LGBTQ people, Jackson (2017) provides important information regarding the immediate reactions of LGBTQ graduate students to the shooting. Specifically, the study uses qualitative data to examine emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses of LGBTQ graduate students to the attack.…”

“…Many in the LGBTQ community experienced psychological distress following the Pulse massacre, including feeling fearful and unsafe (Alvarez & Pérez-Peña, 2016; Ben-Ezra, Hamama-Raz, Mahat-Shamir, Pitcho-Prelorentzos, & Kaniasty, 2017; Jackson, 2017). One study found that, in the weeks following the shooting, residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma reported feeling less safe in LGBT-friendly bars than those living in the New York City and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas (Croff et al, 2017).…”

"We Need to Stop Temporarily Caring:" Pulse, Spoken Word Poetry, and Audience Counter-narrative Creation

“…LGBTQ+ community in the United States (Hancock & Haldeman, 2017;Jackson, 2017;Walter, Billard, & Murphy, 2017). In the aftermath of the shooting, journalists tried to uncover why shooter, Omar Mateen, would commit such a violent crime.…”

“…LGBTQ+ individuals' reactions to Pulse varied, including experiencing emotional distress, feelings of in-group isolation and community connectedness, the need for action, and gratitude for virtual discussion forums (Jackson, 2017). LGBTQ+ individuals expressed feelings of sadness, fear, shock, and anger in the aftermath of Pulse (Jackson, 2017). Reports show that 69% of LGBTQ+ individuals used alcohol to cope with the Pulse shooting, while 41% used other drugs (Boyle et al, 2017).…”

“…Reports show that 69% of LGBTQ+ individuals used alcohol to cope with the Pulse shooting, while 41% used other drugs (Boyle et al, 2017). LGBTQ+ individuals also expressed feelings of isolation if they could not easily access LGBTQ+ resources, but still wanted to feel connected to the larger LGBTQ+ community because this was an experience they were all mourning together (Jackson, 2017). However, some felt isolated because they questioned whether there were "safe spaces" available for LGBTQ+ people or if the reason Pulse was a target was because it was deemed a "safe space" (Handhardt, 2016).…”