It is important not to assume that homosexuality causes drug or alcohol abuse. When gay men, lesbians and bisexuals internalize society's homophobic attitudes and beliefs, the results can be devastating.
Society’s hatred becomes self-hatred. As a minority group, gay men, lesbians and bisexuals are victims of systemic and ongoing oppression. It can lead to feelings of alienation, despair, low self-esteem, self-destructive behavior and substance abuse. Some gay men, lesbians and bisexuals resort to substance abuse as a means to numb the feelings of being different, to relieve emotional pain or to reduce inhibitions about their sexual feelings. (From the McGill University Student Health Service Website)
All of these societal responses to the LGBT community have caused higher rates of alcohol and drug use rates:
- 20-25% of gay men and lesbians are heavy alochol users compared to 3-10% of the heterosexual population 1
- Lesbians consume more alochol than their heterosexual peers during high school and have higher rates of high-risk drinking 2
- Bisexual females are 3 times more likely to have used both marijuana and other illicit drugs than heterosexual females 3