White House Hosts Bisexual Advocates for Community Policy Briefing

Leaders from the bisexual community convened at the White House this week to discuss issues of concern to the oft-overlooked B in LGBT, that need to be addressed through public policy changes.

Monday’s meeting was a follow-up to a 2013 Bisexual Leader Roundtable meeting and occurred during the second annual Bisexual Awareness Week.

The meeting was an “off the record” event, meaning participants were not at liberty to say which senior White House officials were in attendance. The Washington Blade was able to secure a quote from a White House official prior to the event, on the promise of anonymity.

“As a follow-up to the first bisexual community issues roundtable in 2013, the White House Office of Public Engagement will convene a bisexual community issues briefing with key policy advocates, health experts, activists, and administration officials, to discuss the unique disparities the bisexual community faces around health, intimate partner violence, and erasure in mainstream LGBT discourse,” the official told the Blade. “The objectives for this briefing are to better shine a light on the issues within the community and explore policy interventions.” 

When The Advocate spoke with attendees, they stressed the proposed public policies that had been prepared for the meeting.

“I was proud to participate in an historic briefing at the White House on how the Obama administration can help address the critical disparities facing bisexual Americans, from more robust suicide prevention and mental health services for bisexual youth to recommendations on data collection to protections for bisexual asylum seekers,” Heron Greenesmith, policy analyst at the Movement Advancement Project, told The Advocate. 

“As part of the group of bisexual policy experts from across the country working to outline these concrete policy changes, I was struck by the volume of data highlighting just how many bisexual people face discrimination, poor mental and physical health, and violence, often at much higher rates than our gay or heterosexual peers.”

The policy briefings addressed bisexual-specific needs in data collection, employment discrimination, HIV prevention and care, immigration and asylum issues, mental and physical health disparities, suicide prevention, and violence. According to the briefings, all of the areas listed are areas of concerns and have unique impacts for bisexual people.

“Perhaps one of the most valuable elements to Monday’s policy briefing was the opportunities for people to share resources – those resources were our experiences, fields of work, and knowledge, all of which varied widely but were strong across the board,” GLAAD media strategist Alexandra Bolles wrote of her experience at the White House gathering.

“When put together, these resources served to move the bi community as a whole towards cultural and political advancement,” she said. “While the bi community must overcome a disproportionally high hurdle in order to access hard resources and to achieve, I felt we were in a space where being ourselves was valuable, productive, and enough.”

Summaries of the policy briefings can be found on the Bisexual Awareness Week website.
 

Eliel Cruz

www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2015/9/23/white-house-hosts-bisexual-advocates-community-policy-briefing

Justice Antonin Scalia clearly still seething over Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage

Antonin Scalia remains highly critical of his colleagues on the US Supreme Court who voted 5-4 back in June to make same-sex marriage legal across the US.

Scalia, one of the high court’s most outspoken conservative justices, called the ruling ‘extreme‘ during a speech this week at Rhodes College in Menphis, Tennessee.

‘They’re not interpreting the constitution. They’re writing one, they’re revising one,’ Scalia said of his more liberal colleagues.

Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, Scalia does not believe the US Constitution is a ‘living document’ that evolves. He is an ‘originalist’ who believes the court must adhere to the original text when interpreting the constitution.

‘They’re not adhering to the text, they’re operating as policy makers,’ he said of justices Anthony Kennedy. Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Stephen G. Breyer.

He called the same-sex marriage ruling ‘the furthest imaginable extension of the Supreme Court doing whatever it wants.

‘Saying that the Constitution requires that practice, which is contrary to the religious beliefs of many of our citizens, I don’t know how you can get more extreme than that. I worry about a Court that’s headed in that direction.’

The post Justice Antonin Scalia clearly still seething over Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/justice-antonin-scalia-clearly-still-seething-over-supreme-courts-ruling-on-gay-marriage/

Your Ultimate Guide To Gay Halloween New Orleans Is Here

Halloween New Orleans presented by Avita Pharmacy, now in its 32nd year, is known as the best gay Halloween bash in the U.S. for good reason. With 4 days of gay parties (including a black-tie gala, a neon party, a costume party, and the most sacred of all, gay brunch), a spectacular parade, a top notch music festival and a crowd that is equally uproarious and sexy, it’s no wonder gays flock to NOLA come the end of October.

The theme for this year’s Halloween New Orleans (HNO) is “Fall of the Pharaohs” which means there will be plenty of bared chests and guy liner on display. Even more important than the theme of this bash is the cause it supports. All of the proceeds from HNO go to benefit Project Lazarus, an organization started in 1984 during the height of the AIDS crisis. What started as a hospice house for mostly gay men with AIDS who sought care, compassion and dignity, has evolved to serve as transitional housing to help people live with pride and independence. With almost $4.5 million raised to-date, this group does a lot of good all with the support of LGBT party-goers.

To help you navigate all that HNO has to offer, we created a guide of what to do when during Halloween so you can make the most of your stay. Check it out below.

The Lazarus Ball – Thursday, October 29

This black-tie ball kicks off the HNO: Fall of the Pharaohs Weekend. With live entertainment, great food, and a silent auction with items from local businesses, galleries, restaurants, and entertainment venues, there’s plenty to lure you in. The auction is a huge source of funding for the Lazarus Project and is a great event to bring co-workers and friends who might prefer it to some of the more wild reveries.

GLO Neon Party – Friday, October 30

HNOGLO (neon party) in collaboration with Pride.com is back for the second year in a row. We were on-hand last year for this bright celebration and can attest that this is one party you won’t want to miss. DJ Grind will be spinning tracks at Republic, the same venue from last year, which this year joined in as a co-sponsor. As for the vibe, it’s decidedly more…dressed down than the gala.

And being Halloween, a costume is always appreciated (though not required). For instance, this reveler was ahead of his time, channeling this year’s theme!

Click HERE for an extended preview of what you can expect at GLO.

The Main Event – Saturday, October 31

This is it, the largest, sexiest gay costume bash in the U.S.A. Taking place at the Contemporary Arts Center, this big gay costume party will take party-goers back to ancient Egypt while enticing them to dance all night long (or at least til 3am). It’s all about the costumes here, so make sure you have one or else you won’t be allowed in. The Absolut Costume Contest will highlight the best costumes while an Audience Award will also be given out (you can vote that night using the HNO app). DJ Blacklow and Joe Gauthreaux will keep you entranced all night — as will the eye candy on display.

The event also boasts a midnight show, VIP lounge, and photo booths. Then make your way to our bar sponsor, Oz for the after party featuring DJ Brett Henrichsen!

For more pics from last year’s party, click HERE.

Brunch and Second Line – Sunday, November 1

Recover from the previous night with your friends at The House of Blues with brunch, a performance by Thelma Houston and an iconic New Orleans tradition–the second line. These reveries are started by marching bands carrying their infectious music through the streets of NOLA, inspiring people to get up and join the party. The second line will take you from the House of Blues and march you down Bourbon Street to gay bar Oz right in the heart of the French Quarter. Winners of the Absolut Costume Contest will also be announced here.

Krewe of Boo Parade – Saturday, October 24

New Orleans knows how to do parades (think, Mardi Gras) and Halloween is no different. Organized and put on by the Kern family (also responsible for NOLA’s Mardi Gras since 1947), the city’s official Halloween parade is both green and a display of beautifully horrific props and sculptures that will help you get in the All Hallow’s Eve spirit. The floats in this parade are always stunning and crafted by the premier float building organization in America.

Voodoo Music + Art Experience – October 30 – November 1

This three day music and arts festivals urges its patrons to worship the music of its many prominent artists. This year’s extensive lineup includes Ozzy Osbourne, Zac Brown Band, Florence + The Machine, Jack Ü, Deadmau5, Steve Angello, Modest Mouse, Alesso, Jane’s Addiction, Girl Talk, Santigold, Duke Dumont, Third Eye Blind, Giorgio Moroder (below) and many more. You can scope the full roster HERE.

To purchase your tickets for Halloween New Orleans presented by Avita Pharmacy, click HERE.

The post Your Ultimate Guide To Gay Halloween New Orleans Is Here appeared first on Towleroad.

Towleroad

Your Ultimate Guide To Gay Halloween New Orleans Is Here

Fan's Tweet Strikes Out New York Mets' Homophobic Kiss Cam Gag

Like teams around the country, during baseball games camera crews for the New York Mets have a tradition of scanning the crowd for couples to show on the Jumbotron, prompting them to kiss on-camera and the stadium to swoon. 

But New York’s Citi Stadium has long had its own unique — and many say, homophobic — version of the famed Kiss Cam. After spotlighting three or four opposite-sex couples couples, the camera turns to two male players from the opposing team, waiting for the crowd to roar with laughter. The joke, apparently, is the very idea of two men kissing. 

After grimacing at the practice all season long, Mets fan Etan Bednarsh had enough of the homophobic “joke” in April. That’s when he tweeted at the Mets: “Putting two men together on the kiss cam isn’t a punch line. I want to keep coming to games. Please stop doing this.” 

The tweet was ignored. According to Bednarsh, the so-called joke continued at games throughout the season. Every time he witnessed it, Bednarsh tweeted at the Mets, asking the club to stop the practice, often from his stadium seat.

“I’m just a fan who loves going to the games, and honestly I hate seeing this kind of latent homophobia that really has no place in a baseball game,” Bednarsh told Huffpost Live in a recent interview. 

Before long, other fans joined in, speaking out againt the tasteless joke via Twitter, calling the Mets “homophobic” “imbeciles,” “stupid,” “anti-gay,” and telling them to “grow the fuck up.” As the growing cascade of tweets was met with silence from the Mets organization, Bednarsh tracked the outrage on Twitter, commenting that the “jokes” were “absolutely inexcusable.” 

The homophobic Kiss Cam gag continued until Bednarsh was invited to speak on Huffpost Live‘s show “Queerview” last month. In preparation for the show, Huffpost Live reached out to the Mets about what fans were saying. A spokesperson for the Mets responded swiftly, with an answer Bednarsh had been requesting for months:

“We have, on occasion, included players from opposing teams in our popular in-game Kiss Cam feature. While intended to be lighthearted, we unintentionally offended some. We apologize for doing so and no longer will include players in the feature. Our organization is wholly supportive of fostering an inclusive and respectful environment at games.” 

Bednarsh first learned of the team’s response on his Huffpost Live segment. With the homophobic jokes permanently called “out,” Bednarsh is now asking the club to start including same-sex couples on the kiss cam sincerely. 

“I’ve never seen a same-sex couple put on the kiss cam in a genuine way,” he told Huffpost Live. “And it’s New York City. There’s no shortage of same-sex couples sitting at the stadium. … I’ve seen on Twitter gay couples tweet to get on the Kiss Cam and they’ll never put them on genuinely, only for a joke.” 

Should the Mets feature same-sex couples on the in-game Kiss Cam, the team would join others Major League Baseball teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who recently put a same-sex couple on the hot seat for its Kiss Cam segment, and recieved thunderous applause when the men shared a smooch. After the fact, the husbands, who’ve been together for nearly 20 years, told The Advocate that the crowd’s warm reaction was “unexpected, and beautiful, and affirming.”

And as far back as 2011, the Dodgers’ rivals, the San Francisco Giants, spotlighted a same-sex kiss during a game for LGBT Night Out at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. 

Watch Bednarsh’s Huffpost Live interview below. 

Alexander Cheves

www.advocate.com/sports/2015/9/24/fans-tweet-strikes-out-new-york-mets-homophobic-kiss-cam-gag

LBT Media Guru Ebone Bell to Be Honored at 25th Mautner Anniversary Gala
On Friday, September 25th the Mautner Project of Whitman-Walker Health, a leader in health services for LBTQ women, honored 3 outstanding members of the LBTQ women’s community at their 25th annual Mautner Gala.

“The women we have honored this year really represent some of the values of Mautner Project of Whitman-Walker Health: quality, affirming health care, service, and strong community. I’m excited for folks to meet them,” says Jacquetta Brooks, manager of Mautner Project of Whitman-Walker.

Among the honorees is Eboné Bell, managing editor of Tagg Magazine, who was honored with the Image Award for her work in leading the area’s premier publication for lesbian news, culture, and events. Tagg Magazine, available in both digital and print form, is the only lesbian and queer women’s publication serving the Washington D.C. community. Bell is a long time supporter and advocate of non-profit organizations, including Mautner, and has used her position as founder and managing editor of the magazine to create outlets for affirming and inspiring representations of women and the LBTQ community.

With a background in advertising and marketing, Bell began her career in print publication as advertising manager for the Chronicle of Higher Education, building her skills, learning her craft, and collecting contacts and resources. After noticing a severe lack in the opportunity for queer women to speak and for their voices to be heard, Bell filled in that gap by creating Tagg Magazine.

“I wanted to show that visibility but also provide great content, great stories, events, and resources for the community,” Bell says. For this reason, Tagg Magazine features content ranging from dating, to arts and entertainment, to community and out at work articles that aim at engaging, representing, and speaking to the diverse backgrounds of women in the LBT community. Tagg Magazine also features a series of stories and resources, including an event page and a resource page. The resource page tackles a variety of topics, including coming out late in life, black lesbian support groups, trans support groups, rainbow response, domestic violence, etc. The events page is designed to connect LBT women with their community.

“Our mission is to connect people,” explains Bell, who is constantly asked why she named the magazine Tagg. She adds, “When I was thinking about the magazine, I wanted a name that said ‘connecting.’ Connecting women, connecting the queer women’s community…that’s our mission. When you play the game of tag, you reach out and touch someone.” That is exactly what Bell has done with her magazine, which now serves the Maryland, Delaware, DC, and Virginia areas. Bell cites her mother and grandmother as her greatest inspirations.

“I hope that as Tagg continues to grow, that we are really leaving our community with some sort of history,” notes Bell. “Some young queer girl growing up now, ten years from now, will know about people who paved the way. I hope Tagg tells their stories and leaves a mark on the DC queer community.” It is for this reason that Bell has received the Image Award, ensuring that the voices of many are heard through engaging content and capturing the spirit of community.

Other honorees for the evening included Schroeder Stribling, executive director of N Street Village, who will receive the Healing Works award for her efforts in providing services and empowering recovery for homeless and low-income women in the community. Major Jamie Lee Henry, the first active duty army officer to come out as transgender, will be awarded with the inaugural Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Award, the first of its kind.

As Mautner continues to provide LBTQ health services, it will continue to honor the hard work of many in the community.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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Russia’s Vladimir Putin proposes a meeting with Elton John – and it’s not a hoax

Earlier this month,  Elton John was tricked into thinking he was talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin by a pair of TV pranksters.

After John posted a picture of Putin on his Instagram thanking him for calling him to discuss gay rights, the Kremlin denied any call took place.

Now Putin wants to meet with the singer – for real.

The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov that Putin phoned Sir Elton on Wednesday (23 September) asking him not to be offended by the earlier prank by Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov who had impersonated him on the phone.

Peskov told Russian media that Putin had this time called the singer and asked him not to be offended by the hoax.

Mr Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet Sir Elton to discuss ‘any issues of interest’ when their schedules permit.

Those issues would be Russia’s anti-LGBTI record and laws which Sir Elton was quite vocal about during a visit to Russia earlier this month.

‘I’d love to meet him [Putin], I’d love to sit down and talk to him,’ he told the BBC during that visit. ‘It’s probably pie in the sky but unless you try, unless you put your foot in the water, your toe in the water … at least if I meet him and say, “Listen, come on, let’s have a cup of tea, let’s talk about this.” He might laugh behind my back and then he shuts the door and call me an absolute idiot but at least I can have a conscience and say I’d tried.’

Of the earlier prank Sir Elton said: ‘Pranks are funny. Homophobia, however is never funny. I love Russia and my offer to talk to President Putin about LGBT rights still stands. I will always stand up for those that are being degraded and discriminated against.

‘If this unfortunate incident has helped push this vital issue back into the spotlight, then I am happy to be pranked on this occasion.’

The post Russia’s Vladimir Putin proposes a meeting with Elton John – and it’s not a hoax appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/russias-vladimir-putin-proposes-a-meeting-with-elton-john-and-its-not-a-hoax/

Improving LGBT Healthcare in Mississippi

Recently, HRC Mississippi State Director Rob Hill and Tari Hanneman, Deputy Director of HRC’s Health and Aging Program, visited several Mississippi healthcare professionals.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/improving-lgbt-healthcare-in-mississippi?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Rep. Louie Gohmert Compares Openly Gay Army Secretary Nominee to Afghan Pedophiles: LISTEN

Rep. Louie Gohmert continued his obsession with the topic of gays in the military yesterday in in a discussion on Eric Fanning, President Obama’s openly gay nominee for Secretary of the Army.

Right Wing Watch reports:

In an interview with Gohmert yesterday on his “Washington Watch” radio program, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said that the Senate should refuse to confirm a new Army secretary following a New York Times report alleging that U.S. officials in Afghanistan told service members to look the other way on cases of sex abuse among allied Afghan fighters. Perkins said that the Senate should tell the president that “we are not going to confirm your nominee, especially this guy.”

“What do you think they will think,” Gohmert wondered, “when they hear that not only did we tolerate what was being done to their boys by people under our authority but we turn around and approve a Secretary of the Army that they as moderate Muslims believe is just an atrocious thing? They’re going to think that that is quite consistent with us approving of what was going on between the older men in authority and these boys.”

He added: “This is not a good move, but the president’s priority has not been the lives of our military.”

Related: Stephen Colbert Agrees with Louie Gohmert’s Warnings About Gay Massage in the Military

Listen below:

The post Rep. Louie Gohmert Compares Openly Gay Army Secretary Nominee to Afghan Pedophiles: LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

Kyler Geoffroy

Rep. Louie Gohmert Compares Openly Gay Army Secretary Nominee to Afghan Pedophiles: LISTEN

Pope Francis Expresses 'Concern for the Family' in Historic Address to Congress

Pope Francis won a hearty and enthusiastic standing ovation for his groundbreaking address to a joint session of Congress but also raised eyebrows for his subtle but unmistakable sermonizing on marriage. 

“I am most grateful for this invitation to address this joint session of Congress,” said the pope, in halting, carefully phrased English, “in the land of the free and the home of the brave.” 

Those anticipating his speech might attack U.S. policy regarding legal abortion, same-sex marriage, and transgender rights were relieved to hear only tangential references, such as when Pope Francis called for a defense of life at “every stage of development.” Invoking the Golden Rule, Francis referred not just to fetuses but more directly to the 3,002 Americans currently on death row. He made a passionate plea for the abolition of the death penalty. 

But it was his remarks near the end of his speech that especially concerned LGBT members of Congress and allies on Capitol Hill and across the country:

“I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.”

The pope’s visit brought about a bipartisan assemblage of lawmakers, aides, and invited guests who packed the chamber of the House of Representatives for the historic speech. Some 50,000 people were invited to watch on jumbo TV screens set up on the Capitol’s West Lawn.

But it was inside where the pope stood face-to-face with 138 members of the House who are Catholic, alongside 26 senators. That’s almost 31 percent of the U.S. Congress who identify as Catholic,  according to The New York Times, far more than the 22 percent of Catholics in the country’s overall adult population.

Pope Francis was invited by a Catholic, House Speaker John Boehner, who has tried for 20 years to get a pope to come to Capitol Hill. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California, the House minority leader, is also a Catholic, as is Vice President Joe Biden, who serves as president of the Senate.

In his remarks, the pope also touched on the issues of immigration,  capitalism, the environment, the arms trade, and poverty. 

“Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one, the greatest common good,” said Francis. 

The Times noted that the pope’s speech was the longest and most challenging English-speaking appearance of his papacy. His native tongue is Spanish and he is fluent in Italian, but he has admitted he’s not comfortable speaking English, despite practicing all summer long. 

At a welcoming ceremony at the White House Wednesday, the pope was asked why he was attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which was a commitment first made by his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict. “To celebrate and support the institutions of marriage and the family at this critical moment in the history of our civilization,” Francis explained.

GLAAD president Sarah Kate-Ellis told WNYC radio what she thought of that statement, which she said implied that so-called traditional, heterosexual marriage was being threatened by marriage equality. 

“That was disappointing,” she told WNYC. “I think you know, we have five more days ahead of us. … Nothing was direct. The only thing he was direct about was the environment.”

The National LGBTQ Task Force, meanwhile, welcomed to the pope’s reference to the Bible’s Golden Rule, which commands one to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” with an important caveat.

“This doesn’t seem to apply to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and our families,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the Task Force, in a statement Thursday. “Nor does it apply to the millions who need vital access to reproductive health services. We urge Pope Francis to use his position of immense power to create a truly welcoming and affirming church for all LGBTQ people — and to treat our families with dignity and equal respect. We also urge him to modernize the church’s position on reproductive health. … It’s unfortunate that a leader who can be so good on these issues [of environment, immigration reform, poverty, and promoting peace] can be so out of touch on others.” 

Watch the pope’s address to Congress below, courtesy of C-SPAN.

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/religion/2015/9/24/pope-francis-expresses-concern-family-historic-address-congress

6 Ways My Anxiety Has Been A Secret Weapon

I like to describe my anxiety as my most dedicated “frenemy.” 

Any one of the 40 million Americans who struggle with anxiety disorders know that living with anxiety means a lifelong struggle to navigate it. It’s physical, all-consuming and, at times, unbearable. Anxiety can strain relationships, cause mental pain to manifest physically, impact the way you make your decisions and generally make your life a whole lot more difficult.

I spent years railing against my anxiety, willing it to disappear forever. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works for the vast majority of people, and certainly not how it has worked for me. But as I’ve dealt with, examined and written about my anxiety over the past few years, I’ve realized that it has been a helpful tool and secret strength in as many ways as it has been a detriment. I came across a comic on Tumblr that referred to anxiety as a superpower that had to be controlled. Something clicked for me when I read that. 

Learning to treat the anxious part of myself with compassion has been difficult, but invaluable. It’s also allowed me to see the ways my anxiety can be channeled for the better. The real work is parsing the good from the bad, and figuring out what parts to embrace and what to change — with the help of a great therapist, of course. 

Here are six ways anxiety can be a secret weapon:

1. Anxiety can be a force for productivity. Growing up, there was no way in hell that I was ever going to turn in an assignment late or not study for a test. The anxiety I would face if I failed to be properly prepared was far worse than just doing the damn work. It made me a great test-taker and a model student. Into my late 20s, I’ve learned to channel my anxiety into my work and use it to light a fire under my ass when I need to meet a deadline or perform a last-minute task. 

2. It may even help you excel professionally. One of the worst parts about anxiety is that it can trap you in your own head, something that I’ve felt acutely over the years. That side of my anxiety makes me tell myself complex (often false) narratives about real-life situations, which isn’t so great, but it also allows me to formulate ideas and sentences in my mind with relative ease. Those ideas and sentences turn into essays and stories. I’m convinced that my anxiety is part of what helps the words pour out onto the page… er… computer screen when I’m particularly inspired. Inner monologue FTW.

3. Anxiety can make you better aware of the consequences of your decisions… Although my anxiety can certainly be a hindrance to quick decision-making, it also helps me to anticipate what may lie ahead. Hindsight is 20/20, but forethought is priceless. 

4. … And by that virtue, make you a more compassionate leader. Being in a leadership position is never easy, and there are certainly ways that anxiety — especially untreated anxiety — can make managing other people feel impossible. I was 21 when I had the first opportunity to manage a big group of people and I got massively overwhelmed about 25 times a day. As I’ve gotten older and learned to deal with my anxiety more effectively, I’ve also learned how to be a better leader. That history has also made me more compassionate towards what my coworkers might be feeling and going through on any given day. Anticipating how your actions — or situations you have nothing to do with creating — might impact others can be a useful tool as a boss.

5. It can make you a more empathetic person. My anxiety drives me to create elaborate stories about other people and how I would/should/could react to them. And that can be goddamn exhausting. But it’s also allowed me to better imagine what others might be feeling, which has made it easier to connect with people. And isn’t human connection what this life is really about? 

6. Dealing with your anxiety can make you a more supportive friend. When you become introspective about your own mental health and work to understand it better, you also pick up some helpful coping mechanisms. I’ve shared those tools with friends of mine — when asked, of course, because there’s nothing more annoying than a person who tries to be your pseudo therapist. Being in therapy also means that I know how not to put all my sh*t on my friends, which ultimately makes for healthier relationships. 

In the words of Beyoncé, anxiety is…

Also on HuffPost:

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

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