A troubled start

As this first issue of JGLMH of 2023 goes to press, there has been another mass shooting in an LGBTQ + nightclub, this time in Colorado Springs, USA. The LGBTQ + community is once again dealing with horrific violence in a location meant to be a safe place to have fun and come together. Killings like these have a direct psychological impact on those witnessing the traumatic event and affect others who identify with the target community, and those who watch the news and social media coverage repeatedly. Research conducted after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida (e.g., Gavulic & Gonzales, 2021; Ramirez et al., 2018) demonstrated associations with broader effects on the LGBTQ + community and also the Latinx community who were disproportionately affected by the mass murder. These broader sequelae are the basis of increased penalties for hate crimes targeting minority groups. That being said, the preferable legislation, from a preventative health point of view, would be gun control legislation to reduce easy access to firearms in general and ban the use of military-style high-capacity firearms.

In this issue, JGLMH continues to contribute to the increasingly diverse international field of LGBTQ + research with a pair of qualitative studies exploring the experiences of trans men and trans women in Iran. We also have a systemic review of mental health and quality of life outcomes for those who have received gender-affirming surgery, and a case report regarding the perennially interesting issue of therapist disclosure of sexual orientation. Please also enjoy our latest addition to the JGLMH Oral History series, and a reminder that we are looking for a new editor for this series, so if interested, please be in touch.

Christopher McIntosh
MSc, MD, FRCPC, DFAPAEditor-in-Chief
[email protected]