Why Pride Matters to All of Us

Written By Hilary Sohn, LMT, Founder/Owner - The Healing Sanctuary

You don’t have to be LGBTQIA+ to know what it feels like to hide part of yourself to stay safe. You don’t have to be queer or trans to understand what it’s like to feel different in a world that prizes sameness. But for those who do identify as LGBTQIA+, those feelings aren’t fleeting — they are often stitched into the fabric of daily life. It can mean carefully choosing which truths to share at work. Avoiding certain healthcare professionals because you didn’t feel safe or heard in past visits. Silently scanning a room to gauge whether it’s okay to simply be who you are.

That constant calculation—of whether it’s safe to show up as your authentic self—is exhausting. And it takes a toll on the body, the mind, and the heart.

LGBTQIA+ individuals face significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma — not because there’s something wrong with them, but because the systems around them have often been indifferent or outright hostile. Add layers of identity like being neurodivergent, a person of color, disabled, or economically disadvantaged, and the weight becomes even greater.

This isn’t just about healthcare access or policies — it’s about belonging. It’s about the right to feel safe in your body and your community. It’s about the basic human need to be witnessed and honored for who you are.

And here’s a truth: This isn’t just an LGBTQIA+ issue. This is a human issue.

Because when one group in our society has to fight harder to access basic human dignities — to be heard, understood, and valued — it fractures the community as a whole. If some people cannot live openly and authentically, none of us can fully rest into who we are.

Pride Month is more than a celebration — it’s a reminder that healing isn't just individual. It’s cultural. It’s structural. It’s collective. We all have a role to play in shaping environments that are more inclusive, more affirming, and more compassionate. For all of us.

These are questions for all of us — because the wellbeing of any group reflects the health of the whole community:

  • How can I listen to others more openly?

  • How can I challenge bias, even when it’s subtle or systemic?

  • How can I create more room for authenticity — in others and in myself?

If we want a more just and compassionate world, we must make space for the full spectrum of humanity to be seen to heal, and to live as their truest selves.

At The Healing Sanctuary, we believe wellness is for every body. While we offer inclusive classes and services year-round, our deepest commitment is to hold space where everyone feels safe, seen, and supported.

We’re offering several classes in June created to help you reconnect with your inner sense of safety, expression, and light:

Some statistics to consider:

  • 9.3% of adults in the United States identify as LGBTQIA+. To put that in perspective, that’s more than 31,629,000 people- our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and community members. (1)

  • People in the LGBTQIA+ community are three times more likely to deal with mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, and experience more health inequities, discrimination, and poorer outcomes in healthcare. (2,3,4)

  • The Trevor Project shows research that LGBTQIA+ young people who reported living in accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in unaccepting communities. (5)

1 Jones JM. LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Rises to 9.3%. Gallup.com. Published February 20, 2025. https://news.gallup.com/poll/656708/lgbtq-identification-rises.aspx

2 Medina-Martínez J, Saus-Ortega C, Sánchez-Lorente MM, Sosa-Palanca EM, García-Martínez P, Mármol-López MI. Health Inequities in LGBT People and Nursing Interventions to Reduce Them: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 10;18(22):11801. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182211801. PMID: 34831556; PMCID: PMC8624572. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8624572/

3 Kates, J., Ranji, U., Beamesderfer, A., Salganicoff, A., & Dawson, L. (2016). Health and access to care and coverage for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in the U.S. Retrieved from http://kff.org/report-section/health-and-access-to-care-and-coverage-for-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-health-challenges/

4 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). LGBTQI. Nami.org. https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/LGBTQI

5 The Trevor Project. 2024 U.S. national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. The Trevor Project. Published 2024. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/

Hilary Sohn, LMT, Founder/Owner - The Healing Sanctuary

Hilary is the founder/owner of The Healing Sanctuary and has been a massage therapist since 2002. She holds a Psychology B.S. from St. Joseph’s University, a Psychoeducational Processes M.Ed. from Temple University, and is a 2021 alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, and holds a Foundations of Biophilic Design certificate from the International Living Future Institute. . She champions the Women’s Workshop for the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce and serves on their DEI Council. Hilary is committed to building collaboration between health and wellness practitioners. She believes that healing can come in many forms and from different directions, and encourages practitioners in the center to work with other providers to support clients in their healing journeys.

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