Are you interested in writing for QueerMentalHealth.org?

Do you:

• identify as an LGBTQ individual;
• live with a mental illness; deal with a mental health related issue; or have a partner dealing with such issues;
• have an interest in or have experience in writing blog articles to be published on the internet

If the above apply to you, then you may be the perfect candidate to become our next writer! We are looking for articles that cover the following topics:

• Mental health issues, regardless of whether they are LGBTQ-specific or not
• Social issues that are specific to the LGBTQ community
• Personal narratives that thread LGBTQ and mental health issues together
• Various LGBTQ issues that can impact an individual’s mental health
• Artistic expression of emotions relating to the above topics

Right now, the articles we have published are skewed heavily toward being about living with specific mental illnesses, something that we would like to change. We also need more writers who have had experience with social issues within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community which impact mental health, such as bullying, club drugs, body image, coming out, dating, breaking up, etc.

Deadlines? What Deadlines!

QueerMentalHealth.org has a policy of not setting deadlines for our writers. The reason for this is because all of our writers battle with mental health issues and many are currently active in their own recovery process. We understand that it can be tough to be motivated during these times, so we prefer to not place any added pressure on our writers’ already stressful lives. Some of our writers publish weekly, some every month or two, and some only ever submit one article and never submit another again. You are welcome to write as much or as little as you like.

Privacy

Some of our writers are open about their mental health/disability issues in real life, while others wish to not connect their real names to their mental health issues, for many different reasons. We respect the wishes of our writers, whatever that may be. You are welcome to write under either your real name or a pseudonym of your choice. The only requirement we have is a email address that our administrator may use to be able to contact you when necessary. Your email address will never become publicly available on the website.

Topics

Right now the content on this site is almost exclusively related to living with mental illness. While that was one of our goals in creating this site, we also want to make sure general mental health issues that cover the broad spectrum of LGBTQ experiences. You do not have to have a mental illness to write for Queer Mental Health! Anyone who identifies as LGBTQ is welcome to write for Queer Mental Health.

Struggling for ideas? We are especially interested in the following topics:

• Your coming out process and experiences with anti-queer bullying
• Social pressures, including body image and drug use, within the queer community
• Experiences navigating the mental health care system during gender transition
• The impact of marriage equality (or lack thereof) on mental health
• Stories of the well-being of LGBTQ+ parents and children

As always, we never limit submissions to the aforementioned topics; they are only posted as a place to start off with for getting ideas. If you are looking to join our writing team, but don’t know what to start with, we have developed a bit of a tradition of starting new writers out with telling their personal story, relating to experiences with being queer and dealing with mental health issues. However, this is NOT a requirement!  Feel free to write about whatever you like, if you have something you are dying to write about and have published, don’t be afraid to submit it.

Perks

Unfortunately, at this time, QMH.org has no source of funding, and thus, we are unable to pay you for your work. We are currently accepting writers and articles on a volunteer basis. We will, however, shower you with praise and recognition for your work, and you are free to republish your content elsewhere, or remove it from QMH.org any time you wish. You retain the copyright to any work you submit. We believe in helping our writers to empower yourselves in your endeavours.

If you wish to join our team of writers, please fill out the application below. Our administrator will get back to you ASAP, though please understand that, like many of our writers, she is also actively pursuing her own recovery and may not be able to get back to you right away.

Are you a mental health professional?

QueerMentalHealth.org is a website for mental health consumers to have their voices heard. If you are a mental health professional who also has your own mental health issues, then you are welcome to join, but please keep in mind the purpose of this website, and keep your professional hat off when writing for QueerMentalHealth.org. Otherwise, we do not accept mental health professionals.

Sign Up Here!

Basic account setup

1. Username(required)
2. Email(valid email required)
3. Published Name(required)

Do you have any prior work? If so, list it here.

1. (copy & paste full articles)
2. (URL to published works)

About yourself (We sometimes suggest article topics to our writers on an individual basis. We will do so based on what you indicate you are available for here.)

1. Which pronouns do you prefer?
2. Are you a mental health professional?
3. No Yes
4. Tell us a little bit about yourself (This will go on your author page). (required)
5. What are your experiences with queer and/or mental health issues? (required)
6. What topics do you wish to write about? eg. bullying, activism burnout, club drugs, relationships, depression, anxiety, social pressure, domestic violence(required)

We don't give deadlines to our writers - but it helps to give us an idea how often you wish to submit articles. You are not making any commitments by answering this question. Feel free to leave this section blank.

1. How often? I don't know/when I feel inspired Once a week Every 2 weeks Once a month Once every 2 months Once every 3 months Other (please specify)
2. If other:

Legal Stuff

1. Agreement I understand that, by becoming a member of the QMH.org writing team, I am volunteering my time and effort, and will not be paid for my work. My work will be reviewed by the QMH.org editors prior to publication, and possible editing for spelling, grammar, punctuation and search engine optimization. I will retain copyright for any work that I submit, and may request to remove any work(s) at any time in the future. I am also welcome to republish my work elsewhere, whether online or in print. I will not be subjected to any deadlines, however, an admin may contact me to see if I am still interested in writing for QMH.org if I have not submitted anything recently, or if an admin wishes to suggest an article idea for me to write, which I can always decline. I will also receive a monthly newsletter, which may contain important updates about QMH.org. These terms may change in the future, though I will be notified in advance should this happen.
2. I agree to the above statement

1. Ten minus five equals

 

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