When we talk about LGBTQ+ mental health in agriculture and rural communities, it is easy for the conversation to focus only on the hard parts. And we can’t ignore those. Earlier research on LGBTQ+ farmer mental health has shown high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk among LGBTQ+ people working in agriculture. The Movement Advancement Project has also described how rural life can intensify both acceptance and rejection because our communities are smaller, more interconnected, and often have fewer formal support systems.
But what can we do, in the places where we already live and work, to help create more positive experiences for LGBTQ+ people in agriculture?
Recent research from The Trevor Project offers a useful starting point. Their work focused on LGBTQ+ young people, but the insight reaches beyond youth. Positive events such as support from friends, enjoyable activities, positive feedback from a teacher or boss, and feeling more secure at work were associated with lower rates of recent depression and anxiety.
That does not mean a kind word or a good day replaces mental health care. It does remind us that belonging is not only built through big events or formal policies. Sometimes it is built through the ordinary interactions that let someone know they are welcome and valued, and not alone.
In agriculture, those moments can look like inviting an LGBTQ+ person in your community to the table as someone whose perspective belongs there. Make sure they are included and have the opportunity for a sense of belonging in meetings, leadership programs, community service organizations and committees, social events, and the informal conversations where relationships are built.
Offer real encouragement. In a workplace, that may mean giving clear positive feedback when someone does good work, using the correct name or pronouns without making it a debate, or making sure partners and families are acknowledged the same way for everyone.
In an organization, encouragement and inclusion sometimes means saying out loud that LGBTQ+ members are part of the agricultural community and deserve the same respect, opportunity, and support as anyone else.
We can also create positive experiences by reducing isolation. Rural communities are often proud of showing up for one another. That same spirit applies here. Check in. Ask how someone is doing and listen long enough for the real answer. Invite someone to lunch during the week rather than eating alone. Share resources before someone is in crisis.
For many in rural communities, economic security matters too. A safer workplace, a supportive supervisor, access to health care, and confidence that a person will not lose opportunities because of who they are and who they love all contribute to mental well-being. Inclusion and belonging are not separate from workforce development or rural vitality. They are part of whether people can stay, contribute, and build a future here.
We do not have to wait for perfect programs to make rural spaces more affirming. We can start with the next conversation or the next chance to show someone that they belong.
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