2SLGBTQIA+ people are recognized as vulnerable to crises impacting mental health, while the mechanisms through which they navigate crises and regain stability—as individuals and communities—remain less clear. We argue that their attempts to reorient themselves and regain stability during crisis represent a form of queer kinesthesia , a process of kin-making and self-orientation. This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on queer communities the Greater Toronto Area, focusing on the role of public health policy, mental health resources, and community supports in queer mental health. Thematic analysis was conducted on 44 semi-structured interviews with a racially and economically diverse sample of 2SLGBTQIA+ participants in spring and summer 2021 as a part of larger mixed-methods study. A majority of participants contended with intensified pre-existing mental health issues and a simultaneous reduction in accessible mental health supports and resources. Participants reported multidimensional, diverse experiences, but most indicated long-standing supports maintained through relationships with other queer people tended to fail under pandemic conditions. Analysis points to a need for additional support, funding, and equitable labor practices for culturally appropriate queer-identified and -focused mental health services, and public health policy that accounts for queer kinesthesia —the kin-making central to queer communities’ stability. • 2SLGBTQIA+ people are recognized as vulnerable to crises impacting mental health, but comparatively little is known about how they navigate crises. • Study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 2SLGBTQIA+ mental health in blinded. • 44 semi-structured interviews with a racially and economically diverse sample of 2SLGBTQIA+ participants in spring and summer 2021. • Majority of participants experienced worsening mental health, compounded by difficulty accessing care and community supports. • Study finds that traditional queer methods of support, such as queer relationality, were inhibited by governmental policies such as shutdowns and social distancing, complicating participants’ mental health experiences.
Williams et al. (Sun,) studied this question.