Is PTSD part of the Q(ueer) package?

 I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and how it affects human behaviors as we strive to live with each other in community.  And since June is Pride Month, I'm particularly thinking about how it might relate to the Q community.  I'm not a therapist.  I'm more of a chaplain or counselor in my relationships with Q folks.

Almost every person I know who is part of the Queer universe (asexual, bisexual, homosexual, lesbian, gay, transgender, misgendered, intersex, or any of the other layers of sexual and gender diversity) has some strikingly common characteristics:  intelligence, creativity, talent, strong leadership skills, courage,... and hidden pain from the deep wounds of being different all their lifetimes.

I've talked with teenagers, young adults, and older adults for almost 50 years about gayness, listening to stories of bullying, physical and emotional abuse, denial of true self, fear of discovery, suicidal ideation, dangers of disease, wanting to be honest but scared of the outcome, and all these conversations have led me to understand that many, perhaps most, people in the Queer universe have been hurt badly during their lives.  

It can be hard to overcome the damage done by PTSD experiences, especially when it's buried deep in emotional receptors;  fear and mistrust of those who may inflict further pain can make interpersonal relationships hard to create and maintain.  A certain defensiveness can become a coping strategy, especially when hard work does not appear to be appreciated. Healing occurs through deliberate effort, often therapy, and deliberate behavior changes.

I've noticed that in groups of people, like a organization's board or other community agency involved in doing good work in the world,  the great creativity and leadership skills in such a group tend to produce many different takes on how things should be done.  

Hard-won, sometimes fragile self-esteem can make it hard to find common ground when ideas clash.  People take sides and a schism can emerge, damaging the effectiveness of whatever project is under consideration.  Without a way to resolve the conflict, fears and defensiveness define the way forward.

But it often isn't really forward, it's backwards, because some good ideas aren't heard or accepted and frustration with each other delays the planning of an event or making decisions.  And the work stalls, the feelings are negative, and the damage to a desirable goal is considerable, to say nothing of the scabs pulled off of old wounds.

Sometimes the best next step is to wait till feelings cool and then test the waters.  Often, though, an opportunity for all to vent feelings of anger and disappointment, as well as the fear that cherished projects will fall apart, is a better option, if there is a trusted, neutral person to listen and to reflect what they are hearing, in a safe space.