Giving Compass' Take:

• Research shows that LGBT individuals that have more extensive LGBT friend networks can significantly help buffer against discrimination and bias and improve the overall health of LGBT populations. 

• What can communities do to foster healthy relationships with LGBT populations to reduce prejudice? 

• Learn how LGBT youth face increased odds of homelessness. 

A big social network—particularly with people who share your sexual identity—reduces the harmful effects of LGBT discrimination on health, according to the study.

“When we reviewed past studies, we found a pretty stark bias toward studying what made things worse,” says William Chopik, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University and lead author. “That’s really important research, but there are plenty of positive parts of people’s lives that might disrupt some of the more stressful ones.”

The 2,560 LGBT adult study participants measured their perceived discrimination, stress, and social network size, as well as their physical health, depression, and life satisfaction.

“Having more family and friends around gives us more people to depend on when we really need it. When it comes to discrimination, people want someone they can rely on who can provide a listening ear,” Chopik says. “A lot of the time, this means giving emotional support, so having a larger social network makes that possible.”

The surprising finding, Chopik says, related to who specifically made up one’s network. The number of straight individuals in a network didn’t make a difference in improving health; rather, having more LGBT friends and family around was the most beneficial for those in the LGBT community. Additionally, ages of people in a network did not matter, so long as they shared an identity.

Many people who face ongoing discrimination shut down their relationships or isolate themselves, Chopik says. But for LGBT people, the larger the social circle, the better.

Read the full article about LGBT friend networks by Caroline Brooks at Futurity.