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Out-Takes: The Unheard Stories of LBGTQ Teens

Out-Takes: The Unheard Stories of LBGTQ Teens

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“Harvey Milk always said that this was how the revolution would happen: one lonely kid at a time.”

From Love on the March, New Yorker, 11/12/12 by Alex Ross

The past decade has seen many social and legal changes in support of LGBTQ+ civil rights in the U.S. But gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth may struggle to find acceptance in their families, friends, and communities. LGBTQ teens are one of the highest risk groups for suicide, family rejection, and homelessness. High school students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender are five times more likely to attempt suicide compared to heterosexual peers. In this hour, we highlight the stories of some of the hundreds of thousands of teens who dare to come out, risking everything to tell the truth about who they are. We celebrate their courage, and the courage of those who support them, as they open minds and hearts little by little.

Family

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, and 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression.  Pediatrics, January 2009, VOLUME 123 / ISSUE 1  [MORE]

school

School

The vast majority of LGBTQ kids are victimized at their school.  Bullying ranges from negative comments from both peers and teachers, to actual physical assault.   Find out more about what you can do in your school to protect LGBTQ teens and make the school safer for everyone. [MORE]

solutions

Solutions

The great news is that we know what makes a difference in saving LGBT kid’s lives.  The next step is to learn about these strategies, find allies and work together to make these changes. [MORE]

Additional Important Topics:

homelessness
LGBTQ Homelessness
transgender
Transgender issues
generexpans
Gender Expansiveness
faith
Faith Communities
inclusive
Inclusive Curriculum

Resources:

Audio:

An interview with Inaugural poet, Richard Blanco:

http://media.blubrry.com/safespaceradio/content.blubrry.com/safespaceradio/RBlanco-p1-podcast.mp3

Part II of the interview with Richard Blanco:

http://media.blubrry.com/safespaceradio/content.blubrry.com/safespaceradio/RBlanco-part-2-fin-podcast.mp3

Further Reading:

  • “How Homophobia Hurts Everyone: A Theoretical Foundation”
  • We Are the Youth: Sharing the Stories of LGBT Youth in the United States
  • Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Youth in Our Nation’s Schools
  • Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools
  • “Stop Bullying Now”
  • Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and
    Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America

Organizations:

  • Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
  • Trans Youth Equality Foundation
  • The Trevor Project
  • Equality Federation

Maine Organizations

  • Out as I want to Be
  • Equality Maine
  • Downeast Maine GLSEN
  • Southern Maine GLSEN
  • Portland Outright on Facebook
  • Outright Lewiston/Auburn

Discussion questions for Teens:

  • What was it like for you to hear these stories?  What did you resonate with?  What could you not relate to?
  • Were there important parts of your experience that got left out?  What are they?
  • Who are the most trustworthy, and accepting people in your life?  Make a list. Can you go to them when things are difficult?  Do you?  If not, why not, and is this something you can talk to them about?

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Generously supported by:

  • The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • The Lucy R. Sprague Charisma Fund
  • The Equity Fund
  • The Fleming Family Foundation
  • The Hope and Grace Fund
  • Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
  • The Lerner Foundation
  • The Matthewson Foundation
  • The Pinkerton Foundation
  • The Pink House Foundation
  • The Rines Thompson Fund
  • The Sam L. Cohen Foundation

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We gratefully acknowledge that the images on this website are used by permission from photographers on Unsplash.

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