#lgbt youth

[unburdened-by-what-has-been]

Source

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Advocates fear loss of schools as safe space amid gender pronouns policy

Education advocates are bemoaning the loss of schools as safe spaces for vulnerable kids only weeks after the UCP announced a controversial gender pronouns policy that they say puts a wedge between LGBTQ+ students and teachers. Teachers, parents and academics worry schools are already being enveloped in a culture of fear and mistrust, well before this fall when the policy is implemented, requiring teachers to notify and get consent from parents to alter the name or pronouns of a student under 15 years, and to notify parents of students aged 16 and 17. Even the much-celebrated and protective GSAs (gay-straight alliances) — clubs created by students and led by trusted adults to support LGBTQ+ kids in schools — are at risk of being lost as students question the potential risks now associated with joining them, advocates say.

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Tagging @politicsofcanada @abpoli

[milesworld96]

YALLS OH SHIT, PLEASE GET IN CONTACT WITH SENATORS TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE BILL. THIS IS LIKE BAD, REALLY BAD FOR MANY PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. WE JUST NEED WON SENATOR TO SPEAK AGAINST IT

HELP CHIP IN AS WELL IF YOU CAN, PLEASE THESE ARE DIRE TIMES RIGHT MOW

[youngchesstheorist]

I think people need to accept that with the great effort of our community there are a lot of queer teens, even as young as 13. Tell me why gay bars are one of the only safe spaces for queer people? Tell me why the ONLY youth center for lgbt youth in my city specifically says from 15-26? Tell me why when you check "lgbt shops" on the city website they are all 18+ shops? What's the logic? Don't the young queers deserve a community as well? There is no age too young to start questioning your gender and sexuality, and the younger you are the more people say it's just a phase. It honestly makes no sense to put kids through such an isolating experience.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ryan Adamczeski at The Advocate:

Forced outing has devastating consequences for LGBTQ+ people, and queer youth are at an even greater risk. One-third of LGBTQ+ minors who were outed without their consent were more likely to experience depression, as well as face less support from their families, according to a new study from the University of Connecticut. Two-thirds said that the event caused significant stress. Outing is the act of revealing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent. The UConn study analyzed responses from 9,200 queer youth ages 13 to 17 in the Human Rights Campaign's 2017 LGBTQ National Teen Survey which showed a correlation between outing and stress.

The data also showed that LGBTQ+ youth experience stress from outing differently, as transgender, nonbinary, and asexual respondents reported higher stress levels than cisgender gay, lesbian and bisexual participants. In all cases, respondents reported lower stress when they also reported have parents or guardians who are educated on sexuality and gender identity. More than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced across the U.S. in 2023, and 80 were passed into law. In 2024, 487 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced and 20 have passed into law, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. There are currently five states that mandate schools report transgender children to their parents if they request to go by a different name or pronouns. Another six “promote�� forced outing, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

A new study from UCONN that came out reveals that anti-LGBTQ+ forced outing policies lead to higher rates of depression and familial rejection among LGBTQ+ youths.

[radiocurrency]

Ya girl talked about their own journey growing up queer in regional Australia and the importance of supporting Queer Youth on my local radio today!

[ladycharles]

Ottawa friends - as you may know our Pride parade is being heavily attacked for taking a principled stand on Palestine. Through deliberately misrepresenting the statement (shown below) on Palestinian solidarity, the right wing mayor has led a charge that has stripped them of all corporate or government sponsors.

Sadly, our school board was pushed to pull out by extremist trustees. This is very personal to me as I know what it's like going to school without feeling support, and I truly believe that the kids getting a chance to participate should take precedence over petty politics.

If you are from the area please consider signing this letter asking them to reverse their decision.

first link is to add your voice, second is the original statement.

https://capitalpride.ca/capital-pride-statement-in-solidarity-with-palestine/

[art-eat3r]

Happy Pride month to everyone who can't come out. To everyone who feels like they are lying or out of place in their family and social spaces. You matter, and you are so loved. I love you. And I hear you. And I see you.

[mawce444]

yk being in a relationship with a fellow enby is quite nice actually most chill thing ever you should try it !!!!

[rome-theeempire]

I got a joke....

Why do gay people have so many clothes???

Cuz we're trying to find an aesthetic that fits our expression but we SUCK at sticking to a single aesthetic😭

(it isn't really a joke more so a cry for help😞)

[queeryouthresources]

Welcome!

This blog is a compilation of resources for queer or questioning youth. Some original posts with advice, some (mostly) reblogs, some links.

Tagging system

All posts will be tagged #queer youth resources unless it's not a resource. In that case, those posts will be tagged #not a resource for filtering.

Other tags include:

#trans youth resources, #homo youth resources, #mspec youth resources, #aspec youth resources, #intersex youth resources, #questioning youth resources, #mental health resources, #ally resources

You can also find upcoming pride events in the tag #pride events

Some posts are sorted by country. Current country tags with content posted include #usa resources, #uk resources, #czech republic resources, #wales resources, #germany resources, #japan resources, #ireland resources, #canada resources

This blog is majority English language, however in country tags you may find posts in the official language(s) of the country.

Most important posts are also tagged as #important as I think they can be very important resources.

All of these are featured tags if you'd like to look through them, however many currently only have a few posts as I'm still gathering resources.

Contribute

This blog is currently run by one person, so I can't be active all the time. If you'd like to help me gather queer resources, here's what you can do.

1, tag me in posts that contain resources so I can reblog it.

2, send me links to resources or your own advice to queer youth in the asks.

3, make posts of your own with resources. If you do so, please tag me!

Even if you can't create/find resources, any interaction is greatly appreciated! Reblogging our posts, sending an ask, etc.

Feel free to request resources on a certain topic or for a certain purpose! I will do my best to find resources that fit what you ask for :)

[hunter216]

42 on your get to know me thing, which is "what would you do if you won the lottery?" :)

- Kenny

I feel like it kinda depends on how much money i win, but i'd probably split it and give some to charities that protect and support lgbt+ kids and then use the rest to help save up for/pay for either testostorne or top/bottom surgery

[hederskrans]

okay. new post about KOSA.

it just got sent to the committee of commerce, sciences, and transport (i believe.)

this is SUPER early. you should still call your representatives daily, twice a day, hell even every time you eat. make sure they're swamped.

however, it DOES NOT mean you need to work yourself sick right now.

many senators and even members of the committee have no idea what this bill does or means. go to badinternetbills.com for a list of people to call, as well as a script to say if you'd like one, and go to stopkosa.com as well. they will both have petitions and resources so you can help. also, text "STOPKOSA" (all caps) to 68788.

remember that you also need to focus on the earn it act and restrict act, which are just as bad (if not WORSE!).

for those outside the US, remember to spread this information as much as possible and sign petitions- this may affect you too one day. do your best to educate others about this bill and stop the spread of misinformation as much as possible. remember that this bill is being MARKETED as a way to prevent childhood depression, anxiety, and many other mental illnesses, but it is not. many people that believe it is the former are just misguided.

people in the US, sign the petitions, text "STOPKOSA" to 68788, call your representatives, and most of all, make a huge stink about it. family members that aren't really on the internet? tell them that people on the internet will be hurt by this bill and that they should sign it and call their representatives as well, to push for a resounding no when they vote on it. republican family who's just voting red because they think it's better for the lower classes? tell them that this will not only hurt kids in unsafe homes, but it will also make everyone's internet experience much harder.

remember that we can get this bill blocked if we take action.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

In recent months, LGBTQ+ rights have faced significant setbacks in many countries, with populist and authoritarian governments passing draconian laws curtailing LGBTQ+ rights. Countries as varied as Uganda, Ghana, Iraq, Russia, Hungary, and the United States, among others, have sought to limit the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly of LGBTQ+ individuals. They have done so by suggesting that the mere existence of LGBTQ+ people in the public sphere poses a threat to children, misusing the rhetoric of protecting children to restrict fundamental human rights. This tired and offensive stereotype is damaging to the LGBTQ+ community, who are demonized in the public imagination and deprived of basic human rights. It also harms all children, who are deliberately kept in the dark about essential topics in the world around them, ranging from family diversity to current events to comprehensive sexuality education. But most of all, these laws harm LGBTQ+ children, who are made to feel alone and kept from seeing how they might flourish as they grow up. Many of the laws that pretend to protect children are downright draconian.  [...] LGBTQ+ children have the same needs for safety, privacy, health, education, and a sense of belonging as other children do, and governments are consistently failing them. What would law and policy look like if we prioritized the needs of all children? One guiding principle from international human rights law is a concern for the best interest of the child – and not only cisgender, heterosexual children but LGBTQ+ children as well. Viewed through that more holistic lens, many recent laws and policies are insufficient and discriminatory at best. LGBTQ+ children deserve the same rights and opportunities as their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. Governments should safeguard their well-being with inclusive curricula, resources and support, and access to quality health care. By acknowledging and supporting LGBTQ+ children, we can dismantle discriminatory attitudes and foster a more inclusive society for all children to have access to thoughtful care that meets their needs.

Ryan Thoreson for The Advocate on how anti-LGBTQ+ extremists' demonization of the LGBTQ+ community based on the faulty premise of "protecting children" hurts children (06.28.2024).

Ryan Thoreson wrote a piece in The Advocate that anti-LGBTQ+ policies enacted on the faulty basis of “protecting children" do lots of actual harm to children.

[himmurf]

Transgender rights are still at risk.

Get active in your local government; time: YESTERDAY.

Contact your officials in two minutes.

Send a text to 50409 & put @resistbot to work.

Resistbot home:

My resistbot activity:

Text FOLLOW IVYPETITIONS to 50409 to be notified for new letters.

[thestarlightforge]

“Ymir with the Freckles”

1/11/24

***

Most of our cousins grew up in Texas. Several of the youngest are still there, working through middle and high school. Texas isn’t the best place for queer youth—nowhere in the South is, but especially there—but they know my sibling and I are safe people. (We’re both queer, and we’ve both let them know that and cultivated safe spaces for them.) As such, a few of them have come out to us over the years.

When my sibling and I came out, we went through all the stages of “so xyz in our childhood was pretty queer, huh”—recontextualizing and further appreciating everything from TV shows we’d watched to things we went through. If I’m honest, that’s still happening. But I didn’t come out as bi+ until after I had left home for undergrad—didn’t even know myself well enough to do so before then; and I didn’t figure out I was genderqueer until last year—and am still struggling to tell people about it. Meanwhile, my sibling’s wheels started turning a little younger than mine had, them having slightly more access to queer community and education because of the internet and our evolving culture—but they still didn’t make those connections until late into high school, didn’t fully until college, and they still consider themself a work in progress.

Because of subtle (and unsubtle) queer phobia and conditioning, because we didn’t know any safe queer people, because of a lack of education and exposure… Because we didn’t know.

Some people don’t find the freedom and safety to make the discoveries we eventually did until far older than we were—and it’s never too late for that. But as an adult, there was some trauma in realizing my childhood was gone, and during it, I never got to fully experience queer joy or really live as myself.

Our little cousins don’t have many safe people—Texas is Texas. But sometimes, they text us. An account of a debate about trans rights that came up in Model UN at their school; they spoke up for trans people, but were confronted with right-wing transphobia, and they wanted to talk to us about it. A comic book panel or TV show with a queer pairing they love. Pictures of drawings in their journals, of queer OCs they’re writing. A screen-cap from a video game they’re playing, showing off some particularly queer fashion choices. A chart of various pride flags with common misconceptions about different queer identities. Like penguins or crows, delivering us little treasures.

Or precious, precious videos—the resolution blurry, the framing wobbly and Dutch-tilted as they held their phone camera close to an ancient, school-issued laptop—where they leaned into the microphone and said: They wanted to tell us, they went on the Fandom website for “Ymir with the Freckles” from Attack on Titan, and it confirms that she was, in fact, “romantically attracted to Historia.” Like this was our precious secret, now. And we must safeguard it together.

I hope it won’t always be like this. That someday, all kids will be safe and free enough to be as loud and joyful as they like. But even so…

Young queer joy is so special.