#queer youth

[itgetsbetter]

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ GOOD queer news for the TL: a bunch of students across the U.S. are using grants to make their schools more welcoming for LGBTQ+ youth

Queer students deserve to feel safe at school! We're in our third year of giving grants to put the power in their hands to make their schools more welcoming - students know what they need most in their own communities and their own schools.

Through 50 States, 50 Grants, 5,000 Voices, we've awarded over $1.5 million in grants across the U.S. to support student-led projects. Our third season has some of the most badass projects yet, like these:

❤️ “With this grant, we’ll establish an LGBTQIA+ community space in the library, open to all students, with guest speakers, arts and crafts, LGBTQIA+ books and literature, and LGBTQIA+-specific resources.” - Pocatello, Idaho

🧡 “Our project aims to support LGBTQ+ students through teacher training, development of gender-neutral bathroom protocols, and the organization of a district-wide Queer Prom.” - Gypsum, Colorado

💛 “We’ll take students from the 3 middle schools and our local high school to Honolulu Pride to make local LGBTQ+ friends, feel accepted in a large group, and see the community beyond just school.” - Ewa Beach, Hawai'i

💚 “We’re going to increase access to queer literature by working with a local nonprofit to expand our school’s collection, host storytelling events, and foster community connection." - Mobile, Alabama

💙 “Our plan is to create new Inclusivity Zones across the state in critical areas for local GSA clubs to meet, plan shared events, and be their own safe space.” - Charleston, West Virginia

💜 “We’ll host the Rainbow Youth Summit for LGBTQIA+ youth from across southern California to network, learn, and have fun in a safe, judgement free and supportive environment.” - Cathedral City, California

These students are truly the definition of making things better - you can see the rest of the amazing projects lined up across the country on our blog here!

[bitchesgetriches]

As a teenager, life gave me lemons.

I ate the lemons—skins, seeds, and stickers.

Many years later, I wrote a guide to help others eat lemons.

This is a guide to leaving home before 18. It ranks among the most important and most personal things I've ever written. It's also one of our most popular guides of all time. So I updated and expanded it. To make it as accessible as possible, we recorded audio and video versions too. My lemon-flavored heart would swell with joy and citric acid to know it reached people who need it.

But it's a fight share it. Heavy topics like this get muted and buried on most social platforms. Even worse, this administration is deleting surveys and data about it; my .gov sources transmogrified into 404s before my very eyes. Gonna post this, and pray that Tumblr does what Tumblr does best.

How To Leave Home Before 18

Video Version 🍋 Audio Version 🍋 Text Version

[celinedijjons-blog]

What beauty is, I know not, though it adheres to many things.

[olympia201]

DO YOU GUYS LIKE IT WHEN I'M NOT NAKED THOUGH?

[finleyforevermore]

Discussions of death, suicide, overdose, transphobia, facism, and politics under the cut. Do not read if those are upsetting or triggering topics for you. Thank you.

A year ago, on this day, Nex Benedict passed away.

Nex was a Two-Spirit non-binary sophomore who attended Owasso High School. The day before his death, he was attacked by students who were making rude comments about him and his friend. When Nex retaliated by pouring water on them, the students physically assaulted him, beating Nex until they lost consciousness. Nex had scrapes and bruises following the fight and went to sleep that night with a sore head.

The next day, Nex collapsed in their living room, with their eyes rolled back and struggling to breathe.

Nex's death was declared a suicide by an overdose on Prozac and Benadryl, in spite of the fact that taking those medications rarely ever lead to death.

The actual cause of Nex's death remains up in the air; some people believe it was really suicide, others believe it was from the injuries sustained from the fight the day before.

And may i say; if it was a suicide, it was committed DUE to the bullying he suffered. Blood remains on the school's hands for doing nothing.

Their death remains nothing short of a tragedy, regardless of the cause. Nex was only 16 years old. He loved reading, nature, drawing, Minecraft, and their cat Zeus. They were a strong and tough person who hid behind those walls to earn respect, but deep down, he was a truly compassionate, sweet, and thoughtful person. They'd cook pancakes and chicken wings with mixed-up spice for their friend/ex-partner. Nex was deeply brave and extremely intelligent; lit up a room just from entering.

So much potential for an incredible life. Such a beautiful, deeply incredible and wonderful person. Someone who reminds me so much of so many of my friends.

And now he's gone.

He should have turned 17 on January 12th this year.

Their death has been mocked by people online, the Oklahoma superintendent himself, Ryan Walters, even went as far to insult and misgender Nex.

The Oklahoma governor even stated the following: "We are a Republican state - supermajority - in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesn't want that filth in Oklahoma." What a monster.

But in spite of how deeply gut-wrenching and horrible this all is, we must continue to move forward and stay strong. With a racist, facist, sexist idiot currently in the oval office, and a Nazi essentially acting as right-hand man, now more than ever, queer people and queer allies must fight back. Let themselves be known. Not feel an ounce of regret or embarrassment for who they are. As hackneyed and trite of a statement it is, be yourself. Don't let any person stop you from being the beautiful individual you are.

It seems hopeless but that's what they WANT. They WANT you to give up hope and conform. But millions of our queer ancestors did not fight like hell for our rights, just so we could throw in the towel. They fought and they conquered. So can we.

Be brave. Be intelligent. Be a fighter. Be a conqueror. Be you. Nex was. So can you.

I love you, Nex.

I love you all.

So for me, and for him, say his name. And say it proud.

And say it LOUD.

NEX BENEDICT!

[jambearie]

Just gonna link this list of trans/nonbinary Girl Scouts selling cookies that can be shipped across the country in case anyone wants to help some queer youth (and get cookies!)~

Each with have a Lil blurb about the kiddo and the store page will show how close they are to their goal ☺️

[jalluzas-ferney]

Sign this if you wanna piss off a homophobe

[queeryouthautonomy]

It's time to fight back!

LGBTQ+ folks and allies, our rights are under attack. The ACLU, which tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the nation, has identified over 400 bills currently making their way through state Congresses and Senates. We must stand together against these horrific policies for the good of all queer people.

On March 31st, 2023, Queer Youth Assemble is planning protests across the nation to center youth voices and allow all queer people and allies to make their displeasure known.

Join us at marches in over 30 states (with more joining up every day!) as well as Washington DC. Turn up in large enough numbers so that legislators know that we will not stand for this.

Read and sign our List of Demands!

Find a march near you! Tumblr masterpost of marches can be found here!

Donate (we are raising money for transportation, organizing expenses, free masks, and ASL interpreters!)

Follow this page for updates and to see state marches featured.

To learn more, send an ask here or email march@queeryouthassemble.org!

Find us on Instagram and Tiktok—@queeryouthassemble!

[soyboyanarchy]

To all the teens with obscure genders, I love you.

The labels man and women are just as made up as stargender. Never let them take it away from you

[itgetsbetter]

Some proof that there ARE elected officials out there, like Vice Mayor Sean Cummings in Oklahoma, who are standing up for LGBTQ+ youth like Nex Benedict and calling out the fact that our words and rhetoric DO matter.

[Context: In this video, Sean Cummings is seen speaking to Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters referring to the death of student Nex Benedict].

[peturnagy]

Joe Locke (digital painting) / Artist: Miki Földi - Corel Painter Master

[celinedijjons-blog]

does these panties make me butt look fat?

[chris-continues]

Sorry if I act “too political,” I just don’t know if my friends will be safe the next few years. Or if I’ll be able to have contraceptives to help me regulate my anxiety. Or if my loved ones will get retirement.

When someone loses, they storm the White House. When someone else loses, people are figuring out how to leave the country and crying. Alone. Wondering how they’ll live without their identity, or their partner, or their rights.

I’m scared.

[sparrow-the-tired-lesbian]

Seeing the act of growing up and moving out of your parents’ house as an “escape” is so mentally draining. Eighteen years of my life will have been spent hiding and watching my six and keeping who I really am a secret. Eighteen years spent lying. Eighteen years wasted. Eighteen years begging for an escape. Pleading. It isn’t fair.