LGBT Nonprofit News

Locked in a Basement for Being Gay

June 22, 2013 By Brandon 3 Comments

A weekly post about what Lost-n-Found, a Homeless LGBT Youth organization in Atlanta, deals with on a daily basis. Names are removed to protect the youth.

From the Hotline for Homeless LGBT Youth:

2:37 PM: The Hotline gets a phone call from a gay youth who states that his mother has locked him in a basement because he’s gay. She left him his phone and a pop-tart.

Further investigation reveals that this 17-year-old has already been to the police. His situation at home was so bad that he ran away. (He is an African American youth and his family is Muslim and will not tolerate his sexuality.) [Read more…] about Locked in a Basement for Being Gay

Deaf, Gay, and Left Homeless By His Parents

June 13, 2013 By Brandon Leave a Comment

From the Hotline for Homeless LGBT Youth:

We hear a lot of youths’ stories on the HOTLINE and most would simply wretch your heart. This cry for help started out that way, but quickly turned to a positive.

We got a call from a gentleman that had run into a young man that he thought we could help. We asked that he give the youth our number and to have him contact us so that we could verify his story.

The youth could not call but could text because he is deaf. His mother had him declared mentally unstable and got him onto disability, so she could control the money. [Read more…] about Deaf, Gay, and Left Homeless By His Parents

LGBT Authors Coming Together for a Cause

June 4, 2013 By Brandon 2 Comments

It is a given that my blog is always open to authors who give back to the LGBT community, so it is a wonderful surprise when I come across a press and an entire group of authors who are as passionate about LGBT youth homelessness as I am. That they randomly chose one of the same charities that I donate to was well… Let’s just say I could use a lot of very positive emoticons here to display how happy I was. ~B.

Hi, I’m Kris Jacen, the Executive Editor for ManLoveRomance Press (gay romance/mystery/paranormals) and its two imprints, Passion in Print Press (traditional romance) and Featherweight Press (Young Adult and children’s stories). I’m also a mama. I have two beautiful daughters that, although they can try my patience, I can say that I love unconditionally. It won’t matter to me one wit if at some point one of them tells me that they love another girl or even if they think they maybe should have been a boy. They have brought immeasurable joy and love into mine and my husband’s lives. So I think it was the “mama” in me that reacted first when I was approached about LOST AND FOUND. [Read more…] about LGBT Authors Coming Together for a Cause

How Writers Can Help Nonprofits

June 3, 2013 By Brandon Leave a Comment

How can I help?

I get asked this quest a lot. At least two to three times per ~~week~~ day. What can I do? How can I help? Unfortunately, impulse usually stops at asking instead of acting. I’m not quite sure why that is, from my perspective it seems to be fear.

Most people don’t ask the question when the need is immediate, they just jump right in without worries about religious bent, political affiliation, sexuality, or any of the other ‘norms’ we discard people for. In an emergency we are all just human.

So, since other authors tend to ask me this question most, I have taken all my accumulated ‘wisdom’ and blogged about it over at Suzanne van Rooyen’s Off the Page.

Getting involved is actually quite simple.

Making a Difference is even easier.

National Give OUT Day

May 9, 2013 By Brandon Leave a Comment

Today is National Give OUT day.

This is a national campaign designed to raise awareness and funds for local and national LGBT Organizations. As you know, here around the Shire we raise funds by donating 10% of the proceeds from our books to two organizations that work tirelessly to get homeless LGBT youth off the streets.

Both of these organizations are taking part in today’s event and you can donate to them at the links below. I would like to particularly emphasize that you take note of the Lost-n-Found page. On the right they have a donation list and it tells you exactly what just a few dollars can do and how much it can mean to a homeless kid.

Both organizations work toward the same goal, if you can, please give equally.

GLBT Advocacy & Youth and Lost-n-Found

Spotlight on an LGBT volunteer and why $12 is important

April 16, 2013 By Brandon 1 Comment

~ From James Robinson, Executive Director of GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services (reposted from Facebook.)

Today’s spotlight is on one of our volunteers … Ashley Ross is completing her Master’s in Social Work degree from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Ashley first met with me about 9 months ago to discuss the possibility of an internship placement with the agency. I knew there was something special about Ashley when she showed up in December, a month early for her internship placement, and began volunteering. Since then I have learned some amazing things about Ashley and her dedication to social work and her support of equality and social justice. Ashley is our first intern from UA and I later found out she had worked for 2 years within her department to secure a placement with our agency. Last week as Ashley received the Margaret S. Odom Social Work Award from the Alabama Gerontological Society I learned that Ashley had based her submission for the award on an encounter she had with a gay man in a Senior Center program where she was working. This gay man shared his life story with Ashley and his story touched her heart. His decades of [Read more…] about Spotlight on an LGBT volunteer and why $12 is important