gay teens

Helping LGBT Youth – March 2012

March 21, 2012 By Brandon Leave a Comment

Every month I try to post about the two LGBT Youth organizations that I help (in a small way) with the proceeds from The Value Of Rain. Both organizations are trying to meet increasing demands with very little funding. So if you can see it in your heart to help out these groups, which work directly to take homeless LGBT kids off the street, you will do so knowing that your small contribution helped take a kid off the streets and showed him that someone cared enough to say YES, you are worthy of being loved.

GLBTAYS – DONATE

In a state that ranks as #1 for being the worst place for homeless youth, this organization fights against innumerable social, religious and monetary odds to help provide LGBT Youth with a safe place to interact, converse, learn and, if need be, helps them find a safe place to stay. Recently they launched a multimedia project called “From Behind The Mask” which shows real people and real struggles in the LGBT Youth community. It is definitely something you’ll want to check out.

Saint Lost & Found – DONATE

Taking 25 kids off the street and ‘graduating’ two to near self independence is not an easy task. Ask the guys and girls over at St. Lost and Found and what you’ll hear isn’t about how hard it is, but how rewarding it is when something as simple as a “glad to meet you” changes a kid’s perspective from one of desolation to one of hope for their future. But they’ve done much more than that and continue to help those that need our help the most.

Facebook a danger to LGBT Youth?

January 19, 2012 By Brandon Leave a Comment

Back in September when Facebook started announcing and putting all their new changes into place, specifically the timeline, I had a talk with my online advisor. At that time we were discussing the fact that most LGBT Youth organizations do NOT communicate with teens through the medium they use most: their cell phone. In fact, most LGBT Youth organizations’ online info isn’t even accessible to at-risk teens if they aren’t sitting at a PC. Simply, website and contact info is nearly invisible if the organization’s website is not mobile friendly. (Or if they don’t have a mobile app.)

This came to light (to me) when I was trying to send some emergency contact info to an LGBT kid that needed immediate resources and help. I sent several of the most prominent national LGBT youth website URLs (and multiple local ones) only to have him tell me that he couldn’t read or access any of it on his cell phone. (The only thing available to him.) That’s a pretty big fail for LGBT Youth organizations, especially those trying to help homeless youth. If we can’t connect with the kids, how are we going to help? [Read more…] about Facebook a danger to LGBT Youth?

Helping LGBT Youth – January 2012

January 6, 2012 By Brandon 2 Comments

As many of you already know, I am a LGBT Youth advocate and donate half the proceeds from The Value of Rain to help two local nonprofit organizations whose dedication and goals match my own. Occasionally I post updates here about what they are doing and how they are affecting the LGBT Youth community. Considering the age of both of these organizations, what they have done in such a short time is nothing less than phenomenal, and it is exactly why they will continue to get my support. [Read more…] about Helping LGBT Youth – January 2012

A Talk For Parents of LGBT Children

December 8, 2011 By Brandon Leave a Comment

Here’s a video from a close friend specifically for parents of LGBT children coming out. Probably the most important point to convey before I step off this stage and let David talk to you is the fact that children simply want to be loved, but his video goes beyond that and is well worth watching.

Note: I’ve also added a few resource link below for parents seeking more information, and you can also click over to LGBT Youth Orgs for more.

GLBT National Help Resource Center (for finding LGBT resources near you)

Ten Things I’ve Learned About Gay People in Ten Years | A Christian Perspective

Gay youth, family rejection, and health problems

The Link Between LGBT Youth, Bullying, and Suicide

18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda

What Do You Tell Him?

November 7, 2011 By Brandon 5 Comments

Meet Tyler.

Tyler’s dad found out he was homosexual and disowned him, denied that he ever existed, and threw him out of the house after beating him unconscious. Tyler is 14.

When he is on the street picking through dumpsters looking for something, anything, to eat, he thinks of all the times he heard his parents tell him that they would love him no matter what.

He recalls when he lay curled in his father’s lap while his daddy read to him. He remembers that he would drift off to sleep in his arms only to awaken the next morning tucked safely in bed. He thinks that this memory, which has suddenly left him trembling and near tears again, is only three years old. Just three years, when he was eleven, and didn’t really understand all the names and rage his father would throw at him later.

He wonders what his mom is doing now, why she never stepped forward and said, “Enough!” Why she never did anything on that night but cinch the curtain a little tighter when he turned and looked back at what used to be his home. Did she hate him too? [Read more…] about What Do You Tell Him?

PRIDE FOR YOUTH – SAVING LIVES IN THE SUBURBS

September 21, 2011 By Brandon Leave a Comment

Guest post by by Andrew J. Peters

Pride for Youth is a not-for-profit organization that is a service and an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teenagers. Located in Bellmore, NY, fifteen miles east of New York City, Pride for Youth serves Long Island, an area that is geographically diffuse and densely populated. The mission of the agency is to enhance the health, wellness and cultural competency of LGBT youth through education, supportive services and youth development.

It’s a cause that has been a central part of my personal and professional development. I started working there as a social work intern in 1994. As a fledgling initiative, we offered a safe place where kids could gather on a Sunday afternoon, and school-based LGBT-sensitivity workshops to outreach to isolated teens and combat prejudice and bullying.