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A new group looks to support queer young people.
Opinion: "LGBTQ+ young people, you deserve the world," writes the Coalition for LGBTQ+ Youth.
Last month, we gathered in New York City, bringing our leaders and staff from over a dozen nonprofits serving LGBTQ+ youth together for the first time. This convening was long overdue. Our goal was to discuss how we are showing up for LGBTQ+ young people amid a uniquely challenging moment in our nation’s history – and how we can better collaborate to ensure these youth are able to envision the better, brighter future they deserve.
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This initial gathering was filled with energizing conversations over a two-day period. We shared strategies and ideas on how to better support LGBTQ+ youth, and analyzed challenges impacting our work – both current, and those we anticipate ahead. Most importantly, we heard from LGBTQ+ young people directly – listening to them identify what they need, right now, and what they want for their futures.
We are the Coalition for LGBTQ+ Youth.
To introduce ourselves as a new coalition, we want to speak directly to the LGBTQ+ young people we serve:
Dear LGBTQ+ young people,
You deserve the world. We see you, and we are here to support you as much as we can, and in every way that we can. We will never stop fighting for your ability to lead the healthy, safe, full lives you deserve. We’re with you, because we are you. We are a collective made up of queer and transgenderfolks, and allies, who were once young people, like you. We also needed the care and kindness of our elders to make it this far, and we promise to pay it forward as best as we can. Queer people have always existed, and we can never be erased. We know that, you know that, and we are committed to using our platforms to ensure as many people as possible outside our community know that, too.
There’s a lot of hate being hurled in your direction these days, along with a seemingly endless stream of misinformation about who you are, and how you live your lives. And yet, you keep going – fighting through it, and rising above it. You inspire us every day, and we mean it wholeheartedly. Your capacity to love is limitless.
We don’t know what the future holds for our country. But with you in it, we know it will be bright.
Keep finding your joy. We are in this together.
–The Coalition for LGBTQ+ Youth
Founding members include:
Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI)
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center)
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