Young people know their own identities best and deserve support from their parents, caregivers, and communities.
It’s up to adults to make sure the young people in their lives have the resources they need to succeed. That’s especially true for LGBTQ+ young people, who statistically are less likely to have a supportive home environment: according to the Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, fewer than 1 in 3 transgender and nonbinary youth described their home as gender-affirming.
You can support the young people in your community by advocating for policies that protect their identities and their ability to participate in all the activities and spaces that their peers do. You can also provide resources and create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students. Research what’s available in your community before you get started and see if there are people already working on behalf of LGBTQ+ young people who could use your help.
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Read up on the policies of your local schools and organizations. If you can’t find it, email a principal or superintendent for a copy of it.
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Read about your local representatives’ positions on LGBTQ+ rights and make sure they hear from you. You can find your legislators here.
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Attend school board meetings. You can find when your school board meets and what is on the agenda using Equality Virginia’s school board tracker here.
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Reach out to organizations like Equality Virginia to be plugged into their network of advocates.
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Plug into existing local parent-based LGBTQ+ organizations like PFLAG, Side by Side, or He She Ze & We or organize get-togethers to support parents of LGBTQ+ children so that they can better support their children.
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Speak up. Remember, other adults in your community need to hear from adults like you to implement good policies for young people. Use social media tools to express your support for LGBTQ+ students.
