Editor's Note:: "Stories from the Helpline" is a new, recurring feature on The Bilerico Project, bringing in the personal accounts of Helpline counselors from The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization that operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. In this first feature for "Stories from the Helpline," college student Wing-Sum Doud shares what it is like to help save young lives while answering calls on The Trevor Helpline.
People often ask me why I decided to get involved with an organization like The Trevor Project. Since I'm entering my second year of college, it's often assumed that I must be experiencing what many of the young callers are going through (which is not entirely false 100% of the time).
However, I was actually lucky enough to have a positive and relatively easy coming out experience, with the full support of my family and friends. I always knew there was somebody I could turn to if I needed help. This is what sparked my interest in a crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. Many of these young people have nobody to turn to for support during extremely difficult and confusing times. I wanted to be able to give that gift of support back to people who may not have been as fortunate as I was when I came out.
In honor of LGBT Pride Month- a look at activism in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community around the world. Created for Fight OUT Loud.
IssueLab, a website whose goal is to bring nonprofit research into focus, has a new June round-up-- an online collection of nongovernmental research on LGBTQ youth.
The research touches on issues like how to build safe school environments for LGBTQ youth; disproportionate rates of homelessness; how racism and homophobia impact LGBTQ kids of color; and suicidal ideation and attempts. The collection includes work from organizations like GLSEN, Advocates for Youth, and the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.
IssueLab's effort is of tremendous service to the fields of LGBTQ youth research and practice by essentially providing a one-stop, (free) "shopping" place for non-profit research reports, occasional papers, evaluations, data sets, surveys, and case studies vital to the work of organizations working in LGBTQ research.
The ACLU LGBT Project recently launched Get Busy, Get Equal , an online toolkit for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists. Get Busy, Get Equal is designed to equip activists who don't necessarily have much experience organizing with the tools they need to effect real and sustainable change.
Get Busy, Get Equal is an online toolkit designed to help turn dreams of equality into reality. The site features a dynamic design and easy usability, as well as new content and videos. The site also has a blog discussing LGBT rights and breaking news, as well as opportunities to connect to activists through the social networking sites Facebook, Youtube, Flickr, and MySpace.
Protecting All of Our Families - A Message from our Vice President
Category: News and Politics
At a recent commission meeting in my home town of Oakland Park, Florida, I became aware of an issue that affects so many families in the LGBT community. During a discussion about possibly limiting short term rentals in the city, I discovered that single family homes were limited to no more than three unrelated people living together.
Specifically, the city's code says that single family homes cannot include "more than three individuals unrelated by blood, marriage, or adoption."
The problems with this outdated law are obvious. For example, in Florida, LGBT people cannot marry. We also cannot adopt. Our families don't fit into this narrow mold and are thus breaking this law.
Day of Silence- Silence Can Be Deafening
Category: News and Politics
The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.
This year's event is held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.
I wanted to send you all a note to update you on the amazing work Fight OUT Loud is doing. Our organization, which now has over 20,000 members nationwide, is busy fighting discrimination on every level!
New Board of Advisors!
First, I'd like to welcome the first four members of our Board of Advisors!
A heartfelt thank you to Chip Arndt (Activist and winner of The Amazing Race season 4), Matt Foreman (Executive Director of the Nation Gay and Lesbian Task Force), David Mixner (Life-long political strategist, civil rights activist and public affairs advisor), and Pam Spaulding (Editor and publisher of Pam's House Blend, once of the most popular LGBT blogs around) for their support and belief in our mission! To read more about these amazing activists and leaders for our community, click HERE.
Taking Action!
Fight OUT Loud continues to work around the country to empower people who are faced with discrimination and hate. We have been working with GLSEN to help establish Gay-Straight Alliances in schools with anti-gay bullying issues, worked with the Gay American Heroes Foundation to get the word out about hate crimes against the LGBT community, and continued to fight bigoted comments from politicians like Mayor Jim Naugle of Fort Lauderdale and Sally Kern of Oklahoma.
We also launched our "1 Every 8 Days" video online and have been spreading the message around the globe that violence against our community will not be accepted. To see the video, click HERE.
We are empowering the LGBT community and its allies around the country, providing resources and creating new leaders and activists as we go.
Join the Fight!
As always, we want you to join the fight against discrimination. You can make your tax-deductible donation by clicking HERE.
You can also find us on MySpace, FaceBook, and GLEE. These social networking sites have been invaluable in reaching LGBT youth and others who need our assistance, so help us spread the word!
Once again, thank you for your help in our mission! Let's continue to work together to empower our community to fight discrimination!
Victory in Fort Lauderdale! Your Voice Made a Difference!
Category: News and Politics
After much outcry from around the country, the City of Fort Lauderdale has removed the "Focus on Fort Lauderdale" newsletter with Mayor Jim Naugle's bigoted message against the LGBT community from the city's website.The city also decided that the mayor's column in Fort Lauderdale's bi-monthly publication will be permanently removed, giving Naugle one less platform from which to spew hate.A special thanks to Commissioners Hutchinson and Moore for standing up for the respect and equality of all residents.
This shows the power and influence of a united LGBT community. Fight OUT Loud thanks its over 20,000 members, many who have written in to express their outrage over this.Within 1 day, the offensive language was removed from the city website and Naugle's message was removed from future publications.
Thank you to everyone who wrote, called, and stood up against the spread of anti-gay rhetoric at the expense of Fort Lauderdale tax-payers.Your voice was heard.Never again will our community sit by and let dangerous, violence inducing language go unanswered.
We continue to call on Mayor Naugle and the entire City Commission to speak out and denounce the outbreak of violence against the LGBT community.The South Florida LGBT Community demands that its leaders step forward and diffuse the atmosphere of hate and intolerance that is brewing.
A heartfelt thanks to the members of Fight OUT Loud who once again stood in solidarity against the bigotry and hatred of Mayor Naugle.
We are standing up, being heard, and making a difference!
To contribute to Fight OUT Loud and help fight discrimination and hate, click here.
recently launched Get Busy, Get Equal , an online toolkit for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists. Get Busy, Get Equal is designed to equip activists who don't necessarily have much experience organizing with the tools they need to effect real and sustainable change.
At a recent commission meeting in my home town of Oakland Park, Florida, I became aware of an issue that affects so many families in the LGBT community. During a discussion about possibly