John,

A first-generation Cambodian queer immigrant, Darid Prom didn’t understand what it meant to be gay when they were bullied in middle school and called “gay boy.” They came to associate being gay as negative. Darid was afraid to live authentically.

“I didn’t fit into the typical definition of what a ‘male’ should be. I got bullied a lot. I was really scared to express myself authentically.”
–Darid Prom (they/them)

When it was time to move onto high school, Darid chose one with a GSA. They found the one place where they could be themselves without fear of harassment or hostility. Darid found their community and grew to become a leader and an advocate—even serving as a member of GLSEN’s 2018-2019 National Student Council.

“GSA was the one place where I got to be myself and got to express my identity.”

– Darid Prom (they/them)

Stories like Darid’s are the reason GLSEN exists and why I look forward to doing this critical work every single day. And these stories are why I’m so grateful that you’ve committed to sharing in GLSEN’s journey.

Because of your support this year, we’ve progressed tremendously in our work to uplift LGBTQ+ students and give them a sense of community:

Fielding our most in-depth examination of how GSAs serve the student body and school communities with the launch of our national GSA Study
Launching the GLSEN Rainbow Library as a national program, so hundreds of thousands of students can see themselves reflected and celebrated
Relaunching our Changing the Game initiative to create inclusive communities within school sports
And introducing GLSEN’s Freedom Fellowship program to lay the groundwork for growing our nationwide network of Chapters, with a focus on reaching communities of color

Our work isn’t possible without friends and supporters like you, who’ve helped us overcome the challenges of this past year.

John, and today you can have an even more powerful impact on our work.

Your year-end gift to GLSEN will be matched dollar-for-dollar! Gifts made by 12/31 will help unlock the full value of this $50,000 matching opportunity so please act now.

MATCH MY GIFT

Your support will have a profound impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ students in the coming year.

Melanie Willingham-Jaggers

Interim Executive Director

she/they

PS: Our successes are driven by you. I am proud to share GLSEN 2021 Impact Report so you can see and appreciate the difference you’re making in the lives of LGBTQ+ young people. Thank you again for your continued commitment to GLSEN’s mission and work.