“To hear [the LGBTQ Community] being compared to liars and cheaters and murderers hurts. To be called a groomer and a pedophile and a predator, something that makes you want to hold your kids a little closer when I walk by hurts. I am done standing by while my community is belittled, torn apart and denied access to the most basic rights so many Americans hold dear.” - Maxx, Advocates’ Youth Activist and founder of PRISM in Florida

Maxx spoke these words in September at a youth-organized rally in Washington DC for the Equality Act. Maxx’s sorrow and outrage reflect 2022’s reality: young LGBTQ+ people are under attack in this country. This year saw an unprecedented and unconscionable rise in violence directed at LGBTQ public life - including the tragic and devastating Club Q shooting less than one month ago. Not only that, but across the country, states and school districts targeted LGBTQ youth in schools and communities.

Support LGBTQ young people working for inclusive education and safe communities.

• In Texas, Governor Abbott’s ban on gender affirming care banned meant parents working to support their trans kids faced investigation and even criminal penalties.
• In Florida, officials banned gender affirming care for young people, as the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law erased LGBTQ people from public school lessons.
• In Tennessee and Idaho, proposed legislation would ostensibly ban drag shows but also impact anyone who presents as gender non-conforming in any public spaces.

School districts are removing LGBTQ+ resources, dissolving decades-old partnerships with LGBTQ community centers, and banning LGBTQ books. And public discourse around LGBTQ people has never been worse, with elected officials at the highest levels of government fomenting hate to activate their base.

In stark contrast, no generation is more supportive of LGBTQ+ rights than young people. In 2022, young people led school walkouts to protest anti-trans policies in Virginia. They worked to ensure welcoming and gender-neutral spaces on college campuses. Young people also pushed for Congressional approval of the Respect for Marriage Act, which was signed into law last week by President Biden. They’ve rallied, lobbied, and done everything they can to stem the tide of homophobia and transphobia.

Donate to support LGBTQ+ young people and help create safe and welcoming schools and communities.

It’s no exaggeration to say we’re at a crisis point for LGBTQ+ young people in this country. We cannot allow the normalization of violence and discrimination to continue.

Your donation helps Advocates for Youth train and support youth activists building safe spaces on their campuses. It helps us provide emergency support to schools facing homophobic and transphobic attacks. It helps us provide training to educators and youth-serving professionals on how they can help LGBTQ+ students thrive. Donate today to support safe schools and communities for LGBTQ+ young people.

Thanks for your support,

Debra Hauser
President
Advocates for Youth