It’s no surprise that LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of discrimination, bigotry, violence, and suicide than their peers. Consequently, it is vital that parents and allies make LGBTQ+ youth feel love and accepted, especially when there are so many around them, whether directly or indirectly, who are attacking them for who they are and who they love.
1. Check in regularly with LGBTQ+ youth to see how they are feeling, what their needs are, and what you can do as a parent to support them. The easiest way for parents to affirm and show acceptance for an LGBTQ+ child is by being understanding, listening, learning, and acknowledging each child has a unique experience. In turn, children can feel their parents are a safe space to be their authentic selves and turn to for help.
2. Act as a role model to LGBTQ+ youth. Help them to use their voice to speak up against not just homophobia, transphobia, and anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and discrimination, but also against discrimination and harassment in all its forms toward all marginalized groups.
3. Work with your child’s school to ensure it is promoting LGBT History Month. Education is paramount in eliminating prejudice against all minorities, and LGBT History Month pro-motes understanding, kindness, and acceptance from students. To those students who struggle with their sexual orientation and gender identity, they would learn about icons in the LGBTQ+ community who can inspire them, those who fought for equality in the face of oppression. It’s an inspirational American story and we’re still writing it. Recognizing LGBT History Month would also let those struggling with sexual orientation and gender identity know there are others out there just like them and it’s okay. Recognizing LGBT History Month creates an environment for students to learn about the battles the LGBTQ+ community has historically fought to overcome such as criminalization of homosexuality, the AIDs epidemic, marriage equality, Title 7 protections, as well as international challenges. Around the world, brutal, unimaginable human rights violations are occurring against LGBTQ+ communities. The LGBTQ+ community still faces challenges, including legal hurdles and various forms of discrimination. It would be unfair to deny children this education.
4. Locate reliable resources from the Human Rights Campaign, Equality Florida, CenterLink, PFLAG, GLSEN, and more. Local pride centers, like Naples Pride Center, also offer hands-on resources tailored to the local community, such as social mixers, youth support groups, and a directory of local LGBTQ+ friendly businesses. Parents do not have to go it alone. At the Naples Pride Center, we don’t want it just to be a place where people come to get resources; we want it to be a place that welcomes everyone in our community. A place with no judgments where everyone not only can locate a resource to make their lives a little easier, but also find comfort in a space that feels like home. So feel free to join your child at the center, or have them bring a friend.
Equal treatment
Youth sports provide vital lessons such as teamwork, problem solving, commitment, hard work, and leadership. To exclude transgender young people from participating in sports with their classmates hurts their sense of belonging and stunts their develop-ment. Yet lawmakers are attempting to pass legislation that would prevent transgender youth from participating in sports, depriving a marginalized group with higher rates of suicide and depression the benefits of social interaction at a young age when it is vital. This legislation effectively not only tells transgender youth they are going to be treated differently, it teaches the other children that transgender youth are to be treated differently. Transgender youth are not looking for special treatment; they are looking for equal treatment.
For more information, visit www.naplespride.org.
Callhan Soldavini, Esq. serves on the Board of Directors of Naples Pride.